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{{Infobox Company
|company_name = Bentley Motors Limited
|company_logo = [[Image:Bentley logo.svg|225px]]
|company_type = [[Private company limited by shares|Private Limited Company]]
|foundation = 18 January 1919
|founder = [[Walter Owen Bentley]]
|successor =
|location = [[Crewe]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
|area_served = Worldwide
|key_people = Dr. [[Franz-Josef Paefgen]], <small>[[CEO]]</small>
|industry = [[Automotive industry]]
|products = [[Automobile|Cars]]
|market cap =
|revenue = £2.1b (2007)
|operating_income =
|net_income =
|assets =
|equity =
|num_employees = 4000 (2006)
|parent = [[Volkswagen Group]]
|divisions =
|subsid =
|homepage = [http://www.BentleyMotors.com BentleyMotors.com]
|footnotes =
|intl = yes
}}
[[Image:Bentley badge and hood ornament-BW.jpg|thumb|Bentley's winged "B" badge and bonnet (hood) ornament.]]
[[Image:1929 Bentley front 34 right.jpg|thumb|1929 [[Bentley Blower|"Blower" Bentley]] from the [[Ralph Lauren]] collection.]]

'''Bentley Motors Limited''' is a British manufacturer of [[automobile]]s founded on 18 January 1919 by [[Walter Owen Bentley]] (known as W.O. Bentley or just "W.O."). Mr. Bentley had been previously known for his range of [[Rotary engine|rotary]] [[aircraft engine|aero-engine]]s in [[World War I]], the most famous being the [[Bentley BR1]] as used in later versions of the [[Sopwith Camel]]. Since 1998, the company has been owned by the [[Volkswagen Group]] of Germany.

==Bentley as a separate company (1919–31)==
Before World War I, W.O. Bentley had been in partnership with his brother H.M. Bentley selling French [[Doriot, Flandrin & Parant|DFP]] cars, but he had always wanted to design and build his own range of cars bearing his name. In August 1919, Bentley Motors Ltd. was registered, and a chassis with dummy engine was exhibited at the London Motor Show in October of that year.<ref name=Beaulieu>{{cite book|last=Georgano|first=N.|title=Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile|year=2000|publisher=HMSO|location=London|isbn=1-57958-293-1}}</ref> An engine was built and running by December, and orders were taken for deliveries starting in June 1920; however, development took longer than estimated, and the first cars were not ready until September 1921.<ref name=Beaulieu/>

It was on a visit to the DFP factory in 1913 that W.O. noticed an aluminium paperweight, and had the inspired idea of using the lightweight metal instead of cast iron to make engine pistons. The first Bentley aluminium pistons went into service in aero engines for the Sopwith Camel, in service during [[the Great War]].

The company was always underfunded, and Bentley turned to millionaire [[Woolf Barnato]] for help in 1925. As part of a refinancing deal, which resulted in his effectively owning the company, Barnato became chairman. A great deal of Barnato's fortune was devoted to keeping Bentley afloat, but the [[Great Depression]] destroyed demand for the company's expensive products, and it was finally sold to [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] in 1931.

===The Bentley Boys===
A group of wealthy British motorists known as the "[[Bentley Boys]]" ([[Woolf Barnato]], Sir [[Henry Birkin]], [[steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechaser]] [[George Duller]], [[aviator]] [[Glen Kidston]], automotive journalist [[S.C.H. "Sammy" Davis]], and Dr. [[Dudley Benjafield]] among them) kept the marque's reputation for high performance alive. Thanks to the dedication to serious racing of this group, the company, located at [[Cricklewood]], north London, was noted for its four consecutive victories at the [[24 hours of Le Mans]] from 1927 to 1930. Their greatest competitor at the time, [[Bugatti]]—whose lightweight, elegant, but fragile creations contrasted with the Bentley's rugged reliability and durability—referred to them as "the world's fastest lorries".

