Raul Pires is the former head of Exterior Design at Bentley Motors in England. 

A native of São Paulo in Brazil, it was a childhood trip to the nearby Interlagos Circuit to watch a Formula One race that sparked his interest in cars and motorsport. Raul’s great passions are art and design, and it was only when he began to combine these two skills that his career in automotive design took shape.

“As a car designer, it can be quite challenging dealing with many technical and legal regulations, etc. - restrictions that need creative solutions.  With my hobby of painting, I can freely express my creativity, which in many ways complements my design side.”

With a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Design, Raul’s career began at Volkswagen Design, initially in Brazil before transferring to Europe.

Moving to Skoda in 1993, he worked on the Octavia, Fabia and Superb. In 1999, Raul moved to Bentley at Crewe in England as an Exterior Designer, being promoted to his current position two years later.  

“The Continental GT was my first project.  It was an amazing opportunity to be given a blank sheet of paper to design what has become the most successful car in Bentley history!”  

This vehicle has been awarded: The Best Show Car 2002 Paris Motor Show, The Best Production Car Exterior Design 2003 Detroit Motor Show, and The Most Beautiful Car in the World 2003 Turin. 

Raul Pires helped to create a new Bentley design philosophy evident across the whole Bentley model range, with his designs for the Continental Flying Spur, Continental GT convertible, Azure, and Brooklands.

Notable designs

• Skoda Octavia
• Skoda Fabia
• Skoda Superb
• Bentley Continental GT
• Bentley Continental Flying Spur
• Bentley Continental GT convertible
• Bentley Azure
• Bentley Brooklands