94-500: The Bentley Turbo R is a high-performance automobile which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1985 to 1999. The "R" stood for "roadholding", to set it apart from its predecessor. It initially inherited the turbocharged engine from the Mulsanne Turbo and also sported a retuned suspension and wider tyres on aluminium alloy wheels, a first for a Bentley. From the 1987 model year (20,000 series chassis numbers), however,
188-469: A front for Rolls-Royce Limited . Not even Bentley himself knew the identity of the purchaser until the deal was completed. Barnato received £42,000 for his shares in Bentley Motors. In 1934 he was appointed to the board of the new Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. In the same year Bentley confirmed that it would continue racing. Rolls-Royce took over the assets of Bentley Motors (1919) Ltd and formed
282-599: A "standard" ready-to-drive complete saloon car. The first steel-bodied model produced was the Bentley Mark VI : these started to emerge from the newly reconfigured Crewe factory early in 1946. Some years later, initially only for export, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn was introduced, a standard steel Bentley but with a Rolls-Royce radiator grille for a small extra charge, and this convention continued. Chassis remained available to coachbuilders until
376-459: A 31% rise in global sales in FY21 despite shutdowns caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. Sources Volkswagen AG Annual Reports Grand tourer Bentley Continental R The Bentley Continental R is a luxury coupé manufactured by British automobile manufacturer Bentley Motors from 1991 to 2003. It was the first Bentley to feature a body not shared with a Rolls-Royce model since
470-463: A Sports Saloon for the owner of James Young's, James Barclay. The early R Type Continental has essentially the same engine as the standard R Type, but with modified carburation, induction and exhaust manifolds 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 4,887 cc (4.9 L; 298.2 cu in). The compression ratio
564-531: A car without the autobox selector on the steering column), with a Sport button to simultaneously adjust gearbox mapping and stiffen the suspension for more aggressive driving and handling. For such a large and heavy car, the Continental R was repeatedly acknowledged by road testers and journalists as displaying superb handling characteristics at high speeds. Prices of the Continental R in the UK rose to £180,120 in
658-534: A handful of examples would be made. The best known customer for these cars was the Sultan of Brunei who had numerous unique automobiles made reportedly placing orders worth tens of millions of pounds with Rolls-Royce during this period. The production of the Continental R ceased in 2003 and it was the last car still based on the SZ Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit platform (4 door cars based on
752-455: A location for a shadow factory to ensure production of aero-engines. Crewe, with its excellent road and rail links, as well as being located in the northwest away from the aerial bombing starting in mainland Europe, was a logical choice. Crewe also had extensive open farming land. Construction of the factory started on a 60-acre area on the potato fields of Merrill's Farm in July 1938, with
846-510: A logical purchaser because BMW already supplied engines and other components for Bentley and Rolls-Royce branded cars and because of BMW and Vickers joint efforts in building aircraft engines. BMW made a final offer of £340m, but was outbid by Volkswagen AG , which offered £430m. Volkswagen AG acquired the vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks, but not
940-520: A modified road car driven by works driver Douglas Hawkes , accompanied by riding mechanic H. S. "Bertie" Browning. Hawkes completed the full 500 miles (800 km) and finished 13th with an average speed of 74.95 miles per hour (120.62 km/h) after starting in 19th position. The team was then rushed back to England to compete in the 1922 RAC Tourist Trophy . In an ironic reference to his heavyweight boxer 's stature, Captain Woolf Barnato
1034-406: A result of the slump in sales, production at Crewe was shut down during March and April 2009. Though vehicle sales increased by 11% to 5,117 in 2010, operating loss grew by 26% to € 245 million. In Autumn 2010, workers at Crewe staged a series of protests over proposal of compulsory work on Fridays and mandatory overtime during the week. Vehicle sales in 2011 rose 37% to 7,003 vehicles, with
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#17327876087011128-541: A series of mergers and acquisitions, beginning with the 1931 purchase by Rolls-Royce of Bentley, then in receivership. In 1971, Rolls-Royce itself was forced into receivership and the UK government nationalised the company—splitting it into an aerospace company (Rolls-Royce Plc) and an automotive company (Rolls-Royce Motors Limited, including Bentley). Rolls-Royce Motors was subsequently sold to engineering conglomerate Vickers, and in 1998 Vickers sold Rolls-Royce to Volkswagen AG, including Bentley with its name and logos (but not
