Rare Car Archive

Makes › Bentley · Car manufacturer · United Kingdom United Kingdom

Bentley

Bentley Motors was established in London by Walter Owen Bentley in January 1919 and was taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1931. It has been owned by the Volkswagen Group since 1998 and builds its cars in Crewe.1

Bentley 4 Litre
Bentley 4 Litre
Photo: Michael Gaylard · CC BY 2.0
104Cars documented
3Individual chassissee each car
1919Founded

Model lines

Rare versions grouped by model line. Open a line to see every version and rare factory colour by generation and model year.

Continental 20 rare versions · 1994–2023

All Continental versions →

Mark VI 7 rare versions · 1947–1949

All Mark VI versions →

4½ 5 rare versions · 1927–1929

All 4½ versions →

Arnage 5 rare versions · 1998–2005

All Arnage versions →

Turbo 5 rare versions · 1985–1997

All Turbo versions →

3 Litre 4 rare versions · 1925–1927

All 3 Litre versions →

4¼ 4 rare versions · 1936–1938

All 4¼ versions →

Bentley 4 rare versions ·

All Bentley versions →

Mulsanne 4 rare versions · 2010

All Mulsanne versions →

R-Type 4 rare versions · 1952–1953

All R-Type versions →

S1 4 rare versions · 1955

All S1 versions →

S2 4 rare versions · 1959

All S2 versions →

Speed 4 rare versions · 1929–2003

All Speed versions →

Mulliner 3 rare versions · 2020–2024

All Mulliner versions →

S3 3 rare versions · 1962

All S3 versions →

Other cars

Open a car to see its production figures, specifications and individual chassis.

Key facts

Founded
20 January 1919 (Bentley Motors, London)1 Independently researched
Founder
Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley1 Independently researched
Headquarters
Crewe, England (factory site since 1946)1 Independently researched
Parent company
Volkswagen Group (acquired 1998)1 Independently researched

History

Walter Owen Bentley established Bentley Motors in London on 20 January 1919, and the first production car was delivered in September 1921 from a small factory at Cricklewood in North London. After going bankrupt in July 1931, the company was taken over by Rolls-Royce in November 1931. From 1946 the Mark VI was built at the new factory in Crewe, and the R Type Continental coupe was produced from 1952 to 1955. The armaments group Vickers acquired Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 1980, and the Mulsanne Turbo followed in 1982. Volkswagen acquired the Bentley brand and the Crewe factory on 3 July 1998, the company was renamed Bentley Motors Ltd. in September 2002, and the Continental GT was launched in 2003.

1

Milestones

  1. 1919
    W.O. Bentley established Bentley Motors in London on 20 January 1919.1
  2. 1921
    The first production Bentley, built at Cricklewood in North London, was delivered in September 1921.1
  3. 1931
    Rolls-Royce took over the bankrupt Bentley company in November 1931.1,2
  4. 1946
    Production of the Mark VI began at the new factory in Crewe.1
  5. 1952
    The R Type Continental coupe entered production, running until 1955.1
  6. 1998
    Volkswagen acquired the Bentley brand and the Crewe factory on 3 July 1998.1

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    The history of Bentley Level A Volkswagen Group
    • established Bentley Motors in London on January 20, 1919
    • delivered to its owner in September 1921
    • take over its fiercest competitor in November 1931
    • The MK VI, built at the new factory in Crewe from 1946
    • Type R Continental coupe, produced from 1952 to 1955
    • acquired the Bentley brand, the factory in Crewe
    • Walter Owen Bentley established Bentley Motors in London on January 20, 1919.
    • Walter Owen Bentley established Bentley Motors in London
    • the Wolfsburg manufacturer acquired the Bentley brand, the factory in Crewe
    • made in a small factory established by Bentley at Cricklewood
    • The armaments group Vickers plc acquired Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd.
    • renamed Bentley Motors Ltd. in September 2002
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    Chapter Thirty-Two | Upper Echelon: BMW Group revives Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for the modern era Level A BMW Group Newsroom (Americas)
    • In 1931, Rolls-Royce added to its portfolio by buying the smaller Bentley
    Accessed 2026-11-11

Beyond Bentley · Keep exploring

United Kingdom More from United Kingdom

Rare cars by other makes from United Kingdom – not by Bentley.

134 other makes from United KingdomACAiredaleAlan Mann RacingAllardAlvisArabArashArielArmstrong SiddeleyArrowsAscariAston MartinAtalantaAtlantisAustinAustin-HealeyBedfordBerkeleyBluebirdBMCBondBrabhamBristolBritish LeylandBroadspeedBrookeBrough SuperiorCampbell-RailtonCaparoCaterhamChevronConnaughtCooperCrayfordDaimlerDavid BrownDawsonDeLoreanDuttonElvaAll makes →