Bentley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bentley Motors Limited

Formerly	Rolls-Royce Motors Limited (1970–1986) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited (1986–1999) Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars Limited (1999–2002)
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Fate	1931: acquired by Rolls-Royce Limited 1980: acquired by Vickers 1998: acquired by Volkswagen Group
Founded	18 January 1919; 106 years ago (1919-01-18)
Founders	H. M. Bentley W. O. Bentley
Headquarters	Crewe , England
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Adrian Hallmark (Chairman, CEO) John Paul Gregory (Head of Exterior Design) Darren Day (Head of Interior Design)
Products	Flying Spur Continental GT Bentayga Mulsanne
Production output	9,107 vehicles (2012) 7,593 vehicles (2011)
Services	Automobile customisation
Revenue	€1,453 million (2012) €1,119 million (2011)
Net income	€8 million (2011) −€245 million (2010)
Owner	Volkswagen Group
Number of employees	3,600 (2013)
Parent	Audi

Bentley's famous winged "B" badge

Bentley Motors Limited is a British company that designs and builds fancy, high-quality cars and SUVs. Its main office is in Crewe, England. The company was started by W. O. Bentley in 1919.

Bentley became very famous for winning the tough 24 Hours of Le Mans race many times. They won in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930.

Since 1998, Bentley has been part of the Volkswagen Group. From 2022, it has been managed under VW's luxury brand, Audi.

Some of Bentley's well-known cars include the old racing cars like the Bentley 4½ Litre and Bentley Speed Six. More recent models are the Flying Spur, Continental GT, Bentayga, and the Mulsanne. These cars are sold all over the world.

Most Bentley cars are put together at the company's factory in Crewe. Some parts are made in Germany. Bentley and Rolls-Royce were once connected. Rolls-Royce bought Bentley in 1931. Later, in 1998, Volkswagen bought Bentley from Vickers.

History of Bentley Cars

Early Days in Cricklewood (1919–1931)

Before World War I, Walter Owen Bentley (everyone called him W.O.) and his brother sold French cars. But W.O. really wanted to design and build his own cars. In 1913, he saw an aluminium paperweight. He thought aluminum could be used instead of heavy cast iron to make lighter engine parts. The first Bentley aluminum parts were used in airplane engines during World War I.

On January 18, 1919, W.O. Bentley started Bentley Motors Limited. He showed a car chassis (frame) with a fake engine at a car show later that year. An officer named Clive Gallop designed a special engine for it. The first cars were supposed to be ready in 1920, but it took longer. They finally came out in September 1921. These early Bentley cars were known for being very strong and reliable. They raced in hill climbs and at Brooklands track.

Bentley's first big race was the 1922 Indianapolis 500 in the USA. They entered a changed road car. It finished 13th, which was good for a car not specially built for racing.

Captain Woolf Barnato Joins Bentley

Captain Woolf Barnato was a wealthy man and a great driver. People called him "Babe" because he was a heavyweight boxer. In 1925, he bought his first Bentley. He won many races with it. Just one year later, he bought the Bentley company itself.

Bentley Motors always needed more money. Barnato decided to invest a lot of money to save the company. He became the chairman. With his money, W.O. Bentley could design new and better cars.

The Famous Bentley Boys

1929 Blower Bentley

The Bentley Boys were a group of British car fans. They included Barnato, Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin, and other wealthy drivers and adventurers. They loved Bentley cars and helped keep the brand famous for its speed. The Bentley Boys helped Bentley win the 24 Hours of Le Mans race four times in a row, from 1927 to 1930.

One of the Bentley Boys, Sir Henry Birkin, created the special 4½-litre "Blower Bentley." It had a unique supercharger sticking out from the front. This car was very fast but sometimes broke down.

In March 1930, Barnato made a famous bet. He raced his 6½-litre Bentley Speed Six against the "Blue Train" from Cannes, France, to London. He won the race, showing how fast and reliable Bentley cars were.

Bentley Cars from Cricklewood

• 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

The first model was the three-litre. Later, a bigger 4½-litre model was made. The "Blower Bentley" is one of the most famous cars from this time. It had a special supercharger at the front. The 4½-litre model was also the car of choice for the fictional spy James Bond in the original books.

