In its original guise, Bentley existed for just over a decade, yet the company’s achievements in that time were extraordinary. Those heady days brought the creation of timeless classics and four consecutive victories at Le Mans, the world’s most prestigious endurance race.The company was founded on 18th January, 1919, by Walter Owen Bentley, known simply as, W.O.’ His engineering background lay in rotary aero engines which were used during the First World War. One of his creations was used in the classic British fighter, the Sopwith Camel. Almost as famous as the cars themselves was a group of affluent young men who became synonymous with the fearsome machines. They were known as, The Bentley Boys,’ and campaigned W.O.’s cars in races throughout the world. Among them was the charismatic Woolf Barnato, who raced a train from Cannes to London. Incredibly, he won, and from then on the car he used was known as the, Blue Train Bentley.’ Barnato became chairman of the company in 1925 and invested a considerable amount of his own money in it.Sir Henry Birkin was another accomplished Bentley racer and won at Le Mans in 1929 with one of the cars, but he was significant to the Bentley story for another reason. It was he who suggested the idea of supercharging the cars, to overcome their immense size and weight. Rival designer Ettore Bugatti described the British machines as, the world’s fastest lorries.’ Eventually W.O. was persuaded to fit a supercharger, giving birth to the classic, Blower Bentley.’ Initially unreliable, it went on to become a motoring icon with its distinctive front-mounted supercharger. The model was immortalised in the early James Bond stories. Birkin met an unfortunate end in 1933. He died from complications after being burned during a refuelling stop in the Tripoli Grand Prix.W.O. realised the publicity motor racing success would generate and wholeheartedly encouraged it. He remarked that, ” the company’s activities, particularly in its racing, attracted the public’s fancy and added a touch of colour, vicarious glamour and excitement to drab lives.”The most famous and valuable of all the Bentley racing cars is the eight-litre Speed Six, Old Number One’. This car has an illustrious history, recording two consecutive Le Mans victories. In 1932 Clive Dunfee crashed it at Brooklands in an accident which killed him. Following the crash Old Number One’ became an almost mythical beast in the motor racing world. A high profile court case took place in 1990 which determined that the car did still exist, although extensively rebuilt with other parts. Astonishingly, it changed hands for 10 million.The Great Depression was particularly hard on luxury car manufacturers and, in 1931, Bentley became a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce. For the next 50 years Bentley’s were little more than re-badged Rolls Royce’s. Salvation finally came in 1998 when the company was purchased by the Volkswagen group, who also bought Rolls-Royce at the same time. Bentley is now once again in the ascendancy with their luxury tourers selling well, particularly in America.In 2003 Bentley returned to Le Mans and scored an emotional victory, alluded to by their Chief Executive;”I’d like to thank everyone at Team Bentley who helped make it possible. After 73 years we are delighted to have taken a Bentley back to its roots with its 6th victory at Le Mans.”The Bentley name has once again become synonymous with style, elegance and, perhaps most importantly, racing success.Sources: www.bentleymot ors.com www.maisonblanche.co.uk www.bdcl.org Wikipedia Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11