1222-747: A small number of cars built to incorporate many special features. These are probably the rarest version of the RT - although not officially recognised as such, therefore the RT Mulliner commands a much higher premium. These were sold as the Bentley Turbo RT Olympian. They can be identified by the five-spoke alloy wheels (borrowed from the 'Mulliner' version) and the "Olympian" boot badge. It is estimated that only four examples of this version were ever built. The Bentley Turbo RT Mulliner : The Mulliner version, available only by special order for
1316-623: A subsidiary, Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. Rolls-Royce had acquired the Bentley showrooms in Cork Street, the service station at Kingsbury, the complex at Cricklewood and the services of Bentley himself. This last was disputed by Napier in court without success. Bentley had neglected to register their trademark so Rolls-Royce immediately did so. They also sold the Cricklewood factory in 1932. Production stopped for two years, before resuming at
1410-480: The 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 Litre called it "the silent sports car", a slogan Rolls-Royce continued to use for Bentley cars until the 1950s. All Bentleys produced from 1931 to 2004 used inherited or shared Rolls-Royce chassis, and adapted Rolls-Royce engines, and are described by critics as badge-engineered Rolls-Royces. In preparation for war, Rolls-Royce and the British Government searched for
1504-497: The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924 , 1927 , 1928 , 1929 and 1930 . Bentley has been a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1998 and consolidated under VW's premium brand arm Audi since 2022. Prominent models extend from the historic sports-racing Bentley 4½ Litre and Bentley Speed Six ; the more recent Bentley R Type Continental, Bentley Turbo R , and Bentley Arnage ; to its current model line, including
1598-518: The Bentley Mulsanne Turbo was launched in 1982. On the back of this, Peter Ward, marketing director of the company (and later, managing director), wanted to further enhance the distinctive sporting nature of the Bentley brand and move away from a Bentley that was merely a re-badged Rolls-Royce. They appointed designers John Heffernan and Ken Greenley to come up with ideas for a new, distinctive, Bentley coupé. A fibreglass mock up of
1692-746: The Flying Spur , Continental GT and Bentayga which are marketed worldwide, with China as its largest market as of November 2012. Today most Bentley models are assembled at the company's Crewe factory , with a small number assembled at Volkswagen's Dresden factory , Germany, and with bodies for the Continental manufactured in Zwickau and for the Bentayga manufactured at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant . The joining and eventual separation of Bentley and Rolls-Royce followed
1786-458: The coachbuilder of choice. Coachwork for most of these cars was completed by H. J. Mulliner & Co. who mainly built them in fastback coupe form. Other coachwork came from Park Ward (London) who built six, later including a drophead coupe version. Franay (Paris) built five, Graber (Wichtrach, Switzerland) built three, one of them later altered by Köng (Basel, Switzerland), and Pininfarina made one. James Young (London) built in 1954
1880-521: The 1965 S3 Continental and was the first to use the GM 4L80-E transmission . The Continental R was the fastest, most expensive, and most powerful Bentley automobile of its day. It was also the most expensive production car in the world at its introduction. A convertible derivative, called the Bentley Azure , was launched in 1995. As managing director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in the early 1980s under
1974-556: The 1994 model year. That year also saw a number of revisions to the engine, including revisions to the cylinder heads courtesy of Cosworth (another company within the Vickers group, alongside Rolls-Royce and Bentley). The alloy wheels were also increased in diameter to 17-inch and were of a completely new 7 spoke design. Power output of the engine was now estimated at 360 hp (268 kW; 365 PS) at 4,000 rpm and peak torque 678 N⋅m (500 lb⋅ft) at 2,000 rpm. By
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#17327876087012068-508: The 1996 Continental R, at 400 hp, and an additional 54 N⋅m (40 lb⋅ft) of torque at 800 N⋅m (590 lb⋅ft). For the 1998 model year, this was increased to 420 hp (313 kW; 426 PS) and 881 N⋅m (650 lb⋅ft) of torque available at only 2,200 rpm. The Continental T has a more athletic outward appearance due to a 102 mm (4 in) shorter wheelbase and extended front and rear wheel arches . The T had larger brake discs and full front brake calipers. It
2162-412: The 1996 model year, the Continental R was priced at £187,354 in the UK. The year saw some of the most significant changes since the launch of the car, notably the inclusion of the liquid cooled chargecooler as standard, along with an improved Zytek EMS3 engine management system which meant improvement in throttle response and fuel efficiency along with a digitally controlled turbo over-boost. Power output of
2256-460: The 1998 model year, was even more exclusive and expensive. It boasts a 420 bhp (313 kW; 426 PS) engine with a torque output of 634 lbft (861 Nm): this was achieved by developing a new compressor for the turbocharger, remapping the engine management system, and modifying the air intake system. Visually, Mulliners have more aerodynamic, rounded bumpers with prominent venting and often foglamps, as well as flared wings to accommodate
