W.O. Bentley founded his car company in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, where he and his brother, H.M. Bentley, were selling cars from French automaker Doriot, Flandrin & Parant (D.F.P.).

Bentley Motors Limited   is a British manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and  SUVs—and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Bentley has been a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1998 and consolidated under VW's premium brand arm Audi since 2022.

Today most Bentley models are assembled at the company's Crewe factory, with a small number assembled at Volkswagen's Dresden factory, Germany, and with bodies for the Continental manufactured in Zwickau and for the Bentayga manufactured at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant.

 

Headquarters: Crewe, England, United Kingdom

r type continental 1952-1955

Bentley Continental is a model name for very special chassis with engines more powerful than the usual offering supplied to a selected number of coachbuilders for the fitting of very light weight coachwork designed under Rolls-Royce supervision.

The Continental was a lighter faster more nimble high performance version for high-speed travel in great comfort.

The R-Type Continental's chassis was specially built incorporating special components,  only about 208 R-Type Continentals were built in total.

Bentley R Type Continental (youtube.com)

s1 continental 1955-1959

The Bentley S1 (originally simply "Bentley S") was a luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1955 until 1959. The S1 was derived from Rolls-Royce's complete redesign of its standard production car after World War II, the Silver Cloud. Each was its maker's last standard production car with an independent chassis. The S-series Bentley was given the Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 engine in late 1959 and named the S2. Twin headlamps and a facelift to the front arrived in late 1962, resulting in the S3. In late 1965, the S3 was replaced by the new unitary construction Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow-derived T series.

As with the preceding Mark VI and R type Bentleys, there was almost no difference between standard Bentley and Rolls-Royce models; this Bentley S differing only in its radiator grille shape and badging from the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I.

The models shared the 4.9 L straight-6 engine. They were the last vehicles to be powered by descendants of the engine originally used in the Rolls-Royce Twenty from 1922 to 1929. Twin SU carburetors were fitted, with upgraded models from 1957. A 4-speed automatic transmission was standard.

Bentley S1 Continental (youtube.com)

s2 convertible 1959-1962

The Bentley S2 is a luxury car produced by Bentley from 1959 until 1962. The successor to the S1, it featured the new Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 engine and improved air conditioning made possible by that engine's increased output. Power steering was also standard, and a new dashboard and steering wheel were introduced. Some early S2s were built with the earlier S1 dashboard.

The new aluminium Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 shared with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. It displaced 6.2 L and offered significantly improved performance.

A high-performance S2-derived Continental edition was also produced.

1,863 standard and 57 long-wheelbase S2 car chassis were built between 1959 and 1962. Almost all were fitted with standard factory bodywork. A number had coachbuilt bodies by Park Ward, Hooper, H. J. Mulliner & Co., and James Young.

Bentley S2 Convertible (youtube.com)

azure

The Bentley Azure is a four-seater convertible grand tourer produced by British automobile manufacturer Bentley Motors. The first version debuted in 1995 on the Bentley Continental R platform and was made until 2003. After a three-year break, a completely new version debuted in 2006 and was produced until 2009. It was powered by a significantly updated engine and based on the newer Arnage platform.

 mkI  1995-2003

The Azure debuted in March 1995 at the Geneva Motor Show on the platform of the Continental R model, which had been originally launched in 1991. Production only crept to a start, with a mere nine examples finished in the first year – in 1996, after full production had started, no less than 251 cars were finished. Pininfarina assisted in the two-year process of turning the Continental R into a full four-seater convertible, and also built the shell and soft-top at their factory in Italy, largely from parts sourced in the UK. Final assembly was then carried out at Crewe. 

Power came from the company's stalwart 6.75-litre V8, featuring a single, intercooled Garrett turbocharger and rated in the region of 365 PS. Rolls-Royce and Bentley did not yet give official power numbers at the time of the Azure's introduction. By the time production began in earnest, a new engine management system from Zytek meant a slight power increase to 390 PS.

With a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 241 km/h, the Azure was very fast for a car of its size, weight and poor aerodynamic profile.

