Who Was Walter Owen Bentley?

Bentley history would be incomplete without knowing a little bit about Walter Owen Bentley. The visionary who catalyzed Bentley into 100 years of auto manufacturing was born in 1888. He would found Bentley Motors 31 years later, in 1919.

A Visionary in Training

W.O., as he preferred to be called, foresaw a future of top-of-the-line vehicles that were both powerful and luxurious. These two elements naturally complement each other today, but in the days when the auto industry was first finding its feet, putting both in one car felt like an extravagance.

Obsessed with vehicles, W.O. wanted to know everything about how they moved and operated. He bought a second-hand bicycle at age 9 just so he could dismantle it and understand its mechanisms. At 16, he began a five-year apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway. He then moved to the road as a motorcycle racer. In the London-Edinburgh trial of 1907, his motorcycle broke down miles from the finish, he had to repair it on the road, and he still won gold. He’d win more in 1908.

The Aluminum Revolution

It was his talents as an engineer that propelled Walter Owen Bentley forward. He came across a paperweight one day. It was made of aluminum. It was effective and strong, but also very light. W.O. wondered if it could be adapted to make light but strong pistons. Up to then, heavy steel and cast iron pistons limited the performance of cars. He experimented with alloys until he found an ideal blend – 88% aluminum to 12% copper.

He would use this knowledge to create engines for British fighters in World War I and start Bentley Motors after the war had been decided.

W.O.’s Masterpiece

The first car in Bentley history was the New Street Mews, and his company proved its vision with five victories at Le Mans within a single decade – the 1920s. It was the 8-litre that truly stands the test of time as W.O.’s masterpiece. It was the first quiet car capable of 100 mph speeds.

Only 100 of the 8-litres were ever made before the Wall Street Crash occurred and changed production demand, which is why only 100 of the new W.O. Edition Bentley Mulsannes are being produced. It commemorates the production run of the 8-litre, proudly displays a slice of the crankshaft from Bentley’s own 8-litre, and also celebrates Bentley entering its 100th year of making cars that challenge limits and push boundaries.