Bentley Engines Restricted is an English fashioner, maker and advertiser of extravagance vehicles and SUVs. The company, which has its headquarters in Crewe, England, was founded in 1919 as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in Cricklewood, North London. In 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930, the company won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Bentley has been an auxiliary of the Volkswagen Gathering beginning around 1998 and combined under VW's exceptional image arm Audi since 2022.[14][15]

Noticeable models stretch out from the noteworthy games dashing Bentley 4½ Liter and Bentley Speed Six; Bentley Arnage, Bentley Turbo R, and the more recent Bentley R Type Continental; to its ongoing model line, including the Flying Spike, Mainland GT, Bentayga and the Mulsanne — which are promoted around the world, with China as its biggest market as of November 2012.[16]

Today most Bentley models are collected at the organization's Crewe production line, with a modest number gathered at Volkswagen's Dresden manufacturing plant, Germany,[17] and with bodies for the Mainland fabricated in Zwickau and for the Bentayga made at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant.

After a series of mergers and acquisitions, Bentley and Rolls-Royce eventually merged and split up. In 1931, Rolls-Royce bought Bentley, which was in receivership at the time. The UK government nationalized Rolls-Royce in 1971, splitting the aerospace division (Rolls-Royce Plc) and automotive division (Rolls-Royce Motors Limited) into two separate businesses while keeping the Bentley subdivision in the latter. After that, engineering conglomerate Vickers bought Rolls-Royce Motors, and in 1998, Vickers sold Rolls-Royce to Volkswagen AG.

Instead of Rolls-Royce Motors, aerospace company Rolls-Royce Plc retained intellectual property rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo, which it continued to license to the automotive division. Therefore, the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo were not part of the sale of "Rolls-Royce" to VW, which also included the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks, vehicle designs, model nameplates, production facilities, and administrative facilities (which VW later sold to BMW). The aviation organization, Rolls-Royce Plc, at last sold both to BMW AG.

History Cricklewood (1919–1921) Prior to World War I, Walter Owen Bentley and his brother, Horace Millner Bentley, sold French DFP automobiles in Cricklewood, North London. However, W.O., as Walter was affectionately known, had always desired to design and construct his own automobiles. In 1913, he was at the DFP factory and saw a paperweight made of aluminum. He thought that aluminum could be used to make lighter pistons instead of cast iron. The primary Bentley aluminum cylinders were fitted to Sopwith Camel air motors during WWI.

Walter Owen "W.O." Bentley established Bentley Motors Limited on January 18, 1919[18], the same day that the Paris Peace Conference to end World War I began. In August 1919, he registered Bentley Motors Ltd. In October he displayed a vehicle body (with a spurious motor) at the London Engine Show.[19] Ex-Imperial Flying Corps official Clive Jog planned an imaginative four-valves-per-chamber motor for the case. The engine was built and operational by December. Bentley's first major event was the 1922 Indianapolis 500, which was dominated by specialized cars with Duesenberg racing chassis. Delivery of the first cars was scheduled for June 1920, but development took longer than expected, so the date was moved to September 1921.[19] The durability of the first Bentley cars earned widespread acclaim, and they competed in hill climbs and raced at Brooklands.[20] They entered a modified road car driven by works driver Douglas Hawkes and riding mechanic H. S. "Bertie" Browning.[21] Hawkes completed the entire 500 miles (800 kilometers) and finished 13th, averaging 74.95 miles per hour (120.62 kilometers per hour) after starting in 19th place.[22] The team was then rushed back to England to compete in the 1922 RAC Tourist Trophy.[21][23] Captain Woolf Barnato Captain Woolf Barn He bought his first Bentley, a 3-liter model, in 1925. He won numerous Brooklands races with this vehicle. He bought the Bentley business itself a year later.

The Bentley undertaking was consistently underfunded, yet enlivened by the 1924 Le Monitors win by John Duff and Candid Forgiving, Barnato consented to fund Bentley's business. In 1922, Barnato established Baromans Ltd. as a means of financing and investing. Barnato initially invested more than £100,000 through Baromans, which saved the company and its employees. The original Bentley company underwent a financial restructuring, and all of its creditors were paid off for £75,000 each. Each share was reduced to just one shilling, or 5% of their original value, from £1. Barnato became chairman after acquiring control of the business with 149,500 of the new shares. Barnato contributed additional funds to the company: $35,000 in July 1927, secured by debenture; £40,000 in 1928; £25,000 in 1929. W. O. Bentley was able to design a new generation of automobiles with additional financial support.

