The British are known for having a fondness to autos made by their countrymen, especially those who are loyal to Bentley Motor Cars. Bentley was formed in 1919 by W.O. Bentley, who began his career as a railroad engineering apprentice and who then got into motorcycle racing.
Because he of his love for speed, Bentley's first cars were high performance autos that were winners among the racing circuits. In fact, Bentley products won the 24-hour LeMans four times between 1923 and 1931, when the company began to turn downhill financially.
The reason Bentley Motor Cars began to struggle was because up until this point, they were mainly producing race cars, of which there was a very limited market. He decided to turn to making autos with high-end bodies that were for wealthy customers.
Eventually, Bentley became a major competitor for Rolls Royce with it's luxury line-up of touring cars, limousines and coupes. When the Great Depression hit, however, Bentley was sold Rolls and the distinctive Bentley name became a slightly cheaper Rolls Royce with a different grill. One of the more notable Bentley's of this era was the Continental which first sold in the 1950's and then reappeared in 1992. In 1998, Bentley was purchased by Volkswagen, and they have once again reclaimed their original stature and luxury.
You must log in to post a comment.