Motorsport turned Luxury- The brand story of Bentley

If opulence and exclusivity had to be given a name in the automobile industry, the name would be Bentley. Born in the railway town of Crewe, Bentley was built on transportation. Crewe is the home to the Bentley Motors Limited, where all their cars are built by the hands of the highest-grade tailors, craftsmen, and designers. People at Bentley do not believe in compromise for luxury. The customers that Bentley caters to are not ordinary men or women, they are people of immense importance and enough treasure to comfort themselves in grandeur. By this I mean that once a person purchases a Bentley, they join the league of those in control, the rule makers. Bentley has welcomed anybody from celebrities and businessmen to royalty. They cater to the 1% of the 1%.

Walter Owen Bentley, the founder of the company had a simple goal in mind when he was going through his plans for building a car: a good fast car which is the best in its class. But he did not start off by building cars, but by building aircraft engines for the World War. From 1931 to 1970, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys were made in the same factory, but they parted ways due to engine failures causing a financial depletion of the merger. Now you know that why the top two luxury car brands are in a league of their own, it’s because they were built from the same metal, their leather was knitted by the same thread and they were designed by the same hands.

With Rolls-Royce, Bentley made a few of the most significant and iconic automotive known to mankind, including the fabled Continental GT. The very concept of grand touring was introduced and spread in Britain by these two luxury car companies. Their cars are fast, comfortable and loading with features like rare wood, soft plush leather and big beasty engines. Grand tourers were cars made to go long distances in comfort, and hence were extremely reliable.

Before getting into luxury vehicles, Bentley gained their reputation and fame through motorsport. They did incredible numbers and broke records in their extraordinarily fast cars. Bentley was one of the main contenders in the 24 hours of Le Mans race. Between 1924 and 1929, ‘Bentley Boys’ won the Le Mans all five times with podiums positions under their name. When Bentley merged with Rolls-Royce, they divided the company into sport and luxury classes, with Bentley being responsible for the sporty aspect. They were dominating their division by providing huge 8 litre engines for their race cars. But after a few years, they expanded and dwelled deeper into the pool of luxury. They ventured and endorsed grandeur to become their virtue. The engineers at Bentley never changed the fact that their cars are fast with V8s, V12s and W12s, but just developed on the comfort and luxurious aspect of it.

Bentley wishes to stimulate all senses of a person seated inside their cars. They wish that every time the car is used, it is an experience, a celebration. The different kinds and rarities used inside a Bentley are almost unmatched by any other car company in the world. Details do not go unnoticed at Bentley. The smaller the detail, bigger the impact. Everything, from the wood used on the dashboard, the carpet on the floor, the leather on the seats, the speakers in the sound system, the metal in the pistons, the electronics, the comfort, the drive, everything is looked after like a child is by his mother. Care and love is put into every piece that goes into a Bentley. It oozes of reassurance that you are seated in safest hands of the best artisans in the world.

The Mulliner department of Bentley is the answer to the Bespoke version of Rolls-Royce. Mulliner is the caterer to the demands and modifications which the clients of Bentley wish. It is the highest level of customisation anyone can experience. Intricacies like installed paintings, or Californian wood on the door and dashboard, or a drinks bar in the hand rest, they really can make your dreams come true.

It is not enough for the car to be fast, but for it to look good, to look like a Bentley, is key. The designers at Bentley pay attention to the smallest nooks in the exterior. A small change may cost the company millions of dollars and hours of work, delaying delivery time. I will give an example. Many a times, there is debate about the degree at which the windscreen will be placed in front of the front seats. A mere degree change from maybe 65 to 63 degrees can send the whole design back to the drawing board.

Bentley is known for its luxurious sedans and grand tourers, but in 2016,

Bentley introduced their idea of a luxurious off-roading SUV; the Bentayga. The Bentayga was a huge change for Bentley in many ways. Making a new SUV for the first time and giving it the Bentley badge was an not easy feat for the skilled workforce at Crewe. There were many variations and adjustments which had to be made in order to incorporate the SUV into the Bentley family. For example, Bentley made only petrol engine vehicles in the past, whereas Bentayga was given a diesel variation. This $800 million dollar investment from Bentley has been a successful venture so far. We can say that they have also looked into the future with this car since it has a hybrid version with an electrical engine alongside a diesel one to ensure that plants and animal life stick around.

It has been a common argument between car enthusiasts, if a super luxury car brand, like Bentley’s cars, are made to be driven or to be enjoyed in the backseat passenger seat. Bentayga only adds to this confusion since Bentley has absolutely nailed both aspects of the car. The off-road drive is compared to a Land Rover, the speed is compared to a Lamborghini, the comfort is compared to a Rolls-Royce, but in the end, it wears the Bentley badge.

It is important that you know, Bentley has only 5 cars in current production, with each car taking about 60 full hours of craftsmanship to make. They really are at the top of their game when it comes to luxury vehicles.

If you feel under informed about the luxurious car brand after reading this blog, you can visit Nigel Lofkin at the Bentley Headquarters in Crewe, who is the tour guide of their museum and has enough information about Bentley to write a book, leave alone a 1000 word blog.