24 December 2024

Michael Mart, Founder of Bennington Carriages, Passed Away

Michael Mart, founder of Bennington Carriages, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 14, in the presence of his family. After a successful engineering degree, Michael founded Artistic Iron Products, where he made horse trailers and related products. From that later came the Bennington carriage brand, from which many carriages are sold worldwide.

After the arrival of Dusty & Fusty, a pair of rather cantankerous Shetland ponies, Michael began experimenting with carriage design and by the early 1970s was designing and manufacturing carriages under the Bennington Carriages brand. 

Bennington Carriages

 Michael strove for excellence in all aspects of this business. Exceptional engineering and customer service were his passion and by 1979 this was recognised by HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who awarded a Royal Warrant which was in place until his death in 2021. Michael worked closely with HRH on a number of projects, including turning the Duke’s passion for lightweight carriages into reality by developing a lightweight yet incredibly strong aluminium wheel which has evolved over the years yet still remains in production today. 

Michael also worked with numerous individuals and organisations to challenge convention and deliver excellence. From developing the infamous Cinderella Carriage for Disney and creating simple, robust carriages for use at the Lost City of Petra, innovation and engineering excellence came as standard. Michael designed a wide range of carriages for both competition and pleasure which can be found on every continent, with global exports comprising a significant proportion of annual production. With agents in both the USA and Australia, Bennington Carriages, under Michael’s leadership, became synonymous with innovation, exceptional engineering and world class customer service. 

Michael was a strong advocate of ‘build it well, make it last’ and the vast majority of the thousands of Bennington Carriages manufactured are still in active use, with many being regularly returned for servicing and maintenance. He was a firm believer in developing simple solutions to complex problems and many of his innovative design elements are still in production. From delayed steering and the lightweight wheel developed with HRH Prince Philip to the use of modern materials and production techniques, Michael was an advocate of his carriages being ‘traditionally modern’. 

Continued

 Michael remained actively involved with the Bennington Carriages business and on the day of his passing was still sketching designs and sharing ideas which are planned for development in 2025. His legacy will be continued by daughters Sue and Wendy who run the business, along with the Bennington Team, who all share his passion for the ongoing growth and evolution of the sport of carriage driving. 

Michael Mart and his daughters Sue and Wendy

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