2350-472: The 2000 2003 Continental R420 including push button start, eight gauges, and other unique features. There is speculation there were actually seven, and it is the 7th that had the description above for the “6th” car. The Continental R Mulliner model range, offered from March 1999, was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show . The Bentley Continental R Mulliner was equipped with the same engine as
2444-554: The Bentley Continental was introduced at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show : The Continental Supersports . This new Bentley is a supercar combining extreme power with environmentally friendly FlexFuel technology, capable of using petrol (gasoline) and biofuel (E85 ethanol). Bentley sales continued to increase, and in 2005 8,627 were sold worldwide, 3,654 in the United States. In 2007, the 10,000 cars-per-year threshold
2538-522: The Bentley badge. Under Vickers, Bentley set about regaining its high-performance heritage, typified by the 1980 Mulsanne . Bentley's restored sporting image created a renewed interest in the name and Bentley sales as a proportion of output began to rise. By 1986 the Bentley:Rolls-Royce ratio had reached 40:60; by 1991 it achieved parity. In October 1997, Vickers announced that it had decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. BMW AG seemed to be
2632-586: The Bentley marque following the introduction of the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo, and then the Continental R, is widely acknowledged to have saved Rolls-Royce Motor cars and formed the groundwork which led to the buyout and parting of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley brands in 1998. Bentley was once again capable of standing alone as a marque in its own right when it was purchased by Volkswagen . A completed pre-production Continental R (developed under
2726-409: The Continental R. In early cars (produced from 1991 to 1993) power output of 325 hp (242 kW; 330 PS) at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 610 N⋅m (450 lb⋅ft) at 2,000 rpm was available, although this was always estimated as at that time, Rolls-Royce still had a policy of not supplying official figures, preferring to describe power output simply as "sufficient". The car used
2820-464: The Continental T with a removable roof panel over the front seats. A total of 79 cars were built with 6 being completed with the Mulliner package and 48 being left hand drive. Near the end of production of the Continental R, Bentley built the last eleven cars under the "Final Series". Six of which being LHD, all under the 2003 model year. The launch of the Continental R had the effect of stimulating
2914-416: The Continental T. This engine had a power output of 420 hp (313 kW; 426 PS) and a maximum torque of 881 N⋅m (650 lb⋅ft). The car has an estimated top speed of 274 km/h (170 mph). 0-97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time dropped to 5.6 seconds. One of the reasons the Continental R Mulliner came into existence, were the customers who wanted the power of the Continental T in
Bentley Turbo R - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-688: The First World War. The same day that the Paris Peace Conference to end World War I started, Walter Owen ("W.O.") Bentley founded Bentley Motors Limited, on 18 January 1919 and registered Bentley Motors Ltd. in August 1919. In October he exhibited a car chassis (with a dummy engine) at the London Motor Show . Ex– Royal Flying Corps officer Clive Gallop designed an innovative four-valves-per-cylinder engine for
3102-546: The Gurney Nutting coupé racing along a road parallel to the Blue Train, which scenario never occurred as the road and railway did not follow the same route. The original model was the three-litre, but as customers put heavier bodies on the chassis, a larger 4½-litre model followed. Perhaps the most iconic model of the period is the 4½-litre "Blower Bentley", with its distinctive supercharger projecting forward from
3196-489: The MK-Motronic digital fuel injection with fully mapped ignition control system. At launch, advertised top speed was 233 km/h (145 mph), along with a 0-97 km/h (60 mph) acceleration time of 6.6 seconds. The Continental R was priced at US$ 271,780 in 1992 and £178,000 in the UK at its launch. All cars were equipped with a centre console mounted electronic gear selector (the first time Rolls-Royce had made
3290-522: The Mulliner editions built are to standard wheelbase specifications, and 49 are on the lengthened wheelbase. Bentley Motors Limited Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs . Headquartered in Crewe , England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, and became widely known for winning
3384-712: The Rolls-Royce works in Derby. Unhappy with his role at Rolls-Royce, when his contract expired at the end of April 1935 W. O. Bentley left to join Lagonda . When the new Bentley 3½ litre appeared in 1933, it was a sporting variant of the Rolls-Royce 20/25 , which disappointed some traditional customers yet was well received by many others. W. O. Bentley was reported as saying, "Taking all things into consideration, I would rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under that name". Rolls-Royce's advertisements for
