Bentley Motors has been around for 105 years now. Since its founding in 1919, the marque has developed a rich and wonderful history that includes marvels of automotive engineering and racing. Let’s look at how that history has shaped Bentley and helped to create fantastic examples of power, speed, and luxury in the modern era.
Strong Beginnings
Bentley was founded on July 10, 1919, by Walter Owen “W.O.” Bentley. At this point, he got his friend F. Gordon Crosby to design the famous winged B Bentley logo. In these early years, the winged B had an asymmetrical shape with a varying number of wings, which helped throw off would-be imitators.
Bentley’s first major automobile success was the Bentley 3 Litre. This car was the manifestation of W.O. Bentley’s original vision of “a fast car, a good car, the best in its class.” It stayed in production for eight years, from 1921 and 1929. During that time, the Bentley 3 Litre won many races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924 and 1927.
Some reports tell us that W.O. Bentley didn’t approve of enrolling a 3 Litre in the race at Le Mans because he believed the vehicle wasn’t meant to run for 24 hours at a time, but the vehicle was successful anyway, showing that it was a superior piece of automotive craftsmanship.
While the 3 Litre’s production was slow at first, it did eventually get going, and models were even sold to two future kings (Edward VIII and George VI). It also attracted the attention of many aristocratic racers known as the Bentley Boys and Girls. They accomplished many daring racing feats over the 1920s and 1930s and helped to shape Bentley’s public image from the very beginning by showing that driving a Bentley was part of living life to the limit and having as many adventures as possible along the way.
The Racing Bentley’s Growth
As the Bentley Boys and Girls took their cars out racing again and again, they realized that the car needed to change. One of the chief Bentley Boys, Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin, first drove the 4 ½ Litre Supercharger Bentley Blower in races, before switching over to the 6 ½ Litre. The 6 ½ Litre Bentley got a high-performance version called the Speed Six, and it became the most successful racing Bentley in history. It won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930, thanks in part to its new nearly 6.6-liter engine and a redesigned chassis.
Bentley Beyond Racing
While Bentleys were known for racing, there have also been models meant for touring and other driving purposes. These included the Bentley 8 Litre, which was the company’s first grand tourer. While it was the largest and most luxurious Bentley of its day, it was unfortunately released right around the same time as the 1929 stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression. Because of this massive worldwide financial crisis, demand for the 8 Litre slowed to a crawl, and only 100 examples of this model were produced between 1930 and 1932.
After that admittedly large bump in the road, the Bentley Mark V emerged in the 1930s with a redesigned chassis, though its production was halted once Britain entered WWII (1939-1945). Luckily, the Mark V’s production was resumed in 1946, after the end of the war. That’s when the Mark VI came along, as a fully developed and improved-upon version of the Mark V.
From the 1950s through to today, Bentley has focused on the luxury saloon market, with many different models leaving their mark over the years. These cars include R-Type Continental, the S1 Continental Flying Spur, the Azure, and the Bentley Brooklands.
Still, their legacy of crafting ultra high-performance models lived on in the design and sheer force found in their modern powertrains.
Find Your Bentley in Miami
If you’re intrigued by Bentley’s celebrated history and you want to become a part of the Bentley story, let us know! At Bentley Miami, we have new and pre-owned Bentleys for sale, and we’ll help you find the one that fits your style, no matter where in South Florida you are.
Contact us online or give us a call at (786) 577-5225 today.
