Bentley Motors Limited is a luxury car manufacturer. While other car manufacturers such as Rolls Royce, Ford, and Mercedes also produce luxurious cars, we all know Bentley is the brand that pops into our head when we think of ultra luxurious cars.
The Bentley cars are so luxurious and therefore known as very expensive. With the price range starting from $165.000 for its least expensive model, The Bentayga, the majority of us can only dream of being able to drive a Bentley one day.
If you are keen to know more about Bentley, here we have 15 amusing Bentley facts you need to know.
Table of Contents
- 1. Founded after The World War I
- 2. Inspired by a Paperweight
- 3. The Luxury Interior is Hand Stitched
- 4. Official Armored State Cars for The Queen
- 5. The James Bond Car
- 6. Special Dominator SUVs for the Sultan of Brunei
- 7. Special 100 Year Anniversary Badge
- 8. Best Sales During the Pandemic
- 9. You Can Buy Wings Pen from The Official Bentley Boutique
- 10. UK’s Largest Solar Powered Car Port
- 11. Bentley Cars Can Compose Music While You Drive
- 12. Adjust The Car Setting via My Bentley Apps
- 13. In Car Technology System
- 14. A New Benchmark in Electrification
- 15. Charity Artwork Auction for The Less Privileged
1. Founded after The World War I
Bentley Motors was founded by Walter Owen Bentley on 10 July 1919. During the first World War, W.O. put his ambition to start a car company on hold and used his skills to help his country. For his contribution, W.O. was awarded an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the 1919 New Year’s Honors list. He also received £8,000 from the Commission of Awards to Inventors, which gave him the capital he needed to fulfill his dream and start his own car company.
The company consistently pursues both luxury and performance. In line with the W.O. Bentley’s vision: to build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class. EXP 1 was the first Bentley car to hit the road in New Street Mews, London in 1919.
2. Inspired by a Paperweight
In 1912, Walter Owen went into business with one of his brothers to import French cars made by Doriot, Flandrin & Parant. During one of his visits to their offices the next year, he discovered a paperweight made of aluminum. He was curious whether this lightweight material would make better pistons than steel or cast iron.
He then experimented with creating a new alloy at a foundry to add strength and stop the material from melting at high temperatures. He finally settled on a formula of 88% aluminum and 12% copper, enabling him to set a new 89.7 mph record for a flying mile. This discovery became one of the most important contributions to his success.
3. The Luxury Interior is Hand Stitched
The interior aspect also became their main focus. Every steering wheel is wrapped in leather and stitched by hand. As with the steering wheel, all of the internal leather work is stitched by hand.
The amount of time consumed to hand stitch all of the interiors can take up to hundreds of hours as well for a single car. On top of that, they only use premium leather from bull hides that are free from any imperfection.
4. Official Armored State Cars for The Queen
Bentley has a close connection with the Royal Family. In 2002, The State Bentley was presented to the Queen to mark her Golden Jubilee. There are only two of these cars ever built. Both are stored in the Royal Mews near Buckingham Palace.
The car has a range of unique features including armored bodywork and glass, as well as Kevlar reinforced tyres to protect the Queen on official visits. It also includes the illuminated coat-of-arms and a pennant, which are the standard features of the Royal official trips. The car also features a rear-door design that allows the Queen to stand up straight before leaving the vehicle.
5. The James Bond Car
One of the most memorable aspects of James Bond movies are the fast and luxurious cars he drove. Even James Bond is pretty identical to Aston Martin, in the early James Bond novel, he drove a Bentley. In the Casino Royale book, Bond was portrayed as a car enthusiast and his Bentley was his personal hobby.
Bentley Mark IV also appeared in one of Bond movies, From Russia with Love (1963). When the movie was released, the car was already 30 years old, giving it a vintage and classy touch to his date with a beautiful lady.
6. Special Dominator SUVs for the Sultan of Brunei
In 1996, the Sultan of Brunei ordered specially built Bentley Dominators. He was the richest man on the planet back then and owned a huge collection of luxurious cars. The six SUVs were ordered for his brother, Prince Jefri who has no problem spending billions of dollars for luxurious cars shopping sprees.
These six cars were the first Bentley SUV ever produced. He purchased not one, but six Dominator SUVs in different colors. Each car is worth $4.6 million.