In March 1930, during the [[Blue Train Races]], Woolf Barnato raised the stakes on [[Rover Company|Rover]] and its [[Rover Light Six]], having raced and beat ''[[Le Train Bleu]]'' for the first time, to better that record with his 6½-litre [[Bentley Speed Six]] on a bet of £100. He drove against the train from [[Cannes]] to [[Calais]], then by ferry to [[Dover]], and finally London, travelling on public highways, and won; the [[H.J. Mulliner & Co.|H.J. Mulliner]]-bodied [[sedan (automobile)|formal saloon]] he drove during the race as well as a streamlined fastback "Sportsman Coupe" by Gurney Nutting - he took delivery of on 21 May 1930 became known as the "[[Blue Train Bentley]]s"; the latter is regularly mistaken for (or erroneously referred to) as being the car that raced the Blue Train, while in fact Barnato named it in memory of his race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/1698/Bentley-Speed-Six--Blue-Train-Special-.html|title=Bentley Speed Six 'Blue Train Special'|last=Melissen|first=Wouter|date=2004-01-12|work=UltimateCarPage|accessdate=2008-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://autoaficionado.net/issue/0101-38.html|title=The Slippery Shape of Power|last=Burgess-Wise|first=David|date=2006-01-01|work=Auto Aficionado|accessdate=2008-11-04}}</ref>

===Car models===
The original model was the 3-litre, but as customers put heavier bodies on the chassis, a larger 4½-litre model followed. Perhaps the most iconic model of the period is the 4½-litre "Blower Bentley," with its distinctive [[supercharger]] projecting forward from the bottom of the grille. Uncharacteristically fragile for a Bentley, it was not the racing workhorse the 6½-litre was. It became famous in popular media as the vehicle of [[James Bond]] in the original novels, but not in film; however, [[John Steed]], in the television series ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'', did drive a Bentley.

*1921–29 [[Bentley 3 Litre|3-litre]]
*1926–30 [[Bentley 4½ Litre|4½-litre & "Blower Bentley"]]
*1926–30 [[Bentley Speed Six|6½-litre]]
*1928–30 [[Bentley Speed Six|6½-litre Speed Six]]
*1930–31 [[Bentley 8 Litre|8-litre]]
*1931 [[Bentley 4 Litre|4-litre]]

==Bentleys of the Rolls-Royce era (1931–98)==
[[Image:1935-bentley-archives.jpg|right|thumb|1935 Bentley 3½-litre Cabriolet.]]
[[Image:Bentley SI Continental Fastback Coupe Mulliner.jpg|right|thumb|[[Bentley S1|S1 Continental Fastback Coupé]] with Mulliner bodywork.]]
[[Image:Bentley Mark VI Autotron NL 1990.jpg|right|thumb|1952 [[Bentley R Type]]: an evolution of the Mark VI, which was the first Bentley available from the manufacturer with a standard body.]]
[[Image:BentleyS3.jpg|thumb|Rare left-hand drive 1963 Bentley S3 Continental.]]
[[Image:Bentley Mulsanne Blue NEC.JPG|thumb|right|1980 Bentley Mulsanne.]]

[[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] had bought Bentley secretly using a company named the British Central Equitable Trust; not even Bentley himself knew the true identity of the purchaser until the deal was completed.<ref name=Beaulieu/> A new company, wholly owned by Rolls-Royce, was formed as Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. As W.O. Bentley was little more than an employee, he left to join [[Lagonda]] in 1935 when his contract was up for renewal. The [[Cricklewood]] factory was closed and sold, and production moved to the Rolls-Royce works in [[Derby]].

When a new Bentley car appeared in 1933, the [[Bentley 3.5 Litre|3½-litre]], it was a sporting variant of the [[Rolls-Royce 20/25]] - and although disappointing some traditional customers, it was well-received by many others. Even Bentley himself was reported as saying, "Taking all things into consideration, I would rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under that name".<ref name=Beaulieu/>

After World War II, production of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars was moved to an ex-wartime engine factory in [[Crewe]], [[Cheshire]]. Bentleys increasingly became Rolls-Royces without the distinctive grilles and with a lower price tag, and by the [[1970s]] and early [[1980s]], sales had fallen badly, with at one time less than 5% of production carrying the Bentley badge.<ref name=Beaulieu/>

The parent company failed in 1970 following problems with aero engine development, and the car division was floated off to become Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd. and remained independent until bought by Vickers in August 1980.