Bentley Azure MKI (youtube.com)

mkII  2006-2009

Volkswagen purchased Bentley from Vickers in 1998 when the Azure had been in production for three years. Volkswagen executives decided to keep the then-current Azure in production until 2003, then introduce its successor at a later date. Production of the new Azure began for the 2006 model year.

Now based on the Arnage platform, power came from the then-current variant of the Bentley twin-turbocharged V8 rated at 456 PS. The Arnage was designed for the BMW 4.4-litre engine. However, due to the takeover battle in 1998 between BMW and Volkswagen Group for ownership of Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors, BMW had threatened to stop supply of their engines if Volkswagen Group won. Bentley claims a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h, slightly faster than the previous model and still very good for a vehicle of this size and weight.

The Azure had no immediate successor. However, at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, Bentley unveiled a concept car built on the Mulsanne platform that followed the same formula as the two generations of the Azure that proceeded it. Bentley did not use the Azure name again.

Bentley Azure MKII (youtube.com)

continental t 1996-2002

After the surprising appearance of the Bentley Continental R at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show, the British car-manufacturer was overwhelmed by orders. Five years later they did a big improvement: the Continental T.

Compared to the Continental R, the T version was shorter by 120 mm while the height and width remained the same. The four-round headlamps in the front, the mesh grille, and the corner-mounted slim turn-signals above the bumper were typical for it. Unlike the R version, the rear windows were smaller due to the shorter wheelbase.

Inside, the T desperately tried to resemble the old glorious Bentleys from racing. The designers mounted aluminum on the dashboard and enhanced the view with dials and gauges which nobody read.

Power came from the legendary 6.75-liter V8 unit, aided by two Cosworth Engineering headers and a big Garret turbocharger. It was mated to a standard, heavy-duty, 4-speed automatic gearbox produced by General Motors. When it was introduced in 1996, then upgraded in 1997, it was the car with the biggest torque on the market.

Bentley Continental T (youtube.com)

arnage 1998-2009

The Bentley Arnage is a full-size high performance luxury car manufactured by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England, from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the spring of 1998. They were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.

Vickers selected a pair of BMW power plants. It was decided that the Rolls-Royce model, to be called the Silver Seraph, would use BMW's naturally aspirated M73 V12 engine while the more-sporty Bentley model would use a special twin-turbocharged 354 PS and 569 N⋅m of torque version of the company's 4.4-litre M62 V8 engine developed by Vickers subsidiary Cosworth Engineering.

In September 2008, Bentley announced that Arnage production would cease in 2009, with a final run of 150 "Final Series" models.

The Arnage Final Series used the Arnage T powertrain, including the twin-turbo 6.75-litre V8 engine that is rated at 507 PS and approximately 1,000 N⋅m of torque. The Arnage delivers power to the rear-wheels via the same ZF automatic transmission as used on the other Arnage models. A replacement model, which was called the Bentley Mulsanne was launched in August 2009.

Bentley Arnage (youtube.com)

continental gt

The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer manufactured since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG management, after the company's acquisition in 1998, and the first Bentley to employ mass production manufacturing techniques.

2003-2011

The vehicle debuted in 2002 at the Paris Motor Show.  The car differed from the previous Continental R & T models in terms of its concept: although much of the car is hand assembled, it is a mass-produced car made in significantly larger numbers. It is not a coach-built car. The price at launch was less than half the price of the Continental R, giving the car a wider customer base.

The Continental GT is equipped with a 6.0 litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine, which produces a DIN-rated power output of 560 PS. A Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive is standard. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and go on to reach a top speed of 318 km/h.

continental gtc  2006-2011

The convertible version of the Continental GT, the Continental GTC, was first presented in September 2005. The roof is produced by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany.

The GTC uses identical powertrain detail as the GT, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds. With the roof up, it can reach a top speed of 314 km/h though with the roof down top speed drops to 305 km/h.

