Vmax records with supercars, mainly from Bugatti or Koenigsegg. But also the massive Bentley carry since 100 years the word Speed in the name. "Fastest trucks in the world", already astonished Ettore Bugatti about the Le Mans winner. Today raging heavyweights like the Bentley Bentayg are astonishing.
Bentley is the story of the ingenious British automobile pioneer Walter Owen Bentley - called WO for short by enthusiasts - and the legendary winning streak of the daring Bentley boys with Blower and Speed 8 guys in Le Mans. Bentley stands for a chronicle of sensational world speed records, tragic bankruptcies, badge engineering under Rolls-Royce as well as the resurgence under Volkswagen leadership. In short: the luxury brand founded on July 10, 1919 by mechanical engineer, fighter pilot and racing driver WO in the London district of Cricklewood is perhaps even more fascinatingly drama than Rolls-Royce and Bugatti.
What evidently also recognized Bentley's racing rivals early on, Ettore Bugatti, well-known for his lightweights, once patted respectfully that WO was building the fastest trucks in the world. In fact, Bentley's massive racers at Le Mans in 1930 even outclassed the famous "White Elephant" Mercedes-Benz SS. A final triumph before bankruptcy, because 1931 fell Bentley to Rolls-Royce. Today, both Bugatti and Bentley are united under the umbrella of the VW Group. Perhaps because former VW Patriarch Ferdinand Piech, responsible for the takeover, discovered many a surprising parallel between these visionaries in supercar construction.
Both automotive pioneers grew up in families, which offered them many opportunities for development. As a sixteen- year-old, 1888-born WO Bentley was trained as a mechanical engineer by the Great Northern Railway before discovering his love of motorsport, such as the young Bugatti, in motorcycle racing. The next step in the vita of the later rivals resembled as well, because both worked initially with other car manufacturers, before they started their own brand. For example, WO Bentley imported French DFP models along with his brother Henry from 1912, missing out on these performance enhancements and their own names such as the legendary name Speed, which Bentley used to earn respect at the Brooklands circuit. Not only Bugatti built aircraft engines, also WO wrote history in this field. The Sopwith Camel, the most successful English fighter in the First World War, owed its superiority to Bentley radial engines. Right after the end of the war, WO was able to get its first Bentley sports car going, the 3,0-liter with a revolutionary four-cylinder 16 valve engine and light alloy piston.
In the following years, Bentley Motors developed into a British epicenter of both innovative and robust racers with four- and six-cylinder engines. Among them were 6's Bentley 1 2 / 1926 liter, 4's 1 2 / 1929 liter, and 8's giant 1930 liter, which made WO a personal dream. For the barrel of this six-cylinder was considered almost inaudibly quiet, Bentley even spoke of "dead quiet". In addition, there was the world's first 100 mph (160 km / h) Vmax warranty for this luxury liner, no matter what body design, because Bentley delivered as usual chassis then in the prestige class. Even so, this 8-Litre flagship and Rolls-Royce Phantom challenger lacked a talent that was otherwise rare at Bentley Motors: the ability to make quick profits. Only then could 1931 have turned its bankruptcy away. High construction costs and Bentley's racing passion had consumed more money than WO earned.
Already 1925 threatened WO therefore the first bankruptcy, but at that time Woolf Barnato became the savior. Barnato came from the midst of the unforgotten Bentley Boys, a string of rich motorsport-crazed young men who bought their racing cars at Bentley, earning no fewer than four wins at the 24 Le Mans. With only three victories at the Sarthe Barnato was the most brilliant racer among the Bentley Boys and also from 1925 largest financier and de facto boss at Bentley Motors. The triumphant record of a Bentley Speed from Cannes in southern France to London against the Blue Train was also due to Barnato's account. But 1931 did not make Barnato happy because he did not want to end up like his racing friend Tim Birkin. This burned the entire fortune of his family in self-built Blower-Bentley and drew in addition to the contempt of WO, who always refused the supercharger charge.
Bentley's new master at Bentley became 1931 Rolls-Royce, and this led to model-political changes that WO led to 1935 before becoming a designer for other brands. Now Rolls-Royce technology determined the now built Derby cars with the newly introduced logo of the winged "B". After the Second World War, the Bentley production relocated to a new plant in Crewe, which is still Bentley seat today. However, for many years Rolls-Royce used the sporty aura of its new acquisition, as demonstrated by models such as the iconic R Continental coupe or the dynamically drawn S2 Continental Flying Spur sedan from the 1950 years. Only pure badge engineering types such as the Bentley T of 1965 as twin of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow harmed the Bentley image. After all, the previously balanced ratio of sales between the brands was now at the expense of Bentley. That changed in the 1980 years, because with turbos at Mulsanne and Continental, the brand founded by WO found its way back to its old sporting power and increasing sales figures.
Some experts were reminded of Walt Disney's Dumbo, the flying elephant, when the 1990-era 5,34-heavy Continental Coupé hauled up to 2,5 km / h Vmax in the 280 years and Ferrari in the Tempo 100 sprint took. Bentley was back at its roots and so attractive that Ferdinand Piech integrated the brand into the VW empire. Actually including Rolls-Royce, but the rights to this ultra-luxury brand collapsed in the end BMW. With a substantial model offensive, VW has returned the legacy of WO back to the top of the most popular high-end automobiles: since its 50. Jubilee in the year 2002 even Queen Elizabeth II drives a Bentley state sedan. In Le Mans, Bentley secured the sixth victory a year later with the EXP Speed 8 and the simultaneously launched Continental GT shone not only by proud sales figures, but also as the fastest four-seater coupe in the world. Since 2016 also superlative delivered the Bentayga, the first SUV of this class and as 306 km / h nimble Bentayga Speed currently the fastest heavyweight in the world.
Everything good in the jubilee year? Not quite, because Bentley made 2018 losses and an electric car is only expected 2025. On the other hand, the global luxury market is booming and Bentley is getting fit to benefit from it with plug-ins.
