The history of a legend — from a Cricklewood workshop to the pinnacle of automotive luxury.
Bentley Motors has travelled a long road, from a small workshop run by a gifted engineer to one of the most recognisable brands on the planet: five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an era of hand-built production in Crewe, and today's luxury hybrids.
Read the story About the founderThe man whose name became synonymous with speed, engineering brilliance and impeccable taste. To his friends he was simply — W.O.
Walter Owen Bentley was born on 16 September 1888 in London. He began his career as an apprentice on the railway, but his heart belonged to engines: as a young man he was drawn to motorcycles and took part in races.
In 1912, together with his brother Horace, he founded Bentley & Bentley, importing French DFP cars. It was then that Walter devised the aluminium piston — a breakthrough that would later underpin aero engines.
During the First World War he designed the BR1 and BR2 rotary aero engines for the Sopwith Camel fighter. The experience gained in aviation he carried straight into the motor car.
On 10 July 1919 he founded Bentley Motors Ltd in Cricklewood, London — with a simple goal: to build the best cars in their class.
From the first Le Mans victory to electrification — the key milestones of Bentley Motors.
Walter Owen Bentley registers Bentley Motors Ltd in Cricklewood, London. The aim — "a fast car, a good car, the best in its class."
The Bentley 3 Litre goes on sale — a dependable and fast sports car that lays the foundation of the marque's early reputation.
Bentley lines up for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — the race that would make the brand famous.
John Duff and Frank Clement bring Bentley its first of five Le Mans wins.
Four consecutive victories (1927, 1928, 1929, 1930). The Speed Six and the legendary "Bentley Boys" shine on track.
The Great Depression drives the company to bankruptcy. Rolls-Royce buys Bentley; W.O. stays on until 1935.
Production relocates to the town of Crewe, which remains Bentley's home to this day.
The fastest four-seat car of its time and a benchmark of grand touring.
A return to the sporting spirit: the turbocharged saloon makes Bentley fast once more.
The Volkswagen Group acquires Bentley and the Crewe factory, opening a new chapter of growth.
The modern coupé revives the brand and becomes one of the most successful Bentleys in history.
The marque's first SUV sets a new standard for luxury off-roaders.
Bentley marks 100 years and announces the Beyond100 strategy — the move towards electrification.
Hybrid Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga models lead the marque towards an all-electric future.
In the 1920s, Bentley was a byword for victory. Five triumphs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans made the marque a legend of motorsport.
A band of wealthy racing enthusiasts — Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin, Glen Kidston and others. They funded the team and climbed behind the wheel themselves, writing their names into history.
The supercharged 4½ Litre created by Tim Birkin. Powerful, temperamental and full of character — it became an icon of pre-war motorsport.
The flagship of the late 1920s, winner of Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. The pinnacle of Walter Bentley's engineering.
In 1930, Woolf Barnato beat the Le Train Bleu express from Cannes to London in a Speed Six, arriving before the train. A legend that became part of the marque's folklore.
W.O.'s rotary engines from the First World War gave Bentley a unique command of precision engineering that carried straight into its racing cars.
Modern models — from the Continental GT to the hybrids — continue the philosophy of "fast, dependable, flawless" laid down a hundred years ago.
Every era produced its own masterpiece — from pre-war sports cars to today's grand tourers.
The first production Bentley. Dependable and fast, it won the marque's first Le Mans and earned the nickname "the world's fastest lorry."
Tim Birkin's supercharged sports car. One of the most famous racing cars of the pre-war era.
The flagship model that won Le Mans twice. The summit of Bentley's classic period.
The fastest four-seat car of its day, a benchmark of post-war grand touring.
Turbocharged saloons that restored Bentley's sporting character after decades of quiet luxury.
The modern coupé that revived the brand in the 21st century. It blends hand-built luxury with W12 power (now a hybrid).
A luxury sporting saloon that combines limousine comfort with grand-tourer dynamics.
Bentley's first SUV. It defined the luxury crossover and became a global best-seller for the marque.
The flagship saloon, hand-built in Crewe. The bearer of the legendary 6¾-litre V8.
Over more than a century the brand has changed hands several times, each owner leaving its own mark.
Independence, engineering and five Le Mans wins. The golden age of racing glory.
Bentley becomes Rolls-Royce's "silent sports car" and production moves to Crewe.
A period of revived sporting image and the return of turbocharged models.
Major investment, the Continental GT, the Bentayga, and the road to electrification.
The Crewe factory remains the heart of Bentley: thousands of specialists hand-assemble its cars, while the Mulliner coachworks creates exclusive versions.
The strategy to move to a fully electric model range and a carbon-neutral factory by the 2030s.
The Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga are already offered with hybrid powertrains, preserving their signature dynamics.
Bentley's coachbuilding division creates one-off models such as the Bacalar and Batur — the pinnacle of personalisation.