In the 1980s, Bentley became a separate, high-performance car line once again, typified by the 1980 [[Bentley Mulsanne|Mulsanne]]. The new sporting image created a new interest in the name and sales as a proportion of output started to rise. In 1986, the Rolls-Royce:Bentley ratio was 60:40, and in 1991, it was 50:50.<ref name=Beaulieu/>

The Bentley factory in Crewe, Cheshire, is still known in the town by the name "Royce's". For more on Bentley Motors from 1931 to 1998, see [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] and [[Rolls-Royce Motors]].

===Car models===
*1933–37 [[Bentley 3.5 Litre|3½-litre]]
**1936–39 [[Bentley 3.5 Litre#4¼ Litre|4¼-litre]]
*1939–41 [[Bentley Mark V|Mark V]]
**1939 [[Bentley Mark V|Mark V]]
*1946–52 [[Bentley Mark VI|Mark VI]]
*1952–55 [[Bentley R Type|R Type]] and Continental
*1955–59 [[Bentley S1|S1]] and Continental
*1959–62 [[Bentley S2|S2]] and Continental
*1962–65 [[Bentley S3|S3]] and Continental
*1965–80 [[Bentley T-series|T-series]]
**1965–77 [[Bentley T-series|T1]]
**1977–80 [[Bentley T-series|T2]]
*1971–84 [[Rolls-Royce Corniche|Corniche]]
**1984–95 [[Rolls-Royce Corniche|Continental]] — convertible
***1992–95 [[Rolls-Royce Corniche|Continental Turbo]]
*1975–86 [[Rolls-Royce Camargue|Camargue]]
*1980–87 [[Bentley Mulsanne|Mulsanne]]
**1984–88 [[Bentley Mulsanne|Mulsanne L]] — limousine
**1982–85 [[Bentley Mulsanne|Mulsanne Turbo]]
**1987–92 [[Bentley Mulsanne|Mulsanne S]]
**1984–92 [[Bentley Eight|Eight]] — lower-priced model
**1985–95 [[Bentley Turbo R|Turbo R]] — [[turbocharger|turbocharged]] performance version
**1991–2002 [[Bentley Continental R|Continental R]] — turbocharged 2-door model
***1999–2003 [[Bentley Continental R|Continental R Mulliner]] — performance model
***1994–95 [[Bentley Continental S|Continental S]] — [[intercooler|intercooled]]
**1992–98 [[Bentley Brooklands|Brooklands]] — improved Eight
***1996–98 [[Bentley Brooklands|Brooklands R]] — performance Brooklands
**1994–95 [[Bentley Turbo R|Turbo S]] — limited-edition sports model
**1995–97 [[Bentley Turbo R|Turbo R]] — updated Turbo R
**1995–97 [[Bentley Turbo RL|Turbo RL]] — updated Turbo R LWB (Long [[wheelbase|Wheel Base]])
***1996 [[Bentley Turbo R|Turbo R Sport]] — limited-edition sports model
**1995–2003 [[Bentley Azure|Azure]] — convertible Continental R
***1999–2002 [[Bentley Azure|Azure Mulliner]] — performance model
**1996–2002 [[Bentley Continental T|Continental T]] — short-wheelbase performance model
***1999 [[Bentley Continental T|Continental T Mulliner]] — firmer suspension
**1997–98 [[Bentley Turbo RT]] — replacement for the Turbo RL

==Volkswagen Group ownership==
[[Image:bentleyazure.JPG|thumb|right|250px|2003 Bentley Azure Mulliner, Final Series.]]
In 1998, Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors were purchased from [[Vickers]] (the owner since 1980) by [[Volkswagen Group]] for £430 million, following a bidding war with [[BMW]]. BMW had recently started supplying components for the new range of Rolls and Bentley cars, notably [[V8 engine]]s for the [[Bentley Arnage]], and [[V12 engine]]s for the [[Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph]]. Volkswagen Group believed that the Rolls-Royce name was included in the purchase, when in fact it belonged to [[Rolls-Royce plc]], the aero-engine company, and was used by the automobile division under licence. It also emerged that BMW's aeronautical division had a joint venture agreement with Rolls-Royce plc, and that the German company was able to terminate its supply deal with Rolls-Royce with 12 months' notice, which would not be enough time for Volkswagen Group to re-engineer the cars.