The Bentley Young men

Principal articles: Bentley Boys and Blue Train Races 1929 Blower Bentley Barnato, Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin, steeple chaser George Duller, aviator Glen Kidston, automotive journalist S.C.H. "Sammy" Davis, and Dudley Benjafield were members of the Bentley Boys. The Bentley Young men leaned toward Bentley vehicles. Many of them were independently wealthy and had served in the military. They saved the marque's standing for superior execution alive; From 1927 to 1930, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on four separate occasions.

In 1929, Birkin created the lightweight Blower Bentley with a capacity of 412 liters at Welwyn Garden City and produced five racing specials. The Bentley Blower No. 1 was designed specifically for the Brooklands racing circuit. Birkin went against Bentley's advice and released the model before it had been fully developed. It was therefore unreliable.

During the Walk 1930 Blue Train Races, Barnato upped the ante on Meanderer and its Wanderer Light Six, having hustled and beaten Le Train Bleu interestingly, to better that record with his 6½-liter Bentley Speed Six on a bet of £100. He won by driving against the train from Cannes to Calais, then by ferry to Dover, then by public highways to London.

In the competition with the Blue Train, Barnato drove his formal saloon with a body by H.J. Mulliner. He received a Speed Six with a streamlined fastback known as a "sportsman coupé" from Gurney Nutting two months later, on May 21, 1930. The "Blue Train Bentleys" were the names given to both cars; A painting by Terence Cuneo depicts the Gurney Nutting coupé racing along a road parallel to the Blue Train, which scenario never occurred because the road and railway did not follow the same route. However, the latter is frequently mistaken for, or erroneously referred to as being the car that raced the Blue Train. In fact, Barnato named it in memory of his race.[24][25]

Cricklewood Bentleys Bentley 8 Liter 4-Door Sports Saloon 1921–1929 3 Liter 1926–1930 612 Liter & "Blower Bentley" 1926–1930 612 Liter Speed Six 1930–1931 8 Liter 1931 4 Liter The initial model was a 3 Liter, but as customers added heavier bodies to the chassis, a larger 412 Liter model was released. Maybe the most famous model of the period is the 4½-liter "Blower Bentley", with its unmistakable supercharger projecting forward from the lower part of the grille. Although Birkin remarkably finished second in the French Grand Prix at Pau in a stripped-down racing version of the Blower Bentley, behind Philippe Etancelin in a Bugatti Type 35, it was uncharacteristically fragile for a Bentley and was not the racing workhorse that the 612-liter was.

After that, the 412-liter model became well-known in popular culture for being James Bond's go-to vehicle in the original novels; however, the vehicle has only been featured in the movies for a brief time. John Horse in the TV series The Justice fighters likewise drove a Bentley.

The new eight-liter was such a triumph that when Barnato's cash appeared to run out in 1931 and Napier was wanting to purchase Bentley's business, Rolls-Royce bought Bentley Engines to keep it from rivaling their generally costly model, the Ghost II.

Performance at Le Mans Bentley Speed Six 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance 1923, 4th (private entry), 3 liters, 1924, 1st, 3 liters, 1925, not finished, 1926, not finished, 1927, 1st, 15th, 17th, 3 liters, 1928, 1st, 5th, 412 liters, 1929, first (Speed Six); 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Bentley withdrew from motor racing shortly after winning at Le Mans in 1930, claiming that they had learned enough about speed and reliability.[26] Liquidation The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed stifled demand for Bentley's pricey automobiles. In July 1931 two home loan installments were expected which neither the organization nor Barnato, the underwriter, had the option to meet. A receiver was appointed on July 10, 1931.[27] Napier offered to acquire Bentley, with the transaction closing in November 1931. British Central Equitable Trust, on the other hand, submitted a sealed bid of £125,000 that was accepted.[28] British Central Equitable Trust turned out to be a front for Rolls-Royce Limited in the future. Not even Bentley himself knew the character of the buyer until the arrangement was completed.[19]

Barnato got £42,000 for his portions in Bentley Engines. In 1934 he was designated to the leading group of the new Bentley Engines (1931) Ltd. Around the same time Bentley affirmed that it would race.