In February 2009, Bentley announced a limited production of the Bentley Continental Supersports. The first Bentley capable of running on both petrol and biofuel (ethanol), its 6.0 litre W12 engine is rated at 630 PS, using either fuel. The car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and 0 to 160 km/h in 8.9 seconds, with a top speed of 329 km/h. This makes it the fastest and the most powerful production Bentley ever at the time of production.

Bentley Continental GTC (youtube.com)

continental gt gt3 2014-2017

The Continental GT3 is a rear-wheel-drive race car version of Continental GT V8 coupe, based on the Continental GT3 Concept Racer. It was unveiled at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, followed by the 2013 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It includes a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine rated at 608 PS and comes ion at just 1300 kg.

The design was completed by a specialist team of engineers from Bentley Motors supported by the Continental GT3 Technical Partner, M-Sport Ltd.

The Continental GT3 marks Bentley's return to motorsport ten years after its EXP Speed 8 Le Mans Prototype racer won that day-long French contest in 2003.

Bentley Motorsport first entered development races with the Continental GT3 before starting full competition in the Blancpain GT Series in 2014 after completing FIA homologation. The first race began at Gulf 12 Hours, held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The Team M-Sport Wald International car completed the Gulf 12 Hours race in fourth place. In May 2014, the factory team won the Silverstone round of the Blancpain Endurance Series.

The body is framed on the regular production line, then its roof is cut off and many panels removed or modified to facilitate installation of the roll cage. All the moving panels (hood, trunk, doors) and much of the rest of the skin gets replaced with carbon-fiber parts.

Bentley Motorsport unveiled a new Continental GT3 based on the third generation Continental GT in November 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhLjuSdNXwk&ab_channel=thebiggarage

gt speed 2021-present

Production of the third generation began in 2018. The model shares the Volkswagen-developed MSB platform with the second-generation Porsche Panamera. Compared to previous models, the car features a lighter body (>80 kg), an extended wheelbase (135 mm), a 48-volt roll-control system and a new 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine, as well as a significant interior overhaul including an industry first rotating display.

The Continental GT is the first production car ever to have an entire body side made from the Super Formed process; a precision technique with aluminium which allows more complex, sharply defined body lines. Unlike prior models, the panels are "superformed" with heated aluminium sheets molded by gas instead of a stamp.

The Bentley Continental GT speed is powered by a W12 engine as the Continental GT which enables it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 335 km/h. It also has a maximum torque of 900 N⋅m and a maximum power of 659 PS. The interior features sporty seats and the new Bentley rotating screen. This car also has a convertible edition which has the same capabilities of the GT coupé except the acceleration capability of 0-100 km/h which takes 3.6 seconds.

The Continental GT V8 has a 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 550 PS and 770 N⋅m of torque. The car can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and is capable of reaching a top speed of 319 km/h.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgp7dq5R3yE&ab_channel=thebiggarage

continental flying spur

The Bentley Flying Spur is a full-sized luxury high performance sports saloon produced by Bentley Motors Limited since 2005, and was released in 2006. It is the four-door grand tourer variant of the Bentley Continental GT coupé.

The Flying Spur is handcrafted at Bentley's factory in Crewe, England. Each bespoke saloon takes more than 100 hours to assemble completely by hand. Briefly, due to lack of capacity at the Crewe factory upon the car's introduction, 1,358 units of the first generation Flying Spur destined for markets other than the United States and United Kingdom were built at Volkswagen's Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany. This arrangement ended in early 2007, when all assembly works reverted back to Crewe in England.

first generation 2006-2013

The first-generation Flying Spur was officially unveiled in 2005. It had a 5,998 cc twin-turbocharged W12 engine tuned to produce 560 PS ( and torque of 650 N⋅m. Torsen-based permanent all-wheel drive system was standard on the Flying Spur. It can go 0–100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 314 km/h. It also has Adaptive Air Suspension and Continuous Damping Control as standard. At that time, it was the world's fastest and most powerful production saloon.

Sales of the first-generation Flying Spur began in late 2005. During the first full-year sales of the Flying Spur, the number of deliveries exceeded 4,000 units. The Speed model of the Flying Spur was introduced in 2008 as a higher performance variant with revised ceramic disc brakes and tuned to produce 602 horsepower. The acceleration of the Speed model is 0–100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 322 km/h. The total production of the first generation Flying Spur was 19,786 units while only a limited number of 1,155 units of the Speed model were ever made.

