BENTLEY MOTORS

Founded by W.O. (Walter Owen) Bentley in London on 20 January 1919, after his work on World War I aircraft engines. The 3-litre prototype debuted at the 1919 London Motor Show; the first production car was delivered in September 1921 from a small factory at Cricklewood, north London. Five Le Mans wins between 1924 and 1930 cemented the brand. Bentley was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931 and production moved to Crewe, Cheshire, after WWII. In 1998 Volkswagen Group bought the Bentley brand and the Crewe factory, investing around £500m to modernise it. Since 2022 Bentley has been consolidated under VW's premium brand arm, Audi. All Bentleys — Continental GT, Flying Spur, Bentayga, plus the upcoming first electric Bentley — are designed and built at Crewe.