Tray chic: Bentley Continental Flying Spur ute custom-built in the UK 

A Bentley Continental Flying Spur limousine – with close to 600-horsepower worth of W12 under the bonnet – has been transformed into a ute in the UK.

Bentley’s flagship sedan was turned into a super-luxury ute following an 18-month transformation by custom car builders in the UK who specialise in classic Volkswagens and exotic supercars – and everything in between.

The 2005 Bentley Continental Flying Spur sedan was delivered to DC Customs in the UK in January 2020 and rolled out of the workshop last week having undergone a complete transformation.

The rear doors of the sedan were welded shut, the roof was shortened, and a tray area was hand-crafted with a metal frame.

However, the only timber likely to be carried in the back of this white-collar workhorse is the expensive teak finish covering the cargo hold.

With a claimed 583 horsepower – or 435kW in modern terms – the twin-turbo W12 (that's not a typo, it's comprised of two narrow-angle V6 (VR6) engines mounted in a V configuration) is likely one of the most powerful pick-ups in the world, with the main exceptions being the Australian-made HSV Maloo GTSR (435kW) and the four limited edition W1 versions (474kW).

While the HSV utes had supercharged V8 power, the Bentley pick-up has twin-turbo W12 grunt.

Over the weekend the bespoke builder of the Bentley posted a final update on the Flying Spur’s 18-month journey.

“The Bentley Flying Spur pickup up left us today after one of the biggest builds and biggest challenges to date,” DC Customs wrote on its Instgram page.

“A lot of people thought we were mad cutting up a Flying Spur – probably right, lol – and thought it just wouldn't look good,” the post continued. “But personally I think we nailed it, and must admit I'm proud of this one.”

The custom car builder admitted the Bentley Continental Flying Spur pick-up transformation required “lots more work than we thought it would be, but that’s all part of the fun.”

“It’s been a hard build, and at times I wondered if I should have said ‘no’ to the job. But so glad and thankful for it now.”

DC Customs UK said the car is due to undergo a professional photoshoot shortly.

Once that’s over with, however, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur ute will apparently be driven daily by its owner who, for now, remains anonymous – though not for long with a car like this.

Even when taking the car out to fuel up, it turned heads, according to the car builders.

While acknowledging the Continental Flying Spur pick-up is “not one for purists” of the proud British Bentley brand, DC Customs said it was one of the most complex projects it had undertaken.

Attention to detail abounds, from the “Decadent” badging in the same font used by Bentley, to the functionality of the tailgate.

The tailgate release button uses the electronics from the original boot release. The teak cargo bed took two weeks to install, lacquer and polish.

DC Customs said the bodywork was difficult to paint – especially when done by hand – but the firm was pleased with the result, which it described as “black, purple and sometimes blue depending on the light.”

There were numerous challenges along the way that had to be overcome.

The quarter side windows were “one of the hardest parts to figure out … and get looking factory”.

DC Customs even used original chrome trim from Bentley – for the edge of the custom-made glass – to maintain the factory look and upmarket appearance.

As for power, the West Midlands firm sent the car off for a tune-up, with claimed outputs now rated at 435kW/864Nm from the twin-turbo W12.

While the cost of this conversion remains anyone's guess for now, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur W12 sedan was priced from $358,000 before on-road costs when sold new in Australia in 2006.

Used examples would be worth much less than this, but nevertheless it's likely been an expensive exercise for the owner.

MORE: Old car, big money

Above: Where it all began. All photos from DC Customs UK Instgram page.