A Brief Guide to Bentley Motors, Past and Present
Bentley Motors in Crewe, England has a long history of both manufacturing and racing luxury cars. The company was founded in 1919 by Walter Bentley, formerly known for his range of military aeroengines, notably the engine for the Sopwith Camel.
It was here that Walter Bentley discovered that his use of aluminum in the construction of his aircraft engines and components provided better performance and durability, not to mention many options for casting and machining. As in this period in history, many manufacturers still responded strongly to cast steel components, making them heavy, prone to overheating, and less durable.
So, with this new type of engine, Walter Bentley applied it to the first cars and in 1921 the first Bentley, the BR1, rolled off the production line. A year later, Bentley cars were seen in numerous races and hillclimbs across the UK and were even entered in the American Indianapolis 500 endurance race. But it was two years later, in 1924, that Bentley finally appeared on the map with a coveted victory in the 24 hour race of Le Mans in France. To top it off, Bentley cars won no less than four consecutive race victories from 1927 to 1930.
After the Wall Street Crash of 1929 in the US, sales of Bentley cars plummeted severely around the world. The problem became so serious that the company was sold to the Rolls Royce Corporation in 1931. Fast forward to the present day, the Bentley brand, owned by the German automaker Volkswagen AG since 1998, is proving as popular as ever. . Even with the current global uncertainty, the Bentley brand is enjoying a resurgence in sales in many emerging markets around the world, including India, Qatar and China.
Bentley has gone through a major transformation in the last 10 years under its new owners, the cars are still built and hand finished at the same factory in Crewe, and are still produced to a high standard and attention to detail.
The new 2012 Bentley Continental GTC has just been launched just over a month ago and features an all-new, lighter body and chassis, with a slightly more powerful engine that will also run on bioethanol fuels. The car has received much critical acclaim and all major new orders.
Other upcoming innovations are the option of diesel engines in the entire range of vehicles. The diesel engines that are planned to be used are the powerful and economical V8 TDi and V12 TDi engines, which have been developed by the Volkswagen group.