Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British luxury automaker and a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG to Germany. Its main activity is the design, engineering, manufacture and the distribution of luxury automobiles sold under the brand Bentley. Located in Crewe, England, Bentley Motors Limited was founded by WO Bentley on January 18, 1919, in Cricklewood, London and was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931. Bentley Motors Limited is direct successor of Rolls-Royce Motors, Volkswagen AG bought in 1998 included the purchase of a vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy Rolls-Royce grille shape and trademarks, but the rights to the use of the name or logo of Rolls-Royce, which is owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and later licensed to BMW AG.
Bentley vehicles are sold through franchise dealers worldwide, and as of November 2012, China was the largest single market for Bentley automobiles. Most cars Bentley are assembled at the company’s plant in Crewe, with a few Continental Flying Spurs assembled in the Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany. The Automobile bodies for Continental model production line in Zwickau, Germany. Bentley cars are mainly hand-built. Bentley car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 2003 The current production models is the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Continental GT and Mulsanne. Notable models produced before Bentley Bentley 4 ½ Litre content, Bentley Speed Six, Bentley Turbo R and Bentley Arnage.
Bentley Cricklewood
Before World War I in Cricklewood near London, the Walter Owen Bentley had been in partnership with his brother Horace Millner Bentley car sales TFP French, but has always wanted to design and build its own range of cars bearing his name. He was on a visit to the factory in 1913 that WO noticed TFP on aluminum paperweight, and had the inspired idea of using the lightweight metal instead of cast iron to make engine pistons. The first Bentley aluminum pistons went into service in aero engines for the Sopwith Camel during World War I. In August 1919, Bentley Motors Ltd. was registered, and a chassis with an engine mock display at the London Motor Show in month October of that year. An innovative four valves per cylinder engine designed by former Royal Flying Corps officer Clive Gallop built and run by December, and orders will be taken for distribution beginning in June 1920 However, the development took longer than estimated, and first cars were not ready until September 1921 Their durability won widespread acclaim. Appearances were made in hill climbs and at Brook-lands.
The Bentley entered the 1922 Indianapolis 500 mile race as their “first big event”, sending one car with driver Douglas Hawkes work and riding mechanic HS “Bertie” Browning. In a race dominated by cars racing specialist with a Duesenberg chassis, Hawkes completed the full 500 miles in a car on the way modified, finishing 13th with an average speed of 74.95 mph after starting in 19th position. Then, the team rushed back to England to compete in the 1922 RAC Tourist Trophy.
The initiative Bentley always plenty of money, but inspired by the 1924 Le Mans win by John Duff and Frank Clement, Barnato agreed to finance Bentley in business. Barnato was incorporated Baromans Ltd in 1922, which existed as his finance and investment vehicle. Via Baromans, the Barnato initially invested over £100,000, saving the business and its workforce. A financial reorganization of the original Bentley company will be made and all existing creditors paid off for £ 75,000. Existing shares are devalued from £ 1 each to just 1 shilling, or 5% or their original value. The Maintain Barnato 149,500 of new shares giving him control of the company and became chairman. Barnato injected further cash into the business: £ 35,000 secured by debenture in July 1927; £ 40,000 in 1928; £25,000 in 1929 With renewed financial input, WO Bentley was able to design another generation of cars.
Bentley Sold to Rolls-Royce
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 affected the Bentley business greatly, with the Great Depression reduced demand for its products expensive. In July 1931 fell two payments on the mortgage company that were guaranteed by Barnato due, and advised lenders that he was “unable to pay these debts.” On July 10, at the request of the mortgagee, court appointed receiver to Bentley Motors Limited. This attempt at total obliteration Bentley Motors and its founder is one result is “vendetta” very personal between the two engineers, Hives and Bentley, 2 men of quite different nature, started in 1914 at Bentley made official contact between the Government and aero engine manufacturers. Weaknesses obedient Bentley in a personal relationship with its sometimes poor apparent inability to stop spending on development. Established the 8-Litre recognized to be better if the car is more expensive. Bentley was the engineer may be better. He accepted the post of patron Bentley Drivers Club ‘just before the end of the season Woolf Barnato as its president.
Bentley in Rolls-Royce Ownership
Acquisition of Rolls-Royce and Bentley using an entity named the British Central Equitable Trust; Not even Bentley himself knew the true identity of the purchaser until the deal is completed. A new company, wholly owned by Rolls-Royce, formed, Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. The factory CRICKLEWOOD closed and sold, and production stopped for 2 years, before resuming the Rolls-Royce in Derby works. Dissatisfied with his role at Rolls-Royce, when his contract ends at the end of April 1935 WO Bentley left to join Lagonda.
