Bentley Motors 1945-1964: Classic Marques

The winged B emblem, the hallmark of Bentley Motors, is synonymous with those grand cars which, in the 1920s and 1930s, dominated Brooklands and Le Mans and were driven to victory by hero racing drivers known as The Bentley Boys. When Bentley was taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1931 the individual character of the Marque remained, and continued to do so during the post-war years.

Malcolm Bobbitt, member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, recalls Bentley development in the late 1930s and early 1940s which led to the introduction in 1946 of the Mark VI, a fine car embodying the luxuries and qualities of its predecessors. The Bentley tradition of building superbly engineered cars was sustained with the R-Type of 1953, and John Blatchley's styling masterpiece, the beautifully designed S-Type which made its debut in 1955 and remained in production, albeit with styling and engineering modifications, until 1965.