99 years of “The Silent Sports Car”
Bentley Motors kicks off its centenary year celebrations
By Mark J. McCourt, Hemmings Daily - Jul 2018
Photography by David LaChance; video courtesy of Bentley Motors.
From its inception, the Bentley has been a high-performance, ultra-high quality automobile that’s carried the spirits of wealthy playboy racers, forward-thinking engineers, and the man who was determined to build England’s finest sporting cars, W.O. Bentley. This marque’s history also owes much to its second patron, Rolls-Royce, the firm that took on the struggling Bentley Motors Ltd. and eventually fostered it as the sporting, driver-focused counterpart to Rolls-Royce’s ultra-luxury limousines. No matter the chassis vintage or color of the grille “label,” every Bentley to wear the winged “B” has represented the best motoring that Britain has to offer.
Although the first production Bentley model –the 3 Litre– didn’t emerge until 1921, this automaker will mark its 100th anniversary one year from the date this was penned, July 10, 2019, as this represents the establishment of Bentley Motors, Ltd. In the ensuing decades, Bentley built some of the most collectible and respected vehicles to come from England, including the legendary 4 1/2 Litre, the beautiful fastback R-Type Continental and its S-1 Flying Spur sedan counterpart, and the bold Turbo R.
Bentley Motors has created a special anniversary website, complete with numerous historical-themed articles, as well as released a short film -“Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors”- to kick off its centenary year in fine style.
As the Bentley media website explains, “The film uses a striking combination of 3D-scanned actors turned into digital ‘metal’ sculptures; stylized archive imagery; and Hollywood-grade motion graphic technology to tell the Bentley story. Shot using 4k ALEXA Mini camera technology and bespoke rigs, the film was produced by Oscar-winning visual effects company, The Mill. It begins with W.O. Bentley touching an aluminium paperweight (the inspiration for his revolutionary aluminium piston design) to a wall which then comes to life, taking the viewer on an engaging journey across Bentley’s near-century of innovation and success. The legendary Bentley Boys and Girls star, as do the Le Mans-veteran ‘Blower’ and Speed 8, alongside Woolf Barnato during his famous race against the ‘Blue Train’. The film is also inspired by the shapes, surfaces and luxurious materials that have made Bentley the enduring automotive brand it is today.”