3478-594: The Turbo R's V8 engine was retuned with fuel injection for added torque . Motor Trend called the Turbo R "the first Bentley in decades deserving of the famous name" in their review of the car on its introduction to the United States in 1989. The suspension changes, though seemingly subtle, transformed the soft and less than well-controlled ride of the Mulsanne Turbo into that of a real performer. Development on improving handling had already begun when Mike Dunn
3572-465: The Turbo R. For 1998, the Turbo R was replaced by the sportier yet Turbo RT. The Bentley Turbo RT was the last and most expensive of the Turbo R line. The Bentley RT came with a 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) version of the 6.75 L V8 engine, as used in the Continental T , which is boosted by a single Garrett AiResearch T04 turbocharger and has a Zytek EMS3 engine management system. This
3666-782: The UK as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . On 3 November 2020, Bentley announced that all new cars sold will be electric by 2030. This announcement also follows after the United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in February 2020 that he approved legislation that will ban and phase out non-electric vehicles (including Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid vehicles) from the UK by 2030 with hybrids being banned by 2035. Sources Volkswagen AG Annual Reports and press releases Bentley recorded
3760-480: The UK brochure). The 1996 model year also saw revised 17-inch alloy wheels and steering wheel tilt adjustment for the first time. This was electrically adjustable and so could now be set as part of the seat and wing mirror memory positions. Electronic Traction Assistance System began to appear on the later 1996 model year cars. In the 1998 model year, the electronic traction assistance system was included as standard and some cosmetic changes were made. Power and torque of
3854-508: The Vickers ownership, David Plastow could see the potential in the Bentley brand. It had been neglected for the previous 15 years and made up only a very small percentage of the company's sales at that time, particularly outside the UK in important markets such as the USA. The first move in reshaping the brand was to introduce a turbocharged model of the standard Bentley 4-door saloon: as a result,
Bentley Turbo R - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-531: The appearance were made, introducing twin round headlamps and a bigger front spoiler. Around the turn of the year between 1991 and 1992, GM's 4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission replaced the long running three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 throughout the Bentley/Rolls-Royce lineup, including the Turbo R. A "New" Turbo R model was introduced in 1995 for the 1996 model year. Changes included Zytek fuel injection and appearance modifications. There
4042-543: The bottom of the grille. Uncharacteristically fragile for a Bentley it was not the racing workhorse the 6½-litre was, though in 1930 Birkin remarkably finished second in the French Grand Prix at Pau in a stripped-down racing version of the Blower Bentley, behind Philippe Etancelin in a Bugatti Type 35 . The 4½-litre model later became famous in popular media as the vehicle of choice of James Bond in
4136-518: The business and its workforce. A financial reorganisation of the original Bentley company was carried out and all existing creditors paid off for £75,000. Existing shares were devalued from £1 each to just 1 shilling, or 5% of their original value. Barnato held 149,500 of the new shares giving him control of the company and he 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, W. O. Bentley
4230-418: The cars. BMW paid Rolls-Royce plc £40m to license the Rolls-Royce name and logo. After negotiations, BMW and Volkswagen AG agreed that, from 1998 to 2002, BMW would continue to supply engines and components and would allow Volkswagen temporary use of the Rolls-Royce name and logo. All BMW engine supply ended in 2003 with the end of Silver Seraph production. From 1 January 2003 forward, Volkswagen AG would be
4324-478: The chassis. By December the engine was built and running. Delivery of the first cars was scheduled for June 1920, but development took longer than estimated so the date was extended to September 1921. The durability of the first Bentley cars earned widespread acclaim, and they competed in hill climbs and raced at Brooklands . Bentley's first major event was the 1922 Indianapolis 500 , a race dominated by specialized cars with Duesenberg racing chassis. They entered
4418-479: The codename "Nepal") was secretly taken to Switzerland for a surprise launch of the model at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show (It had been expected the car would be launched in 1992). It was driven from behind a wall on the Rolls-Royce stand. Handel's Zadok the Priest music was chosen for the launch of the new model which was originally written for King George II's coronation in 1727. The Sultan of Brunei , impressed by