Bentley 3 ½ liter appeared when the new 1933, the Rolls-Royce variant sports 20/25, which disappointed some traditional customers yet was well received by many others. The WO Bentley was reported saying, “Taking all things into consideration, It would rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under the name”. Advertisements Rolls-Royce for the 3 1/2 Litre called “the silent sports car”, slogan Rolls-Royce will continue to use for Bentley cars until the 1950s. All Bentleys produced 1931-2004 inherited or shared used Rolls-Royce chassis, and modified Rolls-Royce engines, and are described by critics as a badge-engineered Rolls-Royces
Bentley Saloons Standard-Steel After World War
Until some time after the Second World War, the majority of motor-car manufacturers high end as Bentley and Rolls-Royce will supply a complete car. They sold the frame, almost complete by the instrument panel on rolling. Each frame is delivered to the coach-builder of the buyer’s choice. It was the largest selling cars in specialist coach-builders build standard designs for them and held in stock awaiting potential buyers.
To meet demand after the war, especially pressure the UK Government to export and earn foreign currency, Rolls-Royce developed the whole body using steel pressings made by Pressed Steel to create a complete saloon’s ready to send a “standard”. The steel-bodied model first produced in the Bentley Mark VI: this started to come out of the Crewe factory newly reorganized in early 1946 Some years later, at first only for export , the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn was introduced, but with a standard steel Bentley Rolls-Royce radiator grill for a small extra charge, and this convention will continue. Chassis to Career-Builder remain available until the end of the production Bentley S3, which was replaced in October 1965 for the T series chassis-less monocoque construction.
Bentley Continental
Continental Fastback coupe produced mainly for the domestic market at home, the majority of cars produced (165, including a prototype) drives right. The frame was produced at the Crewe factory and shared many components with the standard R type. Besides the R-Type standard steel saloon, R-Type Continentals were delivered as rolling chassis to the coachbuilder of choice. Coachwork for most of these cars was completed by HJ Mulliner & Co. who mainly built Fastback coupe form. Other coachwork came from Park Ward (London) who built six, later including a drophead coupe version. Franay built five, Graber built three, one of whom later changed by KONG (Basel, Switzerland), and Pininfarina made one. James Young (London) built in 1954 a Sports Saloon owner James Young, James Barclay. The same engine as the standard R Type R Type Continental has the early essence, but with manifolds carburation, induction and exhaust modified along with higher gear ratios. After July 1954 the car was fitted with an engine, having now a larger bore of 94.62 mm (3.7 in) with a total displacement of 4887 cc (4.9 L; 298.2 cu in). The compression ratio was raised to 7.25: 1.
Bentley Vickers
Problems with Bentley owner of Rolls-Royce aero engine development, the RB211, brought about the financial collapse of its business in 1970. The motorcar division was made a separate business, Rolls-Royce Motors Limited, which remained independent until bought by Vickers plc in August 1980 By the 1970s and early 1980s Bentley sales had fallen badly; at one time is less than 5% of combined production carried the Bentley badge. Under Vickers, Bentley set about regaining its high-performance heritage, typified by the 1980 Mulsanne. Create an image in sports recovery Bentley Bentley renewed interest in the name and sales as a proportion of output began to rise. By 1986 the Bentley: Rolls-Royce has reached a ratio 40:60; by 1991 it achieved parity.
Modern Bentley
After winning the business, he spent Volkswagen GBP500 million (approximately USD845 million) to modernize the Crewe factory and increase production capacity. From the beginning of 2010, there are about 3,500 working at Crewe, compared with about 1,500 in 1998 before being taken over by Volkswagen. Reported that Volkswagen invested a total of nearly USD2 billion in Bentley and its revival. As a result of the upgrading of facilities at Crewe bodywork now reaching their full painting in Crewe facility for final assembly, body parts come from Germany-shells in the same way Rolls-Royce will be painted and shipped to ‘the UK for assembly only. In 2002, Bentley presented Queen Elizabeth II with an official State Limousine to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. In 2003, two-door convertible Bentley, the Bentley Azure, ceased production, and Bentley introduced a second line, Bentley Continental GT, a large luxury coupe powered by a W12 engine built in Crewe.
Bentley sales continued to increase, and in 2005 8,627 were sold worldwide, 3,654 in the United States. In 2007, the threshold of 10,000 cars-broken-year for the first time with sales of 10,014. For 2007, a record profit of € 155 million was also announced Bentley reported sales of about 7,600 units in 2008, however, its global sales plunged 50 percent to 4,616 vehicles in 2009 (with the United States distribution decreased 49% to 1,433 vehicles) and it suffered a € 194 million operating loss, compared with an operating profit of € 10 million in 2008 as a result of the fall in sales, production shut in Crewe down during March and April 2009, vehicle sales increased by 11% Although to 5,117 in 2010, an operating loss grew by 26% to € 245 million. In October 2010, workers staged a series of protests over Crewe offering of mandatory work on Friday and forced overtime on weekdays. Vehicle sales in 2011 have increased by 37% to 7,003 vehicles, the Continental GT with the new accounting for over one-third of total sales. The current workforce is about 4,000 people.
Bentley Motorsport
The Bentley Continental GT3 entered by the factory M-Sport team won the Silverstone round of the 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series. Bentley was the first official record in a race since the 1930 British RAC Tourist Trophy.
