The history of Bentley: a British premium brand that has long remained in the shadows

2023 Author: Charles Youmans | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-20 18:41

Bentley Motors Ltd. Is a modern British automobile company with a huge history. The corporate headquarters is located in Crewe. At the moment, it is a large premium division of the German automotive giant Volkswagen Group.

The beginning of history and the personality of the founder of the company

The Bentley story begins in 1919 with the personality of Walter Owen Bentley. In his youth, he already began to take an interest in mechanisms. At the age of sixteen, he became an assistant in the production of locomotives. A little later, his financial condition allowed him to study engineering theory in London. In addition to his passion for railway technology, the young man had a weakness for cars and motorcycles. His hobbies included rallying and motorcycle racing. At the same time, he was not interested in short distances, he always tried to participate in long races.

Together with his brother Horace Milner, he opens an automobile business. To begin with, they set up the Unic car park in London. A little later, the company expanded and they began to trade in French cars, organizing Bentley & Bentley in the UK. However, things are not going as well as the brothers hoped. Then they have to slightly adjust the French cars, or rather the engines. To create a new design, pistons of our own production are used, which are based on lightweight aluminum. Until this moment, such designs have not been encountered, so the appearance of aluminum pistons is considered an innovation and a breakthrough. A huge demand for such units is observed during the First World War, when light equipment is involved in the army. After that, one of the main tasks of Bentley became the creation of a reliable rotary motor, as well as the design of two new aircraft engines, called Bentley Rotary 1 and 2. It was thanks to this invention that the company gained a recognizable name, which played a huge role in attracting additional investment for doing business.

The end of the war forces the brothers to reconsider their main areas of activity: Bentleys come to the conclusion that it is necessary to launch their own line of cars. So, in 1919, the first car of the brand appears - a 3-liter from Bentley. You can buy a new product with a 4-cylinder 65 hp engine. At the heart are cylinders with two candles, a four-cylinder engine, and a camshaft located at the top. For the first time, the novelty could be seen at the London Auto Festival, where a lot of attention from both buyers and critics was riveted to the car. It was then that the mainstream consumer learned about the Bentley. The new car was priced at a solid £ 1,050, but despite this there were a lot of orders. Only two years later, the first cars were delivered to customers. During this time, engineers worked on improving the prototype. As a result, they managed to bring the car to a high quality and reliability from a technical point of view. The company's confidence was backed up by a 5-year warranty. Together with eminent engineers, large tuning studios participated in the creation, so the appearance was not inferior to the promoted brands.

Development of the automotive business: the main difficulties of the company

The first cars were designed for financially successful buyers. In this regard, the flow was not large, and the profit did not allow to feel the ground underfoot. The financial position of the company leaves much to be desired. The only way to find additional funding is by racing. The company's cars showed their best side, which gave the love of the racers, who eventually united into a cohort of Bentley boys.

In 1922, the company's car was able to set a speed record of 139.67 km / h. In 1921, the driver won a victory at Brooklands, and three years later at Le Mans. A loyal fan base included wealthy racer Wolf Barnato, who saved the company from bankruptcy in 1926 by becoming chairman for a five-year term. Despite an army of fans, the company's financial situation continued to deteriorate. It became obvious that the years of the brand's existence were numbered. At this point, the founders were forced to sell the Rolls-Royce company, which led to the departure of Walter Owen Bentley from the company.

The new management decides to bring new models to the market. So, an extended version with a 4.5-liter Bentley 3-liter engine appeared. He was distinguished by a large body. A little later, the displacement expanded to 6.5 liters. The initial version was used in Bond, where it became the protagonist's car, which of course attracted attention to the brand.

By this time, the Bentley trademark was not officially registered. Influenced by the more experienced Rolls-Royce, this shortcoming was corrected. At the same time, the Cricklewood plant is closed and sold. The massive influence of the parent company weighs on Bentley until 2004. It is up to this point that all cars of the British brand are built using the main components of Rolls-Royce.

In 1933, a special sporty version of the Rolls-Royce 20/25, the Bentley 3.5-liter, entered the market. Until now, this model remains the most controversial in the history of the brand. The fact is that some customers were completely disappointed in the company's capabilities, while others, on the contrary, took the new product with great interest. Externally, there were noticeable similarities with its predecessors - a curved grille, which was already used in early models. In the technical parameters, it was possible to catch a relationship with Rolls-Royce. Under the hood is a powerful engine capable of producing 110 hp. and reach speeds of up to 145 km / h.

