Like many other well-known brands, the company name is Bentley Motors received by the name of the founder - in this case, Walter Bentley. This talented engineer and real racing fan wanted to create a real monster that would have no equal on the race track. This is now the name Bentley causes the majority of associations with powerful, but very massive and rather clumsy dreadnoughts. But the first cars of the company could boast only an exceptional technical component. Bentley cared little about luxury and body design; he put forward only one requirement for this not the most important part of a sports car - that everything be assembled tightly.
The company was officially founded in 1919. And immediately attracted attention by presenting the Bentley 3L model at an exhibition in London. "3L" meant that the volume of the four-cylinder engine of this miracle is 3 liters. The car went on sale in 1921. It cannot be said that he was insanely popular, since between him and the ordinary motorist there was an excessively high, albeit justified, cost. Bentley Motors made a grand gesture by providing a five-year warranty on all its models. Other models appear with a winged "B" hovering above the grille. Even more powerful, even more expensive and still with grotesque-Spartan interiors. It was possible to stay afloat only thanks to victories in car races, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which provided good advertising and attracted additional buyers.
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| Bentley 3.5 saloon (1935) |
This continued until 1930, when the Great Depression took over. The situation was aggravated by an unfortunate incident when, at one of the races, a car Bentley could not even reach the finish line, leaving the race. Bentley, however, remained true to himself, presenting consumers with another, even more expensive model. The results were not long in coming. The company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, was acquired by another manufacturer of ultra-expensive cars - the company Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd.
Bentley was offered to stay with his company, signing a contract with him for four years, after which he nevertheless left. History Bentley Motors since then it has taken a different path. Management Rolls Royce decided to refuse to participate in auto racing, while maintaining the sports component Bentley. It was decided to do this: while the cars Rolls Royce created for consumers who want to drive in exclusive luxury, but do not drive themselves, Bentley positioned for wealthy motorists who did not need a personal driver.
Several grades have been created Bentley — “Red Label” (the main focus was on comfort), “Black Label” (the main focus was on sports performance) and “Green Label” (something in between).
But gradually the company Bentley Motors gone into the shadow of its owner. The models produced by her, although they attracted fans around the world, were in fact a kind of copies Rolls Royce, slightly more affordable, with improved sporting capabilities. Cars for those who want to drive as fast as possible, but with the comfort that racing cars lack, like Bugatti or Ferrari.
rebirth Bentley started in 1980 when Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd. acquired by the company vikers.
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| Bentley Booklands (image from official website) |
As of today Bentley Motors is a part Volkswagen Groupwhich she joined in 1998. In the same year myself Rolls Royce went to another German company, becoming part of BMW Group.
For the company Bentley Motors a new era began, its cars not only regained their identity, but also returned to the race tracks. In 2003, a victory was again won at Le Mans (until 1930 there were as many as five).
Interesting Facts
most famous Bentley became the S-2 model, which once belonged to John Lennon. He bought it solely for the purpose of advertising the new album of The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine". For this purpose, the car was specially painted with the most unimaginable drawings, which look so strange on such a prestigious model.
When creating cars Bentley, their interiors are sheathed in leather by hand. At the same time, each model requires 135 meters of thread. When creating a steering wheel, a complex technology is required using two needles, as a result of which the process becomes very complicated and takes about 15 hours.