Rolls-Royce (1931-1970)

Derby


"The quiet games vehicle"

1935 3½-liter cabriolet by obscure coachbuilder

Rolls-Royce assumed control over the resources of Bentley Engines (1919) Ltd and shaped an auxiliary, Bentley Engines (1931) Ltd. Rolls-Royce had procured the Bentley display areas in Stopper Road, the assistance station at Kingsbury, the complex at Cricklewood and the administrations of Bentley himself. This last was questioned by Napier in court without progress. Rolls-Royce promptly registered Bentley's trademark because Bentley had failed to do so. In 1932, they also sold the Cricklewood factory. After a two-year hiatus,[29] production resumed at the Rolls-Royce plant in Derby. Discontent with his job at Rolls-Royce, when his agreement lapsed toward the finish of April 1935 W. O. Bentley left to join Lagonda.


When the brand-new Bentley 312 liter debuted in 1933, it was a sportier version of the Rolls-Royce 20/25. Some traditional customers were disappointed, but many others were pleased. All Bentleys produced from 1931 to 2004 used inherited or shared Rolls-Royce chassis, adapted Rolls-Royce engines, and are described by critics as badge-engineered Rolls-Royces. Derby Bentleys 1933–1937 312-litre 1936–1939 414-litre 1939–1941 Mark V 1939 Mark V Crewe In preparation for the war, Rolls-Royce and the British Government searched for a location for a shadow factory to ensure production of aero-engines. Crewe Additionally, Crewe had a lot of open farmland. In July 1938, work on the factory began on a 60-acre site in Merrill's Farm's potato fields. Five months later, the first Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engine left the production line. 25,000 Merlin engines[33] were delivered and at its top, in 1943 during The Second Great War, the plant utilized 10,000 people.[35] With the conflict in Europe over and the general move towards the then new fly motors, Rolls-Royce concentrated its air motor activities at Derby and moved engine vehicle tasks to Crewe.[33]


Standard Steel cantinas


Bentley Imprint VI standard steel cantina, the principal Bentley provided by Rolls-Royce with a standard all-steel body

Until some time after The Second Great War, most top of the line motorcar producers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce didn't supply total vehicles. They sold rolling chassis that, from the instrument panel forward, were nearly finished. The buyer's choice of coachbuilder received each chassis. The greatest expert vehicle sales centers had coachbuilders assemble standard plans for them which were held in stock anticipating likely purchasers.



The assembled pressings from Pressed Steel Rolls-Royce developed an all-steel body using pressings from Pressed Steel to create a "standard" ready-to-drive complete saloon car to meet post-war demand, particularly the UK Government's pressure to export and earn foreign currency. The principal steel-bodied model delivered was the Bentley Imprint VI: The Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, a standard steel Bentley equipped with a Rolls-Royce radiator grille for a small additional fee, was introduced a few years later, initially only for export. These began to emerge from the newly reconfigured Crewe factory at the beginning of 1946.


Coachbuilders continued to have access to chassis until the October 1965 introduction of the chassis-less monocoque T series, which replaced the Bentley S3.


H. J. Mulliner designed the body of the Bentley Continental fastback coupé. The Continental fastback coupé was designed for the UK market, and 164 of the cars, in addition to a prototype, were right-hand drive. The case was delivered at the Crewe plant and imparted a large number to the standard R type. Other than the R-Type standard steel cantina, R-Type Continentals were conveyed as moving suspension to the coachbuilder of decision. H. J. Mulliner & Co. completed the coachwork on the majority of these automobiles, which were primarily constructed as fastback coupes. Six more coaches were built by Park Ward (London), including a drophead coupe version later. Franay (Paris) fabricated five, Graber (Wichtrach, Switzerland) assembled three, one of them later changed by Köng (Basel, Switzerland), and Pininfarina made one. In 1954, James Young of London constructed a Sports Saloon for James Barclay, the proprietor of James Young's.


