| The British have an atypical view of the automobile. | | | | into it with the motorcycle circuit, which was a |
| In fact, you can almost call it a national admiration for | | | | common engagement among young British men prior |
| automobiles, especially vintage cars. With their | | | | to World War I. |
| attitude towards autos, it's not hard to appreciate | | | | After the end of World War I, Bentley became |
| the esteem for which the British hold for the Bentley | | | | determined to develop his own auto manufacturing |
| Motor Car Company. Although Bentley has had a | | | | company, thus the beginning of Bentley Motors, Ltd. |
| number of trials and troubles in its nearly 90 year | | | | Established in 1919, the company was held with very |
| history, British fans remain loyal. The best example is | | | | little capital for the next decade. At the time, the |
| that of the national excitement displayed by the | | | | only Bentley for sale was attractive to a small niche |
| British when a Bentley race car finished third at the | | | | market. |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans sports automobile endurance | | | | Being a racer at heart, Bentley's first cars were high |
| race in France. Never mind that Bentley is now | | | | performance race cars and became immediately |
| owned by Volkswagen and that the engines used in | | | | established as winners in the world of European |
| the Bentley race car was the save as the Audi R8s | | | | racing. Bentley racers won the 24 Hours of Le Mans |
| that took first and second. It was the first time that | | | | 4 times between 1923 until 1931 when the company |
| a Bentley had place in the top three in 71 years and | | | | went a different route. Bentley realized early that |
| the British fans gave little regard to the ownership or | | | | there was little market and profitability in building race |
| engine used. | | | | cars, and to succeed his company would have to |
| W.O. Bentley began his career as an apprentice to a | | | | make consumer minded vehicles that would offer |
| railroad engineer around the 1900 turn of the century. | | | | functionality, style and most importantly, pay the bills. |
| But he had a passion for racing and immediately got | | | | |