Bentley Motors was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen “W.O.” Bentley, an engineer who had designed rotary aircraft engines during the First World War. His fast, rugged cars won the Le Mans 24 Hours five times between 1924 and 1930, driven by the glamorous “Bentley Boys”. But the company struggled financially and was bought by Rolls-Royce in 1931. For decades Bentleys were built alongside Rolls-Royces; since 1998 Bentley has belonged to the Volkswagen Group, and the 2003 Continental GT made it one of the most successful luxury brands in the world.

Timeline

Year Event
1919 Bentley Motors founded in London
1921 First customer car, the 3 Litre
1924–1930 Five Le Mans victories
1931 Bought by Rolls-Royce
1946 Production moves to Crewe
1982 Mulsanne Turbo revives Bentley’s sporting image
1998 Bought by Volkswagen
2003 Continental GT launched; Bentley wins Le Mans again

W.O. Bentley

Before starting his company, W.O. Bentley sold French cars and experimented with aluminum pistons, a technology he later applied to aircraft engines in the war. His first car, the 3 Litre, was robust and fast, and he believed in building cars that would win races through reliability.

The Le Mans years

Bentley won Le Mans in 1924 and then four years in a row from 1927 to 1930. Its cars were big and strong — Ettore Bugatti reportedly called them “the fastest lorries in the world”. The drivers, known as the Bentley Boys, included the millionaire Woolf Barnato, who became the company’s chairman and financier. Read the Bentley Boys at Le Mans and the Blower Bentley.

Rolls-Royce takes over

The Depression hit Bentley hard. When Barnato’s support ended, the company went into receivership in 1931 and was bought by Rolls-Royce. W.O. Bentley later left and worked for Lagonda. Rolls-Royce-era Bentleys were refined “silent sports cars”, and after the war, Bentleys built at Crewe became increasingly similar to Rolls-Royces.

The revival

The Mulsanne Turbo of 1982 and the Turbo R restored a performance identity, and by the 1990s Bentleys outsold Rolls-Royces. Read the Bentley Mulsanne.

The Volkswagen era

In 1998 Volkswagen bought the Crewe factory and Bentley brand. It invested heavily, launched the Continental GT in 2003, and in the same year Bentley returned to Le Mans and won with the Speed 8. The Flying Spur and Bentayga SUV followed. Read the Continental GT.

Bentley today

Bentley builds its cars at Crewe and is moving toward electrification, having retired its famous W12 engine in 2024.