BMW and Volkswagen Group entered into negotiations, and an agreement was reached whereby Volkswagen Group would manufacture both Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars until the end of 2002, licensing the name from Rolls-Royce plc; on 1 January 2003, the right to build Rolls-Royce cars would transfer to BMW. BMW licensed the brand from Rolls-Royce plc and paid £40 million to Volkswagen Group, but the deal did not include any manufacturing facilities, staff, or intellectual property on present or future models. BMW also agreed to continue its supply agreements, which gave Volkswagen Group the time it needed to reduce its reliance on BMW as a supplier. Bentley reintroduced the venerable [[Rolls-Royce V8 engine]] into the Arnage, initially as an additional model, and all BMW engine supply ended in 2003 with the end of Silver Seraph production.

===Modern Bentleys===
[[Image:SC06 Three Modern Bentleys.jpg|thumb|250px|The current Bentley lineup (from left): [[Bentley Continental Flying Spur (2005)|Flying Spur]], [[Bentley Continental GT|Continental GT]], and [[Bentley Arnage|Arnage]].]]
[[Image:2002 Bentley State Limousine.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]]'s [[Bentley State Limousine]].]]
In 2002, Bentley presented [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] with an official [[Bentley State Limousine|State Limousine]] to celebrate the [[Golden Jubilee]]. In 2003, Bentley's 2-door convertible, the [[Bentley Azure]], ceased production, and the company introduced a second-line designed by [[Dirk van Braeckel]], the [[Bentley Continental GT]], a large luxury coupe powered by a [[W12 engine]] built in Crewe.

Demand had been so great, that the factory at Crewe was unable to meet orders despite an installed capacity of approximately 9500 vehicles per year; there was a waiting list of over a year for new cars to be delivered. Consequently, part of the production of the new [[Bentley Continental Flying Spur (2005)|Flying Spur]], a four-door version of the Continental GT, was assigned to the [[Transparent Factory]] ([[Germany]]), where the [[Volkswagen Phaeton]] luxury car is also assembled. This arrangement ceased at the end of 2006 after around 1000 cars, with all car production reverting to the Crewe plant.

In April 2005, Bentley confirmed plans to produce a 4-seat convertible model—the [[Bentley Azure|Azure]], derived from the [[Bentley Arnage|Arnage Drophead Coupe]] prototype—at Crewe beginning in 2006. By the autumn of 2005, the convertible version of the successful Continental GT, the [[Bentley Continental|Continental GTC]], was also presented. These two models were successfully launched in late 2006.

A limited run of a [[Zagato]] modified GT was also announced in March 2008, dubbed "GTZ."

A new Bentley version of the Bentley Continental was introduced at the 2009 [[Geneva Auto Show]]: The [[Bentley Continental GT#Supersports|Continental Supersports]]. This new Bentley is a supercar combining extreme power with pioneering FlexFuel technology (environmentally friendly). A muscular two-seater with distinctive exterior and interior styling that is unmistakably Bentley in its design, craftsmanship and performance. The engine derived from Bentley’s current W12 power unit was re-engineered, re-tuned and re-mapped to achieve phenomenal supercar potency. 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h 3.9 seconds). {{convert|621|bhp|kW PS|0|lk=on}} {{convert|800|Nm|0|lk=on}} at 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. The Continental Supersports is the fastest, most powerful production Bentley ever. <ref>{{cite web|last=FT_7|title=The Extreme Bentley|url=http://www.bentleymotors.com/models/continental_series/continental_supersports/introduction/default.aspx|accessdate =2009-06-11}}</ref>