4512-642: The design of the Continental R. They had run the Automotive Design School at the Royal College of Art and headed to, International Automotive Design (IAD), based in Worthing, Southern England, who production engineered the first prototypes. IAD built a new 4 post 5 axis milling machine just to cut the clay for the Continental prototypes. Greenley and Heffernan liaised constantly throughout the design process with Graham Hull. The interior
4606-544: The design was displayed at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show as Rolls-Royce's "Project 90" concept of a future Bentley coupé. The concept was met with an enthusiastic reception, but the Project 90 design was largely shelved as the company began to work towards a replacement for the Rolls-Royce Corniche . During this process, Graham Hull, chief designer in house at Rolls-Royce, suggested to the board of directors that
4700-700: The designs sketched for the Corniche would suit a Bentley coupé better. From this point it was decided the Corniche could continue as it was, and efforts would once again be channelled into a new Bentley coupé. In 1986 Graham Hull produced a design rendering of a new Bentley coupé which became the Continental R. Based on the Rolls-Royce SZ platform (which was an evolution of the SY platform), an aerodynamically shaped two-door coupé body had been styled. John Heffernan and Ken Greenley were officially retained to complete
4794-460: The end of 2006 after around 1,000 cars, with all car production reverting to the Crewe plant. Bentley presented Queen Elizabeth II with an official State Limousine in 2002 to celebrate her Golden Jubilee . Production of the two-door convertible Bentley Azure finished in 2003. It was replaced by a large luxury coupé powered by a W12 engine built in Crewe and named Bentley Continental GT . It
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#17327876087014888-469: The end of production in 2003, Bentley indulged customers in a variety of special customised cars under their Personal Commission programme with a number of cars fitted with the 420-horsepower (313 kW; 426 PS) engine including the Le Mans, Continental R, Continental R 420 and Millennium. A total of 194 Continental R cars had the 420 engine – some of which were also wide body cars. The Continental S
4982-569: The end of production of the Bentley S3 , which was replaced for October 1965 by the chassis-less monocoque construction T series . The Continental fastback coupé was aimed at the UK market, most cars, 164 plus a prototype , being right-hand drive. The chassis was produced at the Crewe factory and shared many components with the standard R type. Other than the R-Type standard steel saloon, R-Type Continentals were delivered as rolling chassis to
5076-554: The engine remained the same as before, but 0–97 km/h acceleration time was now quoted as "6 seconds". The cosmetic revisions included fitting the same front seats as fitted to the convertible Azure , which were shared with the BMW 8 Series and trimmed by Rolls-Royce, featuring an integrated seat belt. Other revisions included small mesh vents below the headlights, laser-cut mesh radiator grille as standard, revised alloy wheels and minor changes to front and rear bumpers. Between 1999 and
5170-569: The engine was increased as a result, and a change in policy by Rolls-Royce: this was the first time performance figures were officially released by the manufacturer, departing from a long tradition of describing performance as "adequate" or "sufficient". Probably the reason for this is because the figures were very impressive: 385 hp (287 kW; 390 PS) at 4,000 rpm and torque of 750 N⋅m (550 lb⋅ft) starting to be available at only 2,000 rpm, and available up to 4,000 rpm (according to UK brochure). No other production car in
5264-647: The first Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine rolling off the production line five months later. 25,000 Merlin engines were produced and at its peak, in 1943 during World War II , the factory employed 10,000 people. With the war in Europe over and the general move towards the then new jet engines , Rolls-Royce concentrated its aero-engine operations at Derby and moved motor car operations to Crewe. Until some time after World War II , most high-end motorcar manufacturers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce did not supply complete cars. They sold rolling chassis , near-complete from
5358-417: The imagination and demands of some of the world's wealthiest individuals. Throughout the 1990s, Rolls-Royce was tasked with developing numerous special cars for such customers, a service beyond that of mere customisation. Code named "Blackpool cars", these were highly bespoke automobiles, generally based on the Continental R, but with unique body shells often costing several million pounds to tool up, from which
5452-431: The instrument panel forward. Each chassis was delivered to the coachbuilder of the buyer's choice. The biggest specialist car dealerships had coachbuilders build standard designs for them which were held in stock awaiting potential buyers. To meet post-war demand, particularly UK Government pressure to export and earn overseas currency, Rolls-Royce developed an all-steel body using pressings made by Pressed Steel to create
