Where are Bentley Cars Made?

Bentley has an illustrious and fascinating history. Bentley Motors was first created nearly a century ago (1919) in a small town (Cricklewood) located in Northern London. Within the next decade, Bentley became globally famous for winning the 24-hour Le Mans five times. This success spurred the Cricklewood engineers to build an engine that was durable and race-worthy. Every time Bentley won a race, the engineers improved on the deficits and soon the sports car became a global brand. So, in modern-day, where are Bentley cars made? The town of Crewe, in Cheshire County, England.

Bentley: Solid Reputation, But Not Without Bumps in the Road

In the beginning, Bentley started to develop a solid reputation, both in Britain and overseas, and money started to pour in. Soon enough, the first generation of the 3-liter Bentley was retired. In 1929, newer models of Bentley appeared on the British market, but success on the racetrack was not always consistent. However, the cars were deemed less than reliable or durable. A newer 4.5-liter Bentley was developed, but it only had success in British TV programs and movies, and business did not quickly pick up. At the same time, Bentley faced severe competition from Rolls Royce, and in 1931, Bentley Motors went bankrupt.

Merger Between Bentley and Rolls-Royce

After bankruptcy, the question loomed: if there is to be a future, who makes Bentley cars? This led to a joint merger between Bentley and Rolls-Royce. The latter helped modify the engine and suspension and tried to bring the glory back to the sports car.

How does this affect the question of where are Bentley cars made? Well, in the early 1930s, Bentley Motors moved to the small town of Crewe in Northeast England, where engineers focused on creating better engines.

Mulsanne Restores Bentley’s Image

Due to WWII, production was halted. It resumed in 1946 with the introduction of the iconic first-generation Bentley Continental. Over the next four decades, many versions of the Bentley Continental were developed, but the car still did not have a good reputation. In the ’80s, the company was bought by Vickers PLC, and a new era began with the production of the Mulsanne. This newer, sporty, car restored Bentley’s global image and prestige. The company produced many new editions of the sports model, each version being better than the previous. Now the company had a reliable luxury car that could compete with the likes of Jaguar, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes. 

Volkswagen

In 1998, Vickers was bought by the German company, Volkswagen, and the questions started coming up again: Where are Bentley cars made?  Who makes Bentley cars?

Today, Volkswagen is the sole provider of the Bentley luxury cars with its headquarters in Goodwood, West Sussex England, but most of the manufacturing remains in Crewe. Volkswagen has modernized the entire factory in Crewe and spent hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading the line of cars. A few Bentleys, however, are also manufactured at the Volkswagen plant in Dresden, Germany. In fact, the company has not been able to meet the demands for the luxury car, despite manufacturing 9,500 luxury vehicles a year. Today, the Bentley is used by many presidents and royal families across the globe. 

Bentley Continental

The highlight of the brand is the Bentley Continental, with its powerful W12 engine. The majority of present-day Bentleys have their origins in the first-generation Bentley 4.5 liter. Other notable Bentleys include the Flying Spur, Bentley Continental GT, and Bentley Bentayga diesel. The company is hoping to make all Bentley’s electric by 2030.

Individually Handcrafted Interior

What makes the Bentley stand out is its iconic distinctive design, handcrafted interior luxury, and terrific performance and power. Who makes Bentley cars? All Bentleys are individually hand-built by skilled craftsmen to meet the needs of the consumer; from the engine to the upholstery, every single item in the Bentley is given the utmost attention.  The starting price for the most basic Bentley starts at $220K.

See One and Take a Test Drive

Where will Bentley cars be made in the future? Well, electric models are set to begin arriving by 2030, but we’ll see if they are still going to be made in Crewe.  Come on down to Braman of Palm Beach today and see a Bentley for yourself.  You can see new vehicles and pre-owned models.  Call 1-561-926-9111 to find out what models are currently available at the dealership.