The new eight-litre car was very successful. But in 1931, Bentley ran into money problems. Another company, Napier, wanted to buy Bentley. But Rolls-Royce Limited bought Bentley Motors instead. They didn't want Bentley to compete with their own luxury cars.

Bentley's Wins at Le Mans

Bentley Speed Six

Bentley cars were very successful in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race:

• 1923 4th (private entry) (3-Litre)
• 1924 1st (3-Litre)
• 1925 did not finish
• 1926 did not finish
• 1927 1st, 15th, 17th (3-Litre)
• 1928 1st, 5th (4½-litre)
• 1929 1st (Speed Six); 2nd, 3rd, 4th (4½-litre)
• 1930 1st, 2nd (Speed Six)

Bentley stopped racing after winning at Le Mans in 1930. They said they had learned enough about making fast and reliable cars.

Bentley's Financial Troubles

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression meant fewer people could afford expensive cars. In 1931, Bentley couldn't pay its debts. A company called British Central Equitable Trust bought Bentley for £125,000. It turned out this company was a secret buyer for Rolls-Royce Limited. W.O. Bentley himself didn't know who bought his company until the deal was done.

Rolls-Royce Era (1931–1970)

Moving to Derby

"The silent sports car"
1935 3½-litre cabriolet

Rolls-Royce took over Bentley Motors. They closed the Cricklewood factory in 1932. Car production stopped for two years. Then, it started again at the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby. W.O. Bentley was not happy with his new role at Rolls-Royce. He left in 1935 to join another car company, Lagonda.

In 1933, the new Bentley 3½ litre came out. It was a sportier version of a Rolls-Royce car. Some old Bentley fans were disappointed, but many others liked it. Rolls-Royce called it "the silent sports car." This slogan was used for Bentley cars until the 1950s.

Many Bentley cars made from 1931 to 2004 used parts and designs from Rolls-Royce.

Bentley Cars from Derby

• 1933–1937 3½-litre
  • 1936–1939 4¼-litre
• 1939–1941 Mark V
  • 1939 Mark V

Moving to Crewe

Before World War II, Rolls-Royce looked for a new factory location. They wanted a safe place to make airplane engines. Crewe was a good choice because it had good roads and train links. It was also far from areas that might be bombed. The factory was built on farmland in 1938. It made many Rolls-Royce Merlin airplane engines during the war.

After the war, Rolls-Royce moved its car making to Crewe.

Standard Steel Saloons

Bentley Mark VI standard steel saloon

For a long time, car makers like Bentley only sold the car's frame (chassis) and engine. The buyer would then choose a special company to build the car's body.

Pressed Steel parts for a car body

After World War II, Rolls-Royce started making complete cars with steel bodies. The first one was the Bentley Mark VI in 1946. These cars were ready to drive when sold.

Bentley Continental

Bentley Continental, fastback coupé

The Bentley Continental was a fast and stylish car. Most of these cars were built as "fastback coupé" models. The chassis was made in Crewe. The engine was similar to other Bentley models but had some changes to make it more powerful.

Bentley Cars Made by Rolls-Royce in Crewe

• Bentleys made by Rolls-Royce Ltd. in Crewe
• 

  "The silent sports car"
  1952 4¼-litre 2-door by H J Mulliner

• 

  Bentley S-series Standard Saloon

• 

  Bentley T-series Standard Saloon (l.w.b.)

• Standard-steel saloon
  • 1946–1952 Mark VI
  • 1952–1955 R Type
• Continental
  • 1952–1955 R Type Continental
• S-series
  • 1955–1959 S1 and Continental
  • 1959–1962 S2 and Continental
  • 1962–1965 S3 and Continental
• T-series
  • 1965–1977 T1
  • 1977–1980 T2
• 1971–1984 Corniche
• 1975–1986 Camargue

Vickers Era (1970–1998)

In 1970, Rolls-Royce had financial problems because of its airplane engine business. The car part of the company became a separate business called Rolls-Royce Motors Limited. In 1980, a company called Vickers plc bought it.

In the 1970s, very few Bentley cars were sold. But under Vickers, Bentley started to focus again on making high-performance cars. The 1980 Mulsanne helped bring back Bentley's sporty image. This made more people interested in Bentley cars. By 1991, Bentley cars were selling as much as Rolls-Royce cars.

