Walter Owen Bentley, MBE (16 September 1888 – 13 August 1971) was an English engineer who started the Bentley company in London. As a young man, he raced motorcycles and cars. After becoming