In 1938, the British government joined the management process and bought out the territory of the western side of Crewe to build its own factory in anticipation of the war. Later, the facilities built are used for the development and assembly of passenger cars. However, this did not happen immediately after the war, because in difficult economic times, premium cars Bentleys and Rolls-Royces were not popular and did not produce ready-made cars. Customers bought the chassis, and the body was chosen at their discretion in specialized stores.

The company actively invested the rest of the money in the development. As a result, a new format entered the market - the Bentley Mark VI with a steel body. This model can be safely called the first fully assembled at the manufacturing plant. Under the hood is a 4, 3-liter engine. A little later, a version of 4.6 liters appeared, which was aggregated with a 4-speed manual gearbox.

A new round of development of the company and expansion of the model range

In 1952, the first bestseller was launched on the market. Thoughtful ergonomics, a 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 4.5 liters, light weight - all this is the Bentley Continental. These qualities allowed the sedan to receive the title of the fastest serial sedan. In addition, he was awarded the title of the best British car of the year. Three years later, the lineup will be joined by the S version, which has become a complete copy of the parent Silver Wraith. The main buyers of the car are wealthy owners who prefer to drive their own cars. After that, they released the S2 version with an extended motor, which was exported to America. It was based on a hand-assembled 6, 2 liter engine. Note that this motor is still used in the company's cars.

Despite its own name, until 1965 Bentley copied Rolls-Royce, but with the Bentley nameplate designation. Photos confirm the similarities between the two auto giants. Only in the 60s did the Serie T model appear, which is considered a continental continuation. The novelty has acquired an affordable price, but has not become less comfortable. It is not only about the comfort of the cabin, but also about the softness of the suspension setup. The car received a shortened base, and the maximum speed reached 273 km / h. This was the limit for Bentley. The coupe was very popular as it became the fastest in the whole world.

In 1970, another bestseller appeared - Bentley Mulsan Turbo and Turbo R, which received the title of the best sedans in the class. 12 years later, a 4-door version was born, which became a continuation of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. It was this moment that became a turning point, predetermining the further formation of the company's model range. The brand is beginning to be perceived as an independent brand, and not as an offshoot of the parent brand.

Modern Bentley: how it is presented in the 21st century

In 1991, the Continental R has its own designed body. Three years later, the lineup is replenished with several versions, including the T version, capable of developing power up to 400 horsepower. As a result, it is the Bentley Continental T that receives the title of the most powerful road car of this brand. In 1998, the management signs a contract with the Volkswagen Group. Around the same time, BMW bought out the Rolls-Royce brand. A few years later, or rather from January 2, 2003, the paths of the two companies that had been walking "by the hand" for more than 5 decades diverged.

At this time, the company is going through hard times. The financial cushion is gradually melting. To keep the brand afloat, Volkswagen is investing £ 500 million in the brand. This money went to modernize the Crewe plant and develop new models. In 1999, the company presents a new masterpiece at the exhibition - the Bentley Arnage Red Label with a V8 of 6, 75 liters. In 2000, Bentley put forward his own model at the Le Mans race.

In 2002, the most significant car of the "new" Bentley appeared - GT, created on the basis of Continental. It is this model that manages to earn an award from the Institute of Automotive Engineers at an exhibition in the UK. Under the hood is a 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine capable of producing 575 horsepower. Fuel consumption with amazing power reaches 26, 5 liters per "hundred". The car takes part in the races, where Juha Kankkunen sets a new world speed record on ice - 321.65 km / h. In 2005, the Bentley Flying Spar was added to the lineup of new products.

After that, the company will present no less successful novelties, for example, the Azure convertible coupe, the classic Brooklands coupe. Continental Super Sports takes the place of the fastest production model. In 2012, the Geneva showroom is adorned with a new concept car, which will later be serialized as the Bentley Bentayga. Next year, fans will admire the 4-seater Continental GT Speed Convertible with a 616 horsepower engine driven by an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The premium brand entered the Russian market in 1995. The company did not have its own official centers, so the main work was carried out through partners. The first centers were opened only in 2012, when the Russian partner Mercury organized its own company Bentley Russia. At the moment, the Russian market has become one of the priority ones. The fans are offered three models to choose from: Bentley Spur, Continental, Mulsand. Bentley Jeep - Bentayga is expected to come out in the near future.