About Bentley

Since its establishment in 1919, Bentley has been associated with extensive, swift, and costly automobiles. That’s partly because the British automaker’s first ten years produced a lasting impression on the automobile industry.

The Bentley Motor Company was established in 1919 by Walter Owen (“W.O.”) Bentley. The company’s earliest vehicles were large, imposing sports cars that encapsulated the founder’s expertise as an engineer repairing everything from locomotives to taxicabs to sports cars.

The first Bentley 3 Litre was a sports vehicle, although it was much bigger than the spindly French sports cars that dominated racing at the time (Bugatti being the most well-known example). It could be as sumptuous as a limousine without sacrificing speed, was as tough as a fire engine, and won the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans, which further raised its notoriety and fan base among wealthy racing playboys.

The most noteworthy of them was Captain Woolf Barnato, who acquired his first 3 Litre in 1925 and quickly gave the underfunded business financial support. With the addition of Barnato’s W.O., the range of vehicles was enlarged to include the 4+12 liter, Supercharged 4+12 liter “Blower,” 6+12 liter, Speed Six, 8-liter, and 4-liter versions. Consequently, the “Bentley Boys” group won four consecutive Le Mans wins from 1927 to 1930, solidifying the mythology of the vehicles.

The 1929 stock market collapse and the Great Depression completely decimated the demand for such vehicles, especially the pricey 8-liter limo, and led the business into bankruptcy. In contrast to W.O.’s preference to sell to competitor Napier, Rolls-Royce acquired the company via a shadow buyer in late 1931. Roll-Royce’s plant in Derby took up production duties from the original location in Cricklewood in North London. W.O. disliked this arrangement and quit the business in 1935.