by Paul Leclercq

Created on: February 26, 2008

Walter Owen Bentley, founder of Bentley Motors Ltd began his engineering career with an apprenticeship at the Great Northern Railway Works at Doncaster. Later he was in business with his brother H.M. Bentley importing French DFP cars, one of which the brothers raced in the TT just before the First World War in 1914. It was a tough race and only 6 of the 23 starters finished. The DFP driven by "W.O." finished last but it finished, a great achievement especially when it is borne in mind that the DFP had only two-thirds the capacity of those in front of it. It proved that the Bentleys were well capable of first-class preparation, experience that was to be valuable later.

During the war, Bentley's engineering expertise was put to good use: he designed the BR1 and BR2 rotary aero engines (working closely with F.W. Burgess of the Humber company).

Bentley Motors opened for business in 1919, but was, as throughout the original company's life, under-capitalised. The first car appeared in 1921: the "Three-Litre Bentley". A four cylinder with single overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder, it was in effect a development of the types of car that had raced just prior to the war. "Autocar" magazine tested the first example and was full of praise, being particularly impressed with the top speed of "over 70 m.p.h. (113 k.p.h.) which was impressive at the time for a relatively small-engined car.

The "Three-Litre" was developed considerably during its life and achieved the first of Bentley's famous successes at the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1924, demonstrating the engineering integrity and toughness for which the firm's products became renowned.

In 1925, financial help arrived in the form of Capt. Woolf Barnato, diamond millionaire and a great racing driver too. Thus it was that Bentley was able to introduce new models: the 6.5 litre six-cylinder, the 4.5 litre four-cylinder, the "Speed Six" and in 1930 the magnificent 8-litre which gave Rolls-Royce cause for concern as it was a batter car than the "Phantom II".

Bentley won Le Mans in 1927,8,9 and finally in 1930. Barnato entered and won three times in a row, a record that is unlikely to be beaten.

These great successes were of no avail however: the Wall Street Crash had occurred and I can do no better than quote David Scott-Moncrieff (from "The Thoroughbred Car 1930 1940):

"the Wall Street Crash was blowing a very chill wind in Europe, and whilst the sort of people who bought Bentleys were not likely to be too badly affected,

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