Bentley

Bentley Motors Limited is an English manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourers. Bentley Motors was founded in England on January 18, 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley, known as W.O. Bentley or just "W.O." (1888–1971). He was previously known for his successful range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later versions of the Sopwith Camel. Since 1998 the company has been owned by the Volkswagen Group.

Bentley as a separate company

A group of wealthy British automobile aficionados known as the "Bentley Boys" (Woolf Barnato, Sir Henry Birkin, steeplechaser George Duller, aviator Glen Kidston, automotive journalist S. C. H. "Sammy" Davis, and Dr. Dudley Benjafield among them) kept the car's reputation for high performance alive. At one point, on a bet, Barnato raced Le Train Bleu from Cannes to Calais, then by ferry to Dover and finally London, travelling on public highways with normal traffic, and won ; the special-bodied 6½ Litre car became known as the Blue Train Bentley. Thanks to the dedication of this group to serious racing, the company, located at Cricklewood, north London, was noted for its four consecutive victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans from 1927 to 1930. Their greatest competitor at the time, Bugatti, whose lightweight, elegant, but fragile creations contrasted with the Bentley's rugged reliability and durability, referred to them as "the world's fastest lorries". Perhaps the most iconic model of the period is the 4½ Litre "Blower Bentley", with its distinctive supercharger projecting forward from the bottom of the grille. Uncharacteristically fragile for a Bentley, it was not the racing workhorse the 6½ Litre was. It became famous in popular media as the vehicle of James Bond in the original novels, but not in film; however John Steed in the television series The Avengers did drive a Bentley.

A great deal of Barnato's fortune was devoted to keeping Bentley afloat after he became chairman in 1925, but the Great Depression destroyed demand for the company's expensive products, and it was finally sold to Rolls-Royce in 1931.

1921-1929 3 Litre

1926-1930 4½ Litre & "Blower Bentley"

1926-1930 6½ Litre

1928-1930 6½ Litre Speed Six

1930-1931 8 Litre

1931 4 Litre

Bentleys of the Rolls-Royce era

Rolls-Royce merged the Bentley line into its own, so that the Bentley marque became no more than a Rolls-Royce without the distinctive grille and with a lower price tag. In the 1980s, however, Bentley became a separate, high performance car line once again. The most notable model during the Rolls-Royce period was probably the Bentley Continental, which appeared in various forms from 1952 to 1965, and again in 1992 with production ending in 2003. The Bentley factory in Crewe, Cheshire, is still known in the town by the name "Royce's". For more on Bentley Motors from 1931 to 1998, see Rolls-Royce and Rolls-Royce Motors.

1933–1937 3½ Litre

1936–1939 4¼ Litre

1939–1941 Mark V

1939 Mark V

1946–1952 Mark VI

1952–1955 R Type and Continental

1955–1959 S1 and Continental

1959–1962 S2 and Continental

1962–1965 S3 and Continental

1965–1980 T-series

1965–1977 T1

1977–1980 T2

1971–1984 Corniche

1984–1995 Continental — convertible

1992–1995 Continental Turbo

1975–1986 Camargue

1980–1987 Mulsanne

1984–1988 Mulsanne L limousine

1982–1985 Mulsanne Turbo

1987–1992 Mulsanne S

1984–1992 Eight — lower-priced model

1985–1995 Turbo R — turbocharged performance version

1991–2002 Continental R — turbocharged 2-door model

1999–2003 Continental R Mulliner — performance model

1994–1995 Continental S — intercooled

1992–1998 Brooklands — improved Eight

1996–1998 Brooklands R — performance Brooklands

1994–1995 Turbo S — limited-edition sports model

1995–1997 Turbo R — updated Turbo R

1996 Turbo R Sport — limited-edition sports model

1995–2003 Azure — convertible Continental R

1999–2002 Azure Mulliner — performance model

1996–2002 Continental T — short wheelbase performance model

1999 Continental T Mulliner — firmer suspension

1997–1998 Bentley Turbo RT — replacement for the Turbo R

Volkswagen Group ownership

In 1998, Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors was purchased from Vickers (its owner since 1980) by Volkswagen for £430 million, after bidding against BMW. BMW had recently started supplying components for the new range of cars, notably V8 engines for the Bentley Arnage and V12 engines for the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. The Rolls-Royce name was not included in VW's purchase; it was instead licensed to BMW (for £40 million) by the Rolls-Royce aero engine company.

BMW and Volkswagen came to an agreement whereby Volkswagen would manufacture both Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars until the end of 2002, whereupon the right to build Rolls-Royce cars would be BMW's alone. During this period, Volkswagen reduced its reliance on BMW as a supplier: as of 2003, BMW engines are not used in Bentley cars.

Modern Bentleys

In 2002, Bentley presented Queen Elizabeth II with an official State Limousine to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. In 2003, Bentley's 2-door convertible, the Bentley Azure, ceased production, and the company introduced the Bentley Continental GT, a large luxury coupe. The car is powered by a version of VW's W-12 engine.

Demand had been so great that the factory at Crewe, Cheshire, was unable to meet orders despite an installed capacity of approximately 9500 vehicles per year. There was a waiting list of over a year for new cars to be delivered. Consequently, production of the new Flying Spur, a four-door version of the Continental GT, was assigned to the Transparent Factory, where the VW Phaeton luxury car is also assembled. This arrangement ceased at the end of 2006, and all car production reverted to the Crewe plant.

In April 2005, Bentley confirmed plans to produce a 4-seat convertible model, the Azure, derived from the Arnage Drophead Coupe prototype, at Crewe beginning in 2006. By the fall of 2005, the convertible version of the successful Continental GT, the Continental GTC was also presented. These two models were successfully launched in late 2006.

Bentley sales have been strong in 2005 with 8,627 sold worldwide, 3,654 of which were sold in the United States.

1998– Arnage saloon

1999– Hunaudieres Concept

2002– State Limousine

2003– Continental GT coupé

2005– Continental Flying Spur saloon

2006– Azure convertible

2006– Continental GTC convertible

2007– Bentley Brooklands coupé

2007– Bentley Continental GT Speed coupé

Future Cars

Since the successful launch of the Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur, producing a new halo model to replace the Arnage has become a priority, as against the Rolls Royce and Maybach rivals the car is commonly said to be showing its age.[citation needed]

A new Arnage would most probably be based on a chassis designed for the next generation Audi A8, due to its versatility. The new car is expected for the 2010 model year and is said to take styling cues from the coachbuilt Bentley for the British Royal family.

In 2008 and 2009 the Continental GTC and Flying Spur are widely expected to receive the changes already made to the Continental GT, with a new front splitter and chrome headlight surrounds among other changes.

Since Bentley's induction into the VW Group, rumours of an SUV style vehicle have repeatedly surfaced. These have been shot down by Bentley employees on the basis that the idea would not fit into their future plans and also the fact that the manufacturing facilities are already running at full capacity.

Borrowing hybrid technology developed by Bentley owners VW Group is another focal point as the trend towards hybrid cars is expanding year on year.

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