One Vehicle, One Story: the Bentley “Dimk’Art”, when street art takes over a British icon
Bentley “Dimk’Art”: an old English lady turned rock’n’roll
The first question asked by almost every visitor is always the same: “Wasn’t it the Beatles who had a Rolls-Royce like this?” The answer is yes, indeed. And it is probably the best possible introduction to explain what the Bentley “Dimk’Art” really is: an art car filled with pop spirit, colour, joy and a certain vision of respect — not by preserving an icon under glass, but by reinventing it.
Behind the project is a duo: Inca Pagny and Dimitri Gendre, who merged their first names to create Dimka. Two street artists, trained graffiti artists, passionate about cars since childhood, who decided they did not have to choose between their two passions. Their usual playground is walls. With this Bentley, they simply decided that the wall could move.
Bentley T Series: a father-son connection, sparked by a phone call
It all began with a phone call. Inca’s father, passionate about beautiful British cars and a true connoisseur of the winged B brand after owning Continental, Azure and other Bentleys over the years, came across an advert. A Bentley T2, slightly faded, still running, offered at a price consistent with its condition. He picked up the phone.
“Guys, would you paint a Bentley?” The answer came immediately. “Well yeah, that would be cool, but where is it?” It was right there, within reach.
A little worn, but in exactly the right way. Just alive enough to be saved. Just aged enough not to be intimidating. The father had found the canvas. The duo had accepted the challenge.
That is the story the “Dimk’Art” tells first and foremost: a story of transmission. The transmission of a love for classic cars, passed from one generation to the next without losing its intensity, taking here an unexpected, colourful and joyful form. “We grew up surrounded by it,” says Inca simply. “Our fathers are obsessed with this world.” Passion cannot be invented. It is inherited, then reinterpreted.
Dimka: five years of creativity, from walls to bodywork
Inca and Dimitri have been working together for five years. They first met through motorcycles, before discovering that they loved painting together. Since then, they have created murals all over the world, before turning their attention to automobiles.
A Renault 5 saved from the scrapyard, a Range Rover, a Renault 6, a DAX frame… The “Dimk’Art” is their most ambitious project to date, the most prestigious and history-filled vehicle they have ever transformed.
Their working method is street art translated onto bodywork: working as a pair, combining their different styles and searching for a shared visual language. “We discovered that we loved painting together,” explains Dimitri.
Dimka’s art is an addition, not an average. On the Bentley, this chemistry can be seen in every detail: the composition, the colours, the way the artwork follows the curves of a bodywork design unlike any other.
Dimk’Art: pop art, respect and a moving work of art
The reference to John Lennon is deliberate, claimed and even celebrated. In 1965, the Beatle entrusted his Rolls-Royce Phantom V to a coachbuilder to have it painted bright yellow with psychedelic floral patterns. The result shocked Rolls-Royce and fascinated the entire world.
Sixty years later, Dimka follows in the footsteps of those artists who see luxury automobiles not as sacred objects, but as surfaces for expression, canvases worthy of their ambitions.
But respect, here, is not an empty word. “We respect the history, and even the folklore side of the car,” insists Inca. The “Dimk’Art” was not disfigured. It was brought to life. The artwork interacts with the object rather than erasing it.
And while some British visitors could understandably have felt challenged by this treatment of one of their national icons, the reaction from the Rétromobile audience quickly removed any concerns. “I genuinely thought people might criticise us a bit,” admits Inca. That never happened. “People love it. Even those who say: I would never do this to my own car, but damn, it’s beautiful.”
Warmth, smiles, photographs: the Dimka stand was one of the most photographed at Rétromobile 2026. A Bentley that made people laugh, talk and feel good. Sometimes, that is what art is all about.
Rétromobile 2026: a first show, a fully immersive stand
For Inca and Dimitri, Rétromobile 2026 was their first participation. And they did not do things halfway. The Dimka stand was not simply a car displayed on a piece of carpet: it was an invitation into their universe. From vintage televisions to colourful screens, Persian rugs, a ceiling mirror playing with depth, and elements from their workshop arranged around the car like references to a coherent, personal and lived-in world. “We managed to bring a little piece of our life, our studio, our workshop,” says Inca.
The idea was not to separate the artwork from those who created it, but to show not only the result, but also the process, the environment and the sensitivity behind it. A stand that looked exactly like its creators: generous, colourful, with no boundary between art and life. François Allain sums it up with the confidence of someone who has walked every aisle of the show: “Rétromobile is also about young artists like you. It is not just a show for very old cars. There needs to be everything.
” The “Dimk’Art” embodied exactly that: proof that the classic car world can open up, reinvent itself and welcome new voices without denying what makes its soul.
Dimk’Art: from Rétromobile to the Prince of Monaco
Rétromobile was only the beginning.
After the show, the “Dimk’Art” continued its journey with the quiet confidence of a work of art that does not need to seek the spotlight to find it.
It was exhibited at Les Légendes de Nice, one of the most prestigious concours d’élégance events on the French Riviera. It then joined, for the duration of an exhibition, the collection of the Prince of Monaco, one of the world’s most famous private collections.
It also made a stop at La Collection Botanique, during artist TayC’s birthday celebration, in a context where contemporary art, pop culture and automotive passion naturally came together.
Each stage reveals something different about what this object represents.
At a concours d’élégance, it challenges traditional ideas of automotive beauty. In the Prince’s collection, it enters into dialogue with exceptional pieces. At an urban cultural event, it reconnects with its origins: the street, colour and energy.
The “Dimk’Art” does not belong to a single world. That is precisely what makes it free.
Dimka and Rétromobile: a new appointment for the next artwork
As he leaves the stand, François Allain extends the invitation: “Come back next year with a new artwork.” The answer comes instantly: “Sounds good.” Tomorrow, perhaps a Bugatti. Or a BMW. Or a motorcycle. “We are interested in everything,” says Dimitri.
What matters to them is the object that has a story, a soul, a presence. The rest is a matter of encounter, instinct and a phone call made at the right moment.
The “Dimk’Art” was followed throughout its transformation on Rétromobile’s social media channels: from the faded Bentley discovered by a father to the art car presented under the show lights, every stage of the project was shared with a community able to experience its creation in real time.
This is also what the next generation of classic car enthusiasts needs: passionate people who create, tell stories and pass on their passion differently — but who continue to pass it on nonetheless.
Discover the Bentley “Dimk’Art” and many other exceptional vehicles in Rétromobile’s “One Vehicle, One Story” podcast. To make sure you never miss an episode, visit the Rétromobile website and all streaming platforms.