Walter Owen Bentley, who had designed rotary aero engines during the First World War, founded Bentley Motors on 18 January 1919 in Cricklewood, north London. His 3 Litre, and the 4½ Litre, Speed Six and 8 Litre that followed, were big, fast and strong, and in the hands of the wealthy amateur drivers known as the “Bentley Boys” they won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1924 and every year from 1927 to 1930.
Racing success did not make money, and during the Depression Bentley Motors failed. In 1931 Rolls-Royce bought the company through a front organisation, and production moved to Derby, where the new “Derby Bentleys” were quieter, more refined sporting versions of Rolls-Royce designs. After the Second World War production moved to Crewe, and for decades Bentleys were largely rebadged Rolls-Royces, until the Mulsanne Turbo and Turbo R of the 1980s restored a more sporting identity.
Volkswagen bought the Crewe business in 1998, and under its ownership Bentley launched the Continental GT and returned to Le Mans, winning again in 2003. Bentley remains based at Crewe.