The second generation Flying Spur was unveiled in March 2013 at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

Bentley Continental Flying Spur MKI (youtube.com)

second generation 2013-2019

Bentley's styling team worked hard to give the MK2 Flying Spur its own look and feel that was notably distinct not only from its predecessor but also from the MK2 Continental GT coupe. The shape is at the same time both more athletic in its stance and more distinguished in its detailing. Sharp feature lines complement muscular rear haunches, while LED day-time running lights, dipped headlights and tail lights complement the front and rear profiles. The interior designers created a luxurious, spacious cabin that dresses advanced acoustic and electronic technologies in exquisite hand-crafted leather hides and wood veneers.

Under the bonnet, many original buyers preferred the renowned 6.0-litre, twin turbo W12 engine, which in the MK2 model was coupled to a ZF eight-speed transmission. Developing 552bhp in standard W12 form or 600bhp in top GT Speed guise, the MK2 Flying Spur featured more power than any other Bentley four-door in history produced before 2013. As an alternative, buyers can choose a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with 500bhp.

Bentley Continental Flying Spur MKII (youtube.com)

third generation  2019-present

The third-generation Flying Spur was unveiled in June 2019. The car has been completely overhauled and is built on a brand-new platform, resembling the current Continental GT. The front received a new grille with vertical slats, akin to those of Rolls-Royce era Bentleys, while the rear features new taillights that incorporate a B motif. The hood ornament is now illuminated at night, electrically deployable, and capable of meeting pedestrian impact requirements. The interior boasts a rotating 31.2 cm display and an all-new Touch Screen remote that allows rear occupants to control several systems.

There are three powertrains available for the Flying Spur: a 6.0 L W12, a 4.0 L V8, and plug-in hybrid, all of which have twin turbos. The W12 variant accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 340 km/h. It produces 626 horsepower. The V8 variant produces 549 horsepower and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, with a top speed of 320 km/h. The plug-in hybrid variant uses a 2.9 liter V6 engine combined with a 14.1 kilowatt-hour battery to deliver a claimed electric range of 40 kilometers and a 0-100 time of 4.2 seconds.

The Flying Spur became the only Bentley sedan model, as production of the Mulsanne ended in the second quarter of 2020 without a direct successor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE8uyUNt7_w&ab_channel=thebiggarage

brooklands coupé  2008-2012

The Bentley Brooklands Coupé is a fixed-head version of the Bentley Azure (itself related to the Bentley Arnage), featuring a two-door, four-seater pillarless hardtop coupé body, eliminating the B-pillars. As a hand-assembled car made in very small numbers  the Brooklands Coupé was the true successor to the discontinued Bentley Continental R and T. Planned lifetime production was limited at 550 cars, 

The Brooklands is powered by a 6.75-litre Bentley L Series twin-turbocharged OHV V8 engine, producing 530 bhp. 0 to 100 km/h: 5.2 seconds.

Bentley Brooklands Coupé - YouTube

mulsanne 2010-2020

The Bentley Mulsanne is a full-size luxury car that was manufactured from 2010 to 2020. The car is named after the Mulsanne Corner of the Le Mans racing circuit, where Bentley race cars have won six times in the 24 hours racing format. 

The Mulsanne is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years. The last independently designed Bentley automobile was W.O. Bentley's 8 litre model in 1930, after which most Bentleys shared platforms with Rolls-Royce cars.

Like the Arnage, the Mulsanne retains the venerable 6.75 L  Bentley L Series V8 engine, modified to meet Euro V emissions.

Bentley Mulsanne (youtube.com)

bentayga

The Bentley Bentayga is a mid-size, front-engine, all-wheel drive, five-door luxury crossover marketed by Bentley, beginning with model year 2016. Its body is manufactured at the Volkswagen Zwickau-Mosel Plant in Germany, then painted by Paintbox Editions in Banbury, England, and finally assembled at Bentley's factory in Crewe, England.