Bentley Cars Made by Vickers in Crewe

1984 Bentley Mulsanne Turbo

1997 Bentley Brooklands

• 1984–1995 Continental: convertible
• 1980–1992 Bentley Mulsanne
• 1984–1992 Eight: basic model
• 1985–1995 Turbo R: powerful, turbocharged version
• 1991–2002 Continental R: turbocharged 2-door model
• 1992–1998 Brooklands: improved Eight
• 1995–2003 Azure: convertible Continental R
• 1996–2002 Continental T: shorter, high-performance model

Volkswagen Era (1998–Present)

In 1997, Vickers decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. BMW AG seemed like the likely buyer because they already supplied engines for Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars. But Volkswagen AG offered more money (£430 million) and bought the company in 1998. Volkswagen got the car designs, model names, factories, and the famous Bentley "Spirit of Ecstasy" logo. However, they did not get the rights to use the "Rolls-Royce" name or logo.

1998 Bentley Arnage T

Queen Elizabeth II's Bentley State Limousine

BMW paid Rolls-Royce plc to use the Rolls-Royce name and logo. So, from 1998 to 2002, BMW continued to supply parts to Volkswagen for Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars. After 2003, Volkswagen became the only company making "Bentley" cars. BMW started a new company, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, and built a new factory in Goodwood, England, to make Rolls-Royce branded cars.

Investing in Bentley

After buying Bentley, Volkswagen spent a lot of money (about £500 million) to make the Crewe factory modern. They also increased how many cars could be made. By 2010, about 3,500 people worked at Crewe, up from 1,500 in 1998. Volkswagen invested almost $2 billion in Bentley to help it grow.

Bentley Azure Mulliner 2003 Final Series

Demand for Bentley cars was so high that the Crewe factory couldn't make enough. There was a waiting list of over a year for new cars. For a while, some of the new Flying Spur cars were made in Germany. But by 2006, all car production moved back to the Crewe plant.

In 2002, Bentley gave Queen Elizabeth II a special State Limousine to celebrate her 50 years as Queen. The two-door convertible Bentley Azure stopped production in 2003. It was replaced by a new luxury car called the Bentley Continental GT.

2005 Bentley Continental Flying Spur

2011 Bentley Continental GT

2017 Bentley Bentayga diesel

CEO Adrian Hallmark presents the Bentayga Hybrid at Geneva International Motor Show 2018.

2019 Bentley Continental GTC

2019 Flying Spur W12

In 2005, a new four-seat convertible Azure was announced. A convertible version of the Continental GT, called the Continental GTC, also came out in 2005. Both were launched in late 2006.

A new version of the Bentley Continental, the Continental Supersports, was shown in 2009. This car was very powerful and could use special fuel that was better for the environment.

Bentley car sales kept growing. In 2007, they sold over 10,000 cars for the first time. They also made a record profit of €155 million. However, sales dropped in 2009 due to economic problems. Production at Crewe even stopped for a short time. Sales started to increase again in 2011.

In 2020, Bentley announced that all new cars they sell will be electric by 2030. This is part of a plan to make cars more environmentally friendly.

Deliveries, Profits, and Staff

Production Numbers

List of Bentley Vehicles

Current Bentley Car Models

• 2016–present: Bentayga (a luxury SUV)
• 2018–present: Continental GT (a grand touring car)
• 2019–present: Flying Spur (a luxury sedan)

Past Bentley Car Models

• 1998–2009: Arnage
• 2003–2011: Continental GT (first version)
• 2005–2013: Continental Flying Spur (first version)
• 2006–2009: Azure (second version)
• 2008–2011: Bentley Brooklands (second version)
• 2010–2020: Mulsanne
• 2011–2018: Continental GT (second version)
• 2013–2019: Flying Spur (second version)

Special Edition Cars

• 1999: Hunaudières Concept (a concept car)
• 2002: State Limousine (made for Queen Elizabeth II)

Motorsport

A Bentley Continental GT3 car won a race in 2014. This was Bentley's first official race win in Britain since 1930.

See also

In Spanish: Bentley Motors Limited para niños

• List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom