History of Bentley

The history of the Bentley Motors brand is quite original and interesting, like the cars of this manufacturer. It began in 1919, when the famous racing driver and mechanic Walter Bentley decided to create his own sports car. The Bentley of the first years was precisely a sports car, not distinguished by special comfort, reliable and as simple as possible. The creator paid special attention to these parameters and always followed them.

The first model was called Bentley 3L, where the number indicated the engine size of the car. It was he who drew public attention to this interesting brand. The car turned out to be so well assembled that in 1921, having gone on sale, it was perfectly distributed throughout England. However, Bentley from the very beginning was not a cheap car. In the early years of its existence, the reason for this was the outstanding sporting characteristics of the car. Outstanding indicators of speed, handling and reliability made the car the lot of real professionals. The high price did not allow entering a wider market. Bentley Motors is one of the few companies that in the 1920s offered a full 5 year warranty on all of its vehicles.

By the 1930s, the company produced several more expensive car models that boast enviable technical characteristics. The situation in the market changes in 1930, when the whole world is covered by the Great Depression. By this point, the demand for expensive sports cars is noticeably declining, the races themselves are practically not held, and the brand’s last major turnaround is the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in the 1930th year. Unable to compromise, Walter Bentley releases a new car – even more expensive and faster. As a result, the company almost goes bankrupt and is acquired by Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd.

The purpose and appearance of cars under the Bentley brand has changed since that time. The spartan, ascetic design is replaced by a more expensive one, borrowed from most of the Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd models of that time. The founder of Bentley himself remains with the company for another 4 years, after which he leaves it. Unfortunately, the period from 1931 to 1980 is associated with the undeserved oblivion of the Bentley brand.

At this time, cars are positioned as luxurious means of transportation for wealthy people who are used to driving cars. Bentley becomes a kind of analogue of Rolls-Royce itself, only with better technical characteristics. There is a certain pomposity and arrogance of status that absorbs the truly sporty character of the cars.

The Bentley line is divided into 3 series: Red Label, Black Label and Green Label.

In the first, comfort is at the forefront, in the second – sports performance, and the third is an average option.

In this form, Bentley cars lasted until 1980, when major changes took place in the automotive market.

At this time, the Volkswagen Group acquired the Bentley brand and mastered its production at new plants. The car began to change, both internally and externally. German experts have returned to him the old sporting spirit and updated the visual design. A whole division was created, which to this day is working on the individualization of each Bentley model. In 2003, a converted stock car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since 1930.

In 2002, Bentley presented Queen Elizabeth II with a service limousine in honor of her golden jubilee.

In 2003, sales of the Bentley Azure two-door convertible grew, and the company introduced the most expensive convertible coupe, the Bentley Continental GT. The car was so popular that the Cheshire plant was unable to keep up with demand. As a result, the production of the 4-door version of the Continental GT and the new Flying Spur series was moved to the Transparent Factory.

In early 2006, Bentley showed a model of a 4-seat convertible Azure, which was obtained by modifying the Arnage Drophead Coupe prototype. In November of the same year, the Continental GT and Continental GTC convertibles were born.

In 2007, the milestone of 10,000 vehicles per year was reached with a record profit of €155 million.

In 2009, Bentley announced a new version of the Continental at the Geneva Motor Show called the Continental Supersport. It was the culmination of incredible power with environmental protection technology FlexFuel, a hybrid that consumes gasoline and ethanol.

Unfortunately, in 2009 Bentley sales fell 50% to just over 4,500 vehicles.

In 2010, Bentley Motors signed an agreement with the renowned Austrian family business Estede, a manufacturer of frames and sunglasses, to create Estede for Bentley sunglasses with a team of designers responsible for the image of these famous British cars. Spectacles that are strictly numbered may be engraved with the owner’s name and/or Bentley vehicle model name.

In particular, thanks to this PR move, brand sales are gradually increasing, but for the first time since 2008, Bentley brought profit to its owners only in 2011.

In 2012, in Geneva, Bentley introduced its first SUV in the history of the company – EXP 9 F. The prototype of the serial model, the main competitor of which is the Porsche Cayenne, received a lot of negative feedback from both journalists and customers .

In 2013, the Continental GT Speed ​​Convertible joined the Bentley ranks, the world’s fastest four-seat convertible with exhilarating supercar performance, enhanced by the 616 hp W12 engine.

For 2014, the Mulsanne lineup has been enriched with new specifications such as Comfort and Entertainment, including leather options and a branded luggage package. In March, the world’s sleekest and most powerful Bentley Flying Spur sedan is shown at the Geneva Motor Show.

Flying Spur

Often compared to a Rolls-Royce, the Flying Spur is a large four-door Grand Tourer that offers most of the same luxury features as the Mulsanne but is somewhat less expensive.

The Flying Spur is available in two basic versions, W12 and V8. In 2014, a new version of the Flying Spur was introduced to the market featuring a new design and improved fuel economy, although the 12-cylinder engine is unlikely to ever be economical.

And finally, the latest model, which is still in development and has not yet entered the market, is the Bentley SUV.

Most recently, Bentley took the cover off their new SUV. So far, little is known about this amazingly luxurious car, but its sales will start in Russia in the coming months (however, the price tag has not yet been named). The British promise to start deliveries at the beginning of 2016. Immodestly claiming to have built “the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world.”

Today, Bentley cars are considered the standard of expensive style. This is not surprising, because their interiors are sheathed in leather by hand, and the quality of all details is kept at the highest level.