The early R Type Continental's engine is essentially the same as the standard R Type, but it has higher gear ratios and modified carburetion, induction, and exhaust manifolds.[37] After July 1954, the car got an engine with a larger bore of 94.62 mm (3.7 in) and a total displacement of 4,887 cc (4.9 L; 298.2 cu in). It was increased to 7.25:1 compression ratio.


Bentleys produced by Rolls-Royce Ltd. in Crewe Bentley S-series Standard Saloon Bentley S-series Standard Saloon Bentley T-series Standard Saloon (l.w.b.) "The silent sports car" 1952 414-liter 2-door Bentley "The silent sports car" 1952 414-litre 2-door Bentley

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


Standard-steel saloon from 1946 to 1952; Mark VI from 1952 to 1955; R Type Continental from 1952 to 1955; R Type Continental S-series from 1955 to 1959; S1 and Continental from 1959 to 1962; S2 and Continental from 1962 to 1965; S3 and Continental T-series from 1965 to 1977; T1 from 1977 to 1980; T2 from 1971 to 1984; Corniche from 1975 to 1986; Camargue Vickers (1970–1998)

The motorcar division was made a different business, Rolls-Royce Engines Restricted, which stayed free until purchased by Vickers plc in August 1980. Sales of Bentley had significantly decreased by the 1970s and early 1980s; Under Vickers, Bentley set about regaining its high-performance heritage, exemplified by the 1980 Mulsanne, at a time when less than 5% of total production bore the Bentley name.[19] Bentley's reestablished donning picture made a recharged interest in the name and Bentley deals as an extent of result started to rise. The Bentley: by 1986 The ratio of Rolls-Royce had reached 40:60; Crewe Vickers Bentleys 1984 Bentley Mulsanne Turbo 1997 Bentley Brooklands 1984–1995 Continental: convertible from 1992 to 1995 Continental Turbo from 1980 to 1992 Bentley Mulsanne: limousine from 1982 to 1985 Mulsanne Turbo from 1987 to 1992 Mulsanne S from 1984 to 1992 fundamental model

1985-1995 Super R: Continental R: turbocharged performance version from 1991 to 2002: two-door turbocharged Continental S model from 1994 to 1995: intercooled Continental T from 1996 to 2002; Continental R from 1999 to 2003 Mulliner: Brooklands: performance model from 1992 to 1998: improved Eight Brooklands R from 1996 to 1998: performance Brooklands Turbo S from 1994 to 1995: restricted version sports model

1994-1995 Mainland S: to order only the Continental R version with Turbo S features from 1995 to 1997 New Turbo R: redesigned 96MY Turbo R with updated bumpers, new door mirrors, a spare in the trunk, engine cover, new seat design, auto lights, auto wipers, and other features.

1995–2003 Azure: convertible Mainland R

1996-2002 Mainland T: short-wheelbase execution model

1997-1998 Super RL: " new" Turbo R LWB (Long Wheel Base) Bentley Turbo RT from 1997 to 1998: replacement for the Turbo RL Mulliner from 1997 to 1998: Volkswagen's 1998 Bentley Arnage T is an extremely exclusive performance model. Queen Elizabeth II's Bentley State Limousine Vickers announced in October 1997 that it had decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. Due to BMW's previous involvement in the production of engines for Bentley and Rolls-Royce automobiles, as well as the partnership between BMW and Vickers in the development of aircraft engines, BMW AG appeared to be a logical buyer. Volkswagen AG offered £430 million, beating BMW's final offer of £340 million. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc owns the rights to use the Rolls-Royce name and logo, but Volkswagen AG acquired the vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks. In 1998, BMW began providing components for the new line of Bentley and Rolls-Royce automobiles, particularly V8 engines for the Bentley Arnage and V12 engines for the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. However, the supply contract permitted BMW to terminate its supply agreement with Rolls-Royce with a notice period of one year, which would not provide Volkswagen with sufficient time to re-engineer the automobiles.