 The name comes from Roque Bentayga, an emblematic highland rock situated in Tejeda, Gran Canaria.

2015-2019

The production Bentayga debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015 as Bentley's first SUV – using unibody construction and full-time all-wheel drive as well as Volkswagen Group's bi-turbo W12 engine and MLB platform, the latter shared with the second-generation Audi Q7 and the third-generation Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q8, and Lamborghini Urus.

Available in seating configurations for four, five, or seven, the Bentayga was claimed by the manufacturer as the SUV which has the highest top speed 301 km/h as well as the second most expensive production SUV.

The original prediction for 2016 was that 3,500 Bentaygas would be sold. When the entire production volume for the year sold out in advance, production was increased and resulted in 5,586 units being sold. Despite its high price tag, the car was a sales success for Bentley in 2016 and became Bentley's most popular model.

The 2016 Bentayga was the first to receive Bentley's new twin-turbo W12 engine. Initially, the W12 was the only engine and it was capable of bypassing 6 cylinders if needed. Bentley claimed the 6.0 L capable of 0–100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 301 km/h.

A V8 engine became available in 2018. Bentley claimed the 4.0 L, twin-turbo will have performance figures from 0–100 km/h in 4.5 s, and a top speed of 290 km/h.

Bentley Bentayga MKI (youtube.com)

2020-present

The facelifted model was released in June 2020. Changes include new 3D elliptical tail-lights with animated LEDs, similar to those on the third-generation Continental GT, and a rear number plate re-positioned onto the bumper to allow for ‘Bentley’ to be spelled out across the tailgate. The rear spoiler was enlarged. New side vents, a new 22 in (560 mm) wheel design, and two paint colours were added. New oval-shaped split tailpipes, heated wipers with 22 washer jets in each arm, and an optional Blackline variant with blacked-out chrome complete the external alterations.

The infotainment has a new system with a higher resolution 10.9-in touchscreen. Included are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as USB-C ports, air ionisers, wireless smartphone charging, and an embedded SIM card for data services. The traditional instrument dials have been replaced with a digital display (like in newer Bentleys) and the head-up display shows much more data. The audio system is a 790W, 12-speaker stereo with an optional Naim system that has 1780W and 20 speakers.

The optional W12 engine is no longer available for the 2020 model. The base model features a 4.0 L twin-turbocharged V8 engine generating 550 PS. Optional is the V6 plug-in hybrid which will come to the market by late 2020. A new Bentayga Speed was introduced in August 2020. It shares the same 6.0 L Twin-turbocharged W12 engine with the older Bentayga Speed which generates 635 PS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq7IAcRQR6M&ab_channel=thebiggarage

bentley exp 10 speed 6  2015

The Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 is a hybrid concept car by Bentley launched in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show. Bentley has said that the EXP 10 Speed Six will go on sale between 2018 and 2020, and will be available in coupé and roadster versions, with an all-electric version using a similar powertrain as the Porsche Mission E, being available. A V6 plug-in hybrid and V8 engine variants, as well as a possible W12 engine may also be available.

The Bentley EXP 10 is two seat coupe smaller than the existing Bentley Continental GT. It takes its name from the 6½lit. Bentley Speed Six of the late 1920s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXWZ9gYz2PE&ab_channel=thebiggarage

mulliner bacalar 2021

The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar is a limited run two-seater grand tourer convertible, built as a homage to Bentley's coachbuilding roots. Designed by Bentley Mulliner, it is inspired by Bentleys EXP 100 GT concept car. Superficially similar to convertible, it externally only shares door handle with Continental GT, which contains the keyless entry system. It includes a 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine rated 659 PS. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and have a top speed of over 322 km/h  as the third Generation Continental GT W12.

The rarest two-door Bentley of the modern era, and the ultimate expression of two-seat, open-air luxury, this definitive Grand Tourer spearheads a return to coachbuilding by Bentley Mulliner – the oldest coachbuilder in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_8KQeurnrI&ab_channel=thebiggarage

1919-now

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