5546-503: The longer wheelbase R. The T was 102 mm (4 in) shorter than the R, fully at the expense of space for the rear passengers. Launched in 1996, the Bentley Continental T was a short wheelbase version of the Continental R offering more power, torque and responsive handling, at the expense of rear passenger leg room. At its launch, the Bentley Continental T offered an additional 15 hp (11 kW; 15 PS) over
5640-463: The marque's reputation for high performance alive; Bentley was noted for its four consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans , from 1927 to 1930. Birkin developed the 4½-litre, lightweight Blower Bentley at Welwyn Garden City in 1929 and produced five racing specials, starting with Bentley Blower No.1 which was optimised for the Brooklands racing circuit. Birkin overruled Bentley and put
5734-691: The model on the market before it was fully developed. As a result, it was unreliable. During the March 1930 Blue Train Races , Barnato raised the stakes on Rover and its Rover Light Six , having raced and beaten Le Train Bleu for the first time, to better that record with his 6½-litre Bentley Speed Six on a bet of £100. He drove against the train from Cannes to Calais , then by ferry to Dover , and finally London, travelling on public highways, and won. Barnato drove his H.J. Mulliner –bodied formal saloon in
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#17327876087015828-553: The name "Rolls Royce"). Before World War I , Walter Owen Bentley and his brother, Horace Millner Bentley, sold French DFP cars in Cricklewood, North London, but W.O, as Walter was known, always wanted to design and build his own cars. At the DFP factory, in 1913, he noticed an aluminium paperweight and thought that aluminium might be a suitable replacement for cast iron to fabricate lighter pistons. The first Bentley aluminium pistons were fitted to Sopwith Camel aero engines during
5922-404: The new 4-speed GM 4L80-E automatic transmission which had been exhaustively tested by Rolls-Royce, over 1,609,344 km (1,000,000 miles), and modified by them to deliver very high levels of refinement. The car featured self-levelling hydraulic suspension (with adaptive ride/ Automatic Ride Control ) and ventilated disc brakes at the front with twin calipers. Engine management was done via
6016-408: The new Continental GT accounting for over one-third of total sales. The current workforce is about 4,000 people. The business earned a profit in 2011 after two years of losses as a result of the following sales results: On 23 March 2020, Bentley announced to halt production due to COVID-19 pandemic . In June 2020, Bentley announced that it will cut around 1,000 (one quarter of 4,200) job places in
6110-399: The new model, purchased the show car at the event for a price of over £2 million. The new Mercedes-Benz W140 also launched at the show, was completely upstaged by the launch of the unexpected, vermilion red, new Bentley Coupé due to the largely positive public reception. Since its launch in 1991, the 6.75 L Garrett - turbocharged V8 engine from the Turbo R was chosen for use in
6204-658: The original novels , but this has been seen only briefly in the films . John Steed in the television series The Avengers also drove a Bentley. The new eight-litre was such a success that when Barnato's money seemed to run out in 1931 and Napier was planning to buy Bentley's business, Rolls-Royce purchased Bentley Motors to prevent it from competing with their most expensive model, the Phantom ;II. Bentley withdrew from motor racing just after winning at Le Mans in 1930, claiming that they had learned enough about speed and reliability. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and
6298-478: The race against the Blue Train. Two months later, on 21 May 1930, he took delivery of a Speed Six with streamlined fastback "sportsman coupé" by Gurney Nutting . Both cars became known as the " Blue Train Bentleys "; the latter is regularly mistaken for, or erroneously referred to as being, the car that raced the Blue Train, while in fact Barnato named it in memory of his race. A painting by Terence Cuneo depicts
6392-506: The rarest of the Bentley SZ Series of cars, distributed across selected European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets and customers only. The engine termed a Blackpool version used Bosch Motronic fuel injection and digital ignition derived from Formula 1 technology, and with a larger exhaust driven Garrett AirResearch turbocharger with intercooler. It had a power output of 408 hp (304 kW; 414 PS). The Blackpool engine
6486-521: The resulting Great Depression throttled the demand for Bentley's expensive motor cars. In July 1931 two mortgage payments were due which neither the company nor Barnato, the guarantor, were able to meet. On 10 July 1931 a receiver was appointed. Napier offered to buy Bentley with the purchase to be final in November 1931. Instead, British Central Equitable Trust made a winning sealed bid of £125,000. British Central Equitable Trust later proved to be
