The Bentley brand is to luxury cars what Everest is to mountains. Those with wallets deep enough to meet the six-figure price tags of the company's vehicles are treated to towering levels of refinement and prestige. Bentley coupes and sedans are mostly hand-assembled in Great Britain at the manufacturer's state-of-the-art Crewe factory. This fusion of old-world craftsmanship with new-world technology is what the Bentley marque is all about. Founded by Walter Owen Bentley, Bentley Motors was born in England in 1919. Two years later, the first model debuted, the rapid "3-litre" Bentley. Larger cars followed, and racing success at Le Mans earned the Bentley motorcars status among British sports car enthusiasts. Financial woes (brought on in part by the Wall Street Crash of 1929) triggered the brand's sale to Rolls-Royce in 1931. The first new Bentley after this event was the "3 1/2-litre," introduced in 1933 and based on a Rolls chassis that never saw production. In subsequent decades, Bentley slowly slid into anonymity with vehicles that, at times, were little more than rebadged Rolls-Royces. The company's fortunes finally took an upturn in 1980s. A new company policy dictated a more distinctive brand image, and it yielded the Mulsanne Turbo sedan, named after the famous corner on the Le Mans circuit. Bentley sales increased, and in 1998 BMW began supplying engines to both the Bentley and Rolls-Royce brands. This relationship created a conflict when Volkswagen made a surprise bid later that year and acquired both marques, but the two German automakers reached an agreement that saw VW handing over control of Rolls to BMW in 2003, while keeping Bentley and the Crewe factory. VW's ownership has given Bentley the opportunity to expand its model range and improve quality. The traditional Bentley qualities remain, however. A Bentley cabin has all the elegance of a Windsor Castle drawing room. Leather and wood trim have become popular in less prestigious nameplates, but Bentley vaults the concept to new heights of opulence, gracing almost every square inch of its interiors with premium hide and timber. Bentley owners seeking a one-of-a-kind vehicle are able to get just that thanks to the extraordinary degree of customization that the brand offers. Fabrics and colors may be handpicked by the customer from an existing selection, or Bentley can completely customize the interior colors to the customer's liking. The manufacturer's coupes and sedans are powered by a series of surprisingly muscular engines. Sportier Bentley models are motivated by a VW-designed twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine that generates more than 550 horsepower. There are high-dollar ultraluxury cruisers, and then there are Bentleys. Whether it's the Arnage sedan or the Continental GT coupe, these luxury cars are sumptuous enough to make even the most jaded tycoon purr with delight.