7. Special 100 Year Anniversary Badge
2019 marks a century of the Bentley journey. For that special birthday, they do various things to celebrate including launching special centenary features. Every Bentley made in 2019 got special 100 year anniversary centenary badging, seat embroidery and treadplates.
The traditional badge was modified with ‘1919-2019’ marking. Since the only Bentley cars to get this special badge are the ones produced in 2019, those cars instantly become collectors items that mark the Bentley 100 year history.
8. Best Sales During the Pandemic
In 2020, Bentley sold a record 11,206 cars worldwide. It was the highest global sales the company ever made in its 101-year history. And yes, it happened in 2020, right when we all feel so uncertain about the future due to the global pandemic.
The sales even increased 2 percent over 2019, when they launched their 100 year anniversary specials. New model introductions seem to be the main reason behind this significant achievement. The top-selling model was the Bentagaya that accounted for 37% total sales worldwide in 2020.
9. You Can Buy Wings Pen from The Official Bentley Boutique
In 2014, Bentley officially opened ‘CW1 House’, a flagship showroom concept at the home of Bentley in Crewe. The showroom was named after the Bentley factory postal code. Not only showcasing their extravagant cars, the showroom also sells merchandise such as a weekender bag, Bentley wings pen and USB.
The showroom is intended to provide a luxurious experience to the customers. Hence, it was built using luxurious material. The carpets are made from the same lamb’s wool used in Bentley’s interiors, the furniture is made out of the same Bentley leather, and the Mulliner suite is defined by contemporary solid oak panels.
10. UK’s Largest Solar Powered Car Port
Along with their commitment to deliver the best cars in the world, Bentley also pays attention to the environment and their carbon footprints. They take every environmentally friendly action possible including producing electronic vehicles to recycle water.
20,815 solar panels are installed on Bentley’s factory roof and 10,000 more in their car port making it the UK’s largest solar powered carport. They’ve also been awarded the triple Carbon Trust Standard for carbon, water, and waste reduction.
11. Bentley Cars Can Compose Music While You Drive
You heard it right. In a demonstration, Bentley cars now have the ability to compose a soundtrack based upon drivers’ driving style. The vehicles will produce a live composition of instrumental music in real time.
To make this concept happen, they’re partnering with LifeScore, an adaptive music platform. The algorithms are designed to produce compositions that flow through the user’s drive style. The system has various modes from Cocoon mode that produces slow and calming music, to Enhanced mode that is more reactive and exciting. Incorporating AI technology, this new adaptive music system will give drivers a true immersive driving experience.
12. Adjust The Car Setting via My Bentley Apps
Yes, Bentley users now can adjust the entertainment system, heating, ventilation system, and monitor real time information such as the vehicle speed via an app. Bentley has recently released a customer mobile application to personalized your in-car experience and provide access to exclusive products and services.
The app provides tailored access to Bentley digital services and exclusive Bentley owner online community. The app is available for Apple and Android devices and comes with tailored features for each model.
13. In Car Technology System
Every Bentley car is equipped with the latest powertrains, safety technology, and special features. The in-car technology system includes Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Anti-Lock Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Blind Spot Monitoring System.
Aside from the safety system, the in-car technology also features technology for entertainment and convenience. Among other sophisticated features, Bentley offers several conveniences such as keyless ignition, mobile hotspot internet access, and massaging lumbar support: an excellent feature offering massaging support for the back with numerous control options for ultimate relaxation for drivers and passengers.
14. A New Benchmark in Electrification
After releasing their hybrid models Bentayga Hybrid and Flying Spur Hybrid, Bentley set a new benchmark on electrification. This goes along with their “Beyond100” initiative when they announce that they will be an electric only vehicle company by 2030.
To follow the initiative accordingly, they plan to launch a fully electric vehicle in 2025. And to our surprise, the fully EV Bentley vehicle will be a large sporty car. After the first release, they will reinvent a new model every year. Every model will be designed in Crewe to ensure its performance and luxury craftsmanship.
15. Charity Artwork Auction for The Less Privileged
In November 2020, Bentley attempted an artistic curatorship featuring Mikael B, Laci Jordan, and Ricardo Gonzalez, young artists from New York and LA. Titled as “Art in Motion”, the artist took inspiration from the new Bentayga resulting in three art pieces.
The result of this event then auctioned and went straight to fund Inner-City Art’s, a project for the less privileged youth. It was a creative way to promote the Bentayga launch while allowing art patrons to collect artwork and supporting young artists.
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