6580-605: The rights to the use of the Rolls-Royce name or logo, which are owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. In 1998, BMW started supplying components for the new range of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars—notably V8 engines for the Bentley Arnage and V12 engines for the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph , however, the supply contract allowed BMW to terminate its supply deal with Rolls-Royce with 12 months' notice, which would not be enough time for Volkswagen to re-engineer
6674-651: The same as on the Mulsanne. Although official figures were never provided by Rolls-Royce, Motor Trend estimated power output at 221 kW (300 PS; 296 hp) with 660 N⋅m (486.8 lb⋅ft) of torque . Priced at US$ 195,000 in the US market, the Turbo R slotted above the Bentley Mulsanne S and Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit but $ 39,000 below the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur . The Turbo R
6768-611: The sole provider of cars with the "Bentley" marque. BMW established a new legal entity, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, and built a new administrative headquarters and production facility for Rolls-Royce branded vehicles in Goodwood , West Sussex, England. After acquiring the business, Volkswagen spent £ 500 million (about US$ 845 million) to modernise the Crewe factory and increase production capacity. As of early 2010, there are about 3,500 working at Crewe, compared with about 1,500 in 1998 before being taken over by Volkswagen. It
6862-481: The time. The car's base price was US$ 211,600, or roughly US$ 65,000 more than the Turbo R. The Turbo RT was produced during 1997 and 1998 only, with 252 units produced. It was essentially a "runout special", an effort to sell off the last SZ-style bodies before the introduction of the Arnage. A few even rarer editions of the RT were made: The Bentley Turbo RT Olympian : in 1998, London dealer Jack Barclay agreed to have
6956-461: The wider track and larger 18-inch alloy wheels, sitting on low-profile 255/55 tyres. Each car was built to individual specifications, with many sporting side and bonnet vents and also the smaller Mulliner rear windscreen. One popular feature in Mulliners is a prominent speedometer for the rear passengers. Just 56 Mulliner editions were built (all in 1998), of which 17 are right-hand drive. Seven of
7050-406: The world at the time delivered such levels of torque. This lead British publication Autocar to suggest, when road testing the 1996 Continental R in August 1995, that the gearbox would've been destroyed due to the enormous levels of low down torque available. 0–97 km/h was now officially quoted by Rolls-Royce as "sub 6 seconds" along with a top speed of 249 km/h (155 mph) (according to
7144-618: Was a limited edition of 6 wide body coupés produced in 1998. Other than the California Editions one other wide body car was made in 1998. Number six was fitted with the full-spec Continental T engine that just became available in 1998 with a power output of 420 hp (313 kW; 426 PS) and a maximum torque of 881 N⋅m (650 lb⋅ft). This car was the first Continental R model to be fitted with this engine. The larger dual-caliper brakes were also fitted to number six as well as numerous other features that later were incorporated into
7238-412: Was a limited-edition performance model introduced in 1994 and 1995 with a liquid cooled chargecooler added. Only thirty seven were produced and offered to established Bentley customers. The late Alan Clark MP was one such owner. This engine had an estimated output of 385 hp (287 kW; 390 PS), and 0–97 km/h acceleration time improved to 6.1 seconds. The Continental R California Edition
7332-411: Was able to design another generation of cars. The Bentley Boys were a group of British motoring enthusiasts that included Barnato, Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin , steeple chaser George Duller, aviator Glen Kidston , automotive journalist S.C.H. "Sammy" Davis , and Dudley Benjafield . The Bentley Boys favoured Bentley cars. Many were independently wealthy and many had a military background. They kept
7426-495: Was also a feature of the rear. The finished car effectively disguises its huge dimensions (the Continental R is around 4-inch longer than a 2013 long wheelbase Mercedes S Class ). The "Continental" designation recalls the Bentley Continental of the post-war period. The "R" was meant to recall the R Type Bentley models from the 1950s as well as the Turbo R of the 1980s and 90s where the "R" refers to "roadholding". The revival of
7520-584: Was also a special version for the German market, the "Turbo R Sport", which featured the Continental T's sporty alloys and carbon-fibre, rather than walnut, panels inside. In 1995, the Bentley Turbo S was announced as a strictly limited model, with envisaged production as fewer than 100 units. Effectively a stop-gap model before the introduction of the New Turbo R, just 60 units were produced making it
7614-474: Was also equipped with ABS brakes. The interior featured a turned-metal dashboard with chrome-finished instruments (as opposed to the wood finish in the Continental R), lambswool carpets and a polished aluminium trim, although some cars were specified with traditional wood trim. The Continental T's engine responded to a separate push-button starter. Performance, due to 91 kg (200 lb) less weight,
