Luxury car company Bentley is celebrating its 100th anniversary in very rich style with the release of a limited edition book that costs R3.7 million

Partnering with luxury publishers Opus, the British company has produced The Bentley Centenary Opus, an 800-page celebration of the car’s history that weighs almost 30kg. It’s the largest book ever dedicated to one car manufacturer and comes with an introduction by avid Bentley collector and fashion mogul Ralph Lauren.

The 100 Carat Edition offers the most exclusive experience for those with deep pockets. Its cover is encrusted with diamonds and you can choose whether you’d like the Bentley badge on it to be set in white gold or platinum – all for just $250 000, which is more than the starting price of Bentley’s Continental GT or Bentayga Speed cars.

While the ultimate edition of the book, which is limited to seven copies, costs in the millions, there are more affordable versions available.

The Centenary Edition, which retails at $3 950 (R56 987) is limited to 500 copies and comes bound in one of four specially created Bentley leather hides.

Then there’s the Mulliner Edition, of which there are 100 copies, which goes for $16 000 (R230 800). This includes 10 Polaroids of Bentley’s most famous models, 56 specially commissioned watercolours of Bentleys and a piece of one of the left front tires from the Speed 8 that won the company the 2003 Le Mans race. It also contains bespoke pages reserved for owners to have photos of their own Bentleys inserted.

GALLERY | Inside the glossy pages of The Bentley Centenary Opus:

 • Available from This is Opus.