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Jan 17, 2024 · Walter Owen Bentley, MBE (16 September 1888 – 13 August 1971) was an English engineer who founded Bentley Motors Limited in London. He was a motorcycle and car racer as a young man.
It was followed in 1984 by the Bentley Eight, intended to compete with Mercedes and BMW models, and in 1985 by the Mulsanne Turbo R, heralding the dawn of a new model era. The product range expanded, and a return to the sporting tradition established by W.O. Bentley provided the decisive impetus for growth.
Engineering excellence and supercar performance were at its core, featuring a 6 litre twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine in W formation developed and tuned by Bentley. The Continental GT redefined Grand Touring: and between 2003 and 2010 Bentley created a grand tourer that turned both the driver's head and heart.
W.O. Bentley’s personal 8 Litre was mounted on a 12’ wheelbase chassis with a Weymann fabric body, which gave him ‘my most memorable driving of all time’. After the liquidation of the original Bentley Motors, dealer Jack Barclay sold the car to L.W. Weldon in 1932, who kept it for a year before selling it to Eric Mackintosh in 1933.
Bentley, always known as W.O., and described as ‘a modest man of mental honesty and reasonableness’ bought Le Balcon for his second wife, Audrey Morten Hutchinson (known as Poppy). Bentley had married her a year after the death of his first wife Leonie Gore, the daughter of an Irish peer.
W.O. Bentley founded the company that carries his name on 10 July 1919. Now, more than 100 years later, his name is known across the globe for creating cars with an unrivalled blend of performance and craftsmanship.
Born: 16 September 1888, Hampstead, England Died: 13 August 1971 (aged 82), Woking, England Nationality: English Occupation: Engineer . In 1931 Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley, the small sports/racing car maker and potential rival, after the latter's finances failed to weather the onset of the Great Depression. Rolls-Royce stopped production of the new big Bentley 8 Litre