7708-465: Was also fitted to twelve Bentley Continental S , and to three special build Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit S . The car was fitted with a viscous differential, and with both new 255/55WR17 tyres and traction control fitted, permitted a top speed of 155 mph (249 km/h). In 1996 production of the short wheelbase Turbo R ended, leaving only the model hitherto sold as the Turbo RL - now known simply as
7802-481: Was an estimated 274 km/h (170 mph). It was at least 21% more expensive than the R, hence, 7% more expensive, than the Azure convertible. The Bentley Continental T Mulliner was introduced in 1999. Modified shock absorbers in combination with stiffer torsion bars (front +40%, rear +20%) increased the Continental's handling ability. The Continental SC 'Sedanca Coupé' was a 1999 limited production version of
7896-421: Was appointed engineering director in Crewe in February 1983, but instead of the proposed ten per cent increase in roll stiffness, he demanded 50%. This goal was met by upping the anti-roll bar rates by 100 per cent in front and 60 per cent in the rear, and by increasing the damping . A panhard rod to anchor the rear sub-frame was also introduced, reducing side-to-side movement in corners. Spring rates remained
7990-434: Was broken for the first time with sales of 10,014. For 2007, a record profit of € 155 million was also announced. Bentley reported a sale of about 7,600 units in 2008. However, its global sales plunged 50 percent to 4,616 vehicles in 2009 (with the U.S. deliveries dropped 49% to 1,433 vehicles) and it suffered an operating loss of € 194 million, compared with an operating profit of € 10 million in 2008. As
8084-627: Was confirmed in April 2005 a four-seat convertible Azure derived from the Arnage Drophead Coupé prototype would begin at Crewe in 2006. By the autumn of 2005, a convertible version of the successful Continental GT, the Continental GTC , was also presented in the autumn of 2005. These two models were launched in late 2006. A limited run of a Zagato modified GT was also announced in March 2008, dubbed " GTZ ". A new version of
8178-435: Was developed using Formula 1 racing technology, differing from earlier models with the 'Motronic' system. The RT is visually differentiated from other Bentley Turbo R models by its sport wheels, radiator mesh grille and colour-coded bumpers with bright mesh inserts. Performance was sufficient: with a top speed limited to 150 mph (241 km/h), the ultra-luxurious Turbo RT was as fast as the sporting German luxury saloons of
8272-475: Was entirely the work of Graham Hull and the small in house styling team at Rolls-Royce. The shape of the car was very different from the somewhat slab sided four-door SZ Rolls-Royce and Bentley of the time and offered a much improved coefficient of drag of C d =0.37. The Continental R also featured roof-cut door frames, a necessity to allow easier access into the car which had a lower roofline than its four-door saloon contemporaries. A subtle spoiler effect
8366-520: Was nicknamed "Babe". In 1925, he acquired his first Bentley, a 3-litre. With this car, he won numerous Brooklands races. Just a year later, he acquired the Bentley business itself. The Bentley enterprise was always underfunded, but inspired by the 1924 Le Mans win by John Duff and Frank Clement , Barnato agreed to finance Bentley's business. Barnato had incorporated Baromans Ltd in 1922, which existed as his finance and investment vehicle. Via Baromans, Barnato initially invested in excess of £100,000, saving
8460-496: Was raised to 7.25:1. The problems of Bentley's owner with 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 point less than 5% of combined production carried
8554-403: Was reported that Volkswagen invested a total of nearly US$ 2 billion in Bentley and its revival. As a result of upgrading facilities at Crewe the bodywork now arrives fully painted at the Crewe facility for final assembly, with the parts coming from Germany—similarly Rolls-Royce body shells are painted and shipped to the UK for assembly only. Demand had been so great that the factory at Crewe
8648-460: Was slightly better than the Continental R cars with the same engine. Due to its shorter wheelbase and compact interior, the Continental T was classified as a subcompact car by the EPA. Performance figures included a 0–97 km/h time of 6.2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 14.5 seconds at 158.2 km/h (98.3 mph) along with a slalom speed of 100.1 km/h (62.2 mph) while the top speed
8742-472: Was sold alongside the Mulsanne Turbo for a brief moment, but the Mulsanne was taken out of production in 1985. In October 1986, for the 1987 model year, the Turbo R received anti-lock brakes and new Bosch MK-Motronic fuel injection to replace the Solex carburetors . Other modifications carried out at the same time included new, slimmer sports seats and a higher rear axle ratio. In mid-1988 (MY 1989) changes to
8836-617: Was unable to meet orders despite an installed capacity of approximately 9,500 vehicles per year; there was a waiting list of over a year for new cars to be delivered. Consequently, part of the production of the new Flying Spur , a four-door version of the Continental GT, was assigned to the Transparent Factory (Germany), where the Volkswagen Phaeton luxury car was also assembled. This arrangement ceased at
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