Bentley sales continued to increase, and in 2005, 8,627 were sold worldwide, 3,654 of which were sold in the United States. In 2007, with sales of 10,014, the 10,000 cars-per-year threshold was broken for the first time in the company's history. For 2007, a record profit of €155 million was also announced.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bentley reports record profit|last=Garlick|url=http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=17750|accessdate=2008-03-18}}</ref>
*1998 – [[Bentley Arnage|Arnage]] [[sedan (automobile)|saloon]]
*1999 – [[Bentley Hunaudieres|Hunaudieres Concept]]
*2002 – [[Bentley State Limousine|State Limousine]]
*2003 – [[Bentley Continental GT|Continental GT]] [[coupé]]
*2005 – [[Bentley Continental Flying Spur (2005)|Continental Flying Spur]] [[sedan (automobile)|saloon]]
*2006 – [[Bentley Azure (2006)|Azure]] [[convertible]]
*2006 – [[Bentley Continental GT#Continental GTC|Continental GT]] [[convertible]]
*2007 – [[Bentley Continental GT#Continental GT Speed|Continental GT Speed]] [[coupé]]
*2008 – [[Bentley Brooklands]] [[coupé]]
*2008 – [[Bentley Continental Flying Spur]] Speed [[sedan (automobile)|saloon]]
*2009 – [[Bentley Continental GT#Continental GTC|Continental GTC]] Speed
*2009 – [[Bentley Azure (2006)|Azure]] T
*2009 – [[Bentley Arnage|Arnage]] [[sedan (automobile)|saloon]], Final Series
*2009 – [[Bentley Continental GT#Supersports|Continental Supersports]]
*2009 - Bentley Zagato GTZ <ref>[http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/first-bentley-zagato-gtz-available-at-1-7-m/]</ref>
*2010 - [[Bentley Mulsanne 2011|Bentley Mulsanne]]

===Management===
The current board of management consists of [[Franz-Josef Paefgen|Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen]], Chairman and Chief Executive; [[Ulrich Eichhorn|Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn]], Engineering; Stuart J. McCullough, Sales & Marketing; Douglas G. Dickson, Manufacturing; Christine A. Gaskell, Personnel; and Juergen Hoffmann, Finance. [[Dirk van Braeckel]] is current Head of Design.
{{-}}

===Recent Bentley racing===
In 2001–03, the [[Bentley Speed 8]] enjoyed a successful racing streak in the [[24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans series]].

===Future cars===
Since Bentley's induction into [[Volkswagen Group]], rumours of an [[sport utility vehicle|SUV]]-style vehicle have repeatedly surfaced.{{citation needed|date=August 2009}} These have been shot down by Bentley employees on the basis that the idea would not fit into their future plans, and also the fact that the manufacturing facilities are already running at full capacity.

Borrowing hybrid technology developed by Bentley owners, Volkswagen Group is another focal point as the trend towards hybrid cars is expanding year on year.

==References==
{{commonscat|Bentley vehicles}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=Kidnap of the Flying Lady: How Germany Captured Both Rolls-Royce and Bentley|last=Feast|first=Richard|year=2003|publisher=Motorbooks|isbn=0-7603-1686-4}}
*{{cite book|title=Bentley - the Story|last=Frankel|first=Andrew|year=2005|publisher=Redwood Publishing|isbn=0-9517751-9-7}}


==External links==
{{Companies portal}}
*[http://www.BentleyMotors.com BentleyMotors.com] - official site
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2570109.stm Inside the Bentley factory — Jorn Madslien, BBC News]


{{Volkswagen Group brands}}
{{Bentley}}
{{Bentley Mulsanne timeline}}
{{Modern Bentleys}}
{{British Royal Warrant holders}}
{{British Car Industry}}

[[Category:Luxury brands]]
[[Category:Bentley| ]]
[[Category:British brands]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Volkswagen]]
[[Category:Audi]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1919]]
[[Category:Car manufacturers]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacture in London]]
[[Category:Companies based in Cheshire]]

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Revision as of 16:28, 16 October 2009

Bentley is a freshman

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