Recently surpassing a century since the brands initial launch Bentley have proven themselves as producers of reliable, powerful, and luxury vehicles. But not everything about this brand is common knowledge
The famous B-Wings have a large history that’s either overlooked or unknown. Audi dealer, Vindis, reveal some of these hidden secrets.
Bentley Boys and Motorsport
A group of eight motorsport representatives, dubbed the Bentley Boys, were essential in the growth as Bentley as a brand and placed it amongst the motorsport record books. In 2019, Lewis Hamilton was ranked by Forbes at the world’s 13th highest paid sports star, however, the Bentley Boys, which featured Capt. Woolf Barnato, J.D Benjafield, Tim Birkin, S.C.H Davis, Glen Kidston, John Duff, and Jack and Clive Dunfee, were unpaid. These men had a true passion for racing, moreover, racing Bentleys. Their relationship with the brand, which led to five Le Mans victories in eight years, was apparent. It was often the young men exhilarating attitude which helped both them, and Bentley, gain an outstanding reputation.
Drink After Driving
After securing first place in Le Mans, the only team comprised of Brits certainly deserved a huge celebration on their return to London. Alongside being the only British team surrounded by French and Germans, this was only the second endurance event these men had competed in. So, when they landed back in Mayfair, trophy in tow, they were irritated by the fact the bar had been left, well, dry — with the exception of Calvados and Dubonnet.
Bentley’s Cocktails
Requires
– 1 ½ ounces of Calvados
– 1 ½ ounces of Dubonnet Rouge
– 1 lemon twist to garnish
Be just like a Bentley Boy and stir together Calvados and the Dubonnet in a glass, pour over ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish and enjoy!
Reliable and Timeless
The collective opinion of the public nowadays is that it seems ‘things aren’t built to last anymore’. That statement could not be truer than when considering the Bentley brand. The manufacturer’s overarching commitment is to quality engineering. Considering 80 per cent of all Bentleys ever built are still on the roads today, it appears they are doing a rather good job. Also, despite the fact the brand may hold connotations of heavy fuel consumption and a lack of concern for sustainability, CO2 levels across the fleet have been driven down by 30 per cent in recent times.
Helping Your Hobby
Despite how much you might want to, it is unfeasible to spend your entire life behind the wheel of a Bentley, and the brand understands this. For this reason, they offer a specialised, one-off kit for their owners to fulfil their hobby — the hobby being falconry, of course. Bentayga falconry by Mulliner is, admittedly, a rather obscure optional extra, but it depicts exactly what Bentley is about — creating a car for their client, catering to their wants and needs during development. The flight master station, which is stowed neatly in the boot space of the Bentley Bentayga, includes a GPS tracking system, binoculars, and hand-crafted leather bird hoods. Don’t be concerned if falconry isn’t your forte, however. Bentley promise to appease customers by asking to submit their requests, and their bespoke service will attempt to create a package for any lifestyle or hobby.
Flying with the B-Wings
The winged logo owned by Bentley is instantly recognizable and epitomizes Bentley as the luxurious brand that they are. Back when the company was gaining traction in the early 1920s, founder W.O. Bentley called upon the help of close friend and designer, Crosby, to establish a badge that could not be fraudulently reproduced. Therefore, he requested one which featured asymmetric downward aiming feathers. Although ‘wings’ were a popular choice for many car manufacturers when establishing a badge during this era, rumour has it, Bentley’s logo was designed to represent W.O.’s background as an aeronautical engineer during the Great War.
Going, Going, Gone… Sold!
Back in 2004 a Le Mans classic auction sold the Works No.2 Bentley Speed Six Tourer. This vehicle was no stranger to success, achieving second place in the Le Mans race as well as winning ‘the double twelve’. The vehicle after bidding was sold for a total of £2,784,741. A press release prior to the auction noted, ‘no other car has accomplished so much and, most importantly ‘No.2’ remains in the same conditions since its early racing days in the 1930’.
Without a doubt Bentley has proven itself as a very luxurious car brand and have rightly earned their premium title. In the last hundred years they have never disappointed with their innovation and contribution to the industry. We don’t doubt that in the hundred years to follow they will hold their status as one of the most luxurious brands in the business.
