British luxury automobile manufacturer owned by Volkswagen Group
For other uses, see Bentley (disambiguation).
Bentley Motors Limited
Formerly
Rolls-Royce Motors Limited (1970–1986)[1]
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited (1986–1999)[1]
Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars Limited (1999–2002)[1]
Company type
Subsidiary
Industry
Automotive
Founded
18 January 1919; 105 years ago (1919-01-18)
Founders
H. M. Bentley
W. O. Bentley
Fate
1931: acquired by Rolls-Royce Limited
1980: acquired by Vickers
1998: acquired by Volkswagen Group[2]
Headquarters
Crewe
,
England[3]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Adrian Hallmark (Chairman, CEO)[4]
John Paul Gregory (Head of Exterior Design)[5]
Darren Day (Head of Interior Design)[6]
Products
Flying Spur
Continental GT
Bentayga
Mulsanne
[7]
Production output
9,107 vehicles (2012)
7,593 vehicles (2011)
[8][9]
Services
Automobile customisation
Revenue
€1,453 million (2012)
€1,119 million (2011)
[8]
Net income
€8 million (2011)
−€245 million (2010)
[10]
Owner
Volkswagen Group[11]
Number of employees
3,600 (2013)[12]
Parent
Audi
Website
bentleymotors.com
Footnotes / references [13][14]
Bentley winged "B" badge bonnet (hood) ornament
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, 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.[15][16]
Prominent models extend from the historic sports-racing Bentley 4½ Litre and Bentley Speed Six; the more recent Bentley R Type Continental, Bentley Turbo R, and Bentley Arnage; to its current model line, including the Flying Spur, Continental GT, Bentayga and the Mulsanne—which are marketed worldwide, with China as its largest market as of November 2012.[17]
Today most Bentley models are assembled at the company's Crewe factory, with a small number assembled at Volkswagen's Dresden factory, Germany,[18] and with bodies for the Continental manufactured in Zwickau and for the Bentayga manufactured at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant.
The joining and eventual separation of Bentley and Rolls-Royce followed a series of mergers and acquisitions, beginning with the 1931 purchase by Rolls-Royce of Bentley, then in receivership. In 1971, Rolls-Royce itself was forced into receivership and the UK government nationalised the company—splitting it into an aerospace company (Rolls-Royce Plc) and an automotive company (Rolls-Royce Motors Limited, including Bentley). Rolls-Royce Motors was subsequently sold to engineering conglomerate Vickers, and in 1998 Vickers sold Rolls-Royce to Volkswagen AG, including Bentley with its name and logos (but not the name "Rolls Royce").
^ abc"Bentley Motors Limited overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. 28 October 1970. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
^Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 68.
^Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 49.
^"New appointment". www.bentleymedia.com. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
^"new appintment". www.bentleymedia.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
^"The new Bentley Continental GT – Darren Day, Head of Interior Design, Bentley Motors". MSN. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
^Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 102.
^ abVolkswagen AG 2012a, p. 120.
^"vwagfy2012". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
^Volkswagen AG 2012a, p. 121.
^"Persons with significant control". Companies House. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
^Armistead, Louise (9 October 2013). "Video: behind the scenes at the Bentley factory". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013.
^"Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Facts and Figures 2012" (PDF). volkswagenag.com. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. 11 June 2012. 1058.809.453.20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
^"Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Annual Report 2011" (PDF). volkswagenag.com. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. 12 March 2012. 258.809.536.00. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
^Armitstead, Louise (6 October 2013). "Monday Interview: Bentley boss on what's driving demand for luxury British cars". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
^"Premium brand group restructured". 17 March 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
^Einhorn, Bruce (5 April 2012). "The Surge in China's Auto Sales May Soon Slow". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012.
^"Germany". PistonHeads. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
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