Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles which was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley. The company originally built a range of airplane engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 which was used in the famous British fighter Sopwith Camel. After the war, Bentley designed and made production cars that won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1924  and repeated that success with victories in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931, production was moved from London to Derby and later to Crewe, England.  In 1998, the Volkswagen Group of Germany purchased Bentley, and have kept the production facilities in the UK so the car is still classified as British built.

Historically, it has always been the ultimate gentleman’s car as a faster more performance focused automobile than its cousin, the Rolls Royce.  It still remains the ultimate luxury automobile for society’s 1% however, it now also reigns supreme as the defacto purchase for the biggest names in pro sports and entrepreneurs who have “made it”.  I recently had the opportunity to take some photos of a local 2009 Bentley GTC Convertible. What a machine is all I can say…

Specs are impressive to say the least…

• 600 HP
• Top speed of 325 kilometres per hour (201.9 mph)
• 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds
• Acceleration to 200 km/h (124 mph) from 0 in 12.8.
• First production Bentley officially capable of reaching 325 km/h (201.9 mph), despite the fact the car weighs over 2,400 kilograms (5,291 lb)