Bentley Azure Mulliner 2003 Final Series BMW licensed the Rolls-Royce name and logo for £40 million from Rolls-Royce plc. BMW and Volkswagen AG reached an agreement during negotiations that, from 1998 to 2002, BMW would continue to provide engines and components to Volkswagen and would permit Volkswagen to temporarily use the Rolls-Royce name and logo. With the end of Silver Seraph production in 2003, the supply of all BMW engines came to an end.

Volkswagen AG would be the sole manufacturer of automobiles bearing the "Bentley" brand beginning on January 1, 2003. In Goodwood, West Sussex, England, BMW constructed a brand-new administrative headquarters and production facility for Rolls-Royce vehicles, as well as a new legal entity called Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited.

It was reported that Volkswagen invested nearly US$2 billion in Bentley and its revival.[40] As a result of upgrading facilities at Crewe, the bodywork now arrives fully painted at the Crewe facility for final assembly, with the parts coming from Germany—similar to how Rolls-Royce body shells are painted and shipped to the UK only for assembly.[38] As of the beginning of 2010, there are approximately 3,500 working at Crewe, compared to approximately 1,500 in 1998 before Volkswagen took over the business.[39]

Despite having an installed capacity of approximately 9,500 vehicles per year, the Crewe factory was unable to meet demand because of the overwhelming volume of orders; For the delivery of new automobiles, there was a longer than one-year waiting list. Consequently, the Transparent Factory in Germany, where the Volkswagen Phaeton luxury car was also assembled, received a portion of the production of the new Flying Spur, a four-door Continental GT. Around 1,000 cars were produced under this arrangement before it was ended at the end of 2006, and the Crewe plant continued to produce all cars.


Bentley gave Sovereign Elizabeth II an authority State Limousine in 2002 to praise her Brilliant Celebration. In 2003, the Bentley Azure convertible with two doors came to an end of production. It was supplanted by an enormous extravagance car controlled by a W12 motor inherent Crewe and named Bentley Mainland GT.

A four-seat Azure convertible based on the Arnage Drophead Coupé prototype was confirmed to begin production at Crewe in 2006 in April 2005. The Continental GTC, a convertible version of the successful Continental GT, was also introduced in the fall of 2005. At the end of 2006, these two models were released.


2005 Bentley Continental Flying Spur 2011 Bentley Continental GT 2017 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid presented by CEO Adrian Hallmark at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show


2019 Bentley Continental GTC 2019 Flying Spur W12 In March 2008, a limited-edition "GTZ" Zagato-modified GT was also announced.

At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, a new Bentley Continental was unveiled: Continental Supersports This brand-new Bentley is a supercar that can run on either gasoline or biofuel (E85 ethanol) and combines extreme power with eco-friendly FlexFuel technology.


In 2005, there were 8,627 Bentleys sold worldwide, including 3,654 in the United States. With sales of 10,014, the 10,000-car-per-year threshold was first broken in 2007. For 2007, a record benefit of €155 million was likewise announced.[41] Bentley revealed an offer of around 7,600 units in 2008.[42] Be that as it may, its worldwide deals plunged 50% to 4,616 vehicles in 2009 (with the U.S. conveyances dropped 49% to 1,433 vehicles) and it experienced a working deficiency of €194 million, contrasted and a working benefit of €10 million in 2008.[38][43] because of the rut in deals, creation at Crewe was closed down during Spring and April 2009.[citation needed] However vehicle deals expanded by 11% to 5,117 of every 2010, working misfortune became by 26% to €245 million.[44] In Fall 2010, laborers at Crewe organized a progression of fights over proposition of obligatory work on Fridays and compulsory extra time during the week.[45]

Vehicle deals in 2011 rose 37% to 7,003 vehicles, with the new Mainland GT representing north of 33% of complete deals. There are currently approximately 4,000 employees.

After two years of losses, Bentley made a profit in 2011 because of the following sales results:[46] On March 23, 2020, Bentley said it would stop making cars because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[47] In June 2020, Bentley said it would cut around 1,000 (one quarter of 4,200) jobs in the UK because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[48] On November 3, 2020, Bentley said that all new cars that are sold will be electric by 2030. This announcement also comes after Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, made the announcement in February 2020 that he had approved legislation to ban and phase out fuel-burning vehicles—including Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles—from the United Kingdom by 2030, with the ban on hybrid vehicles coming into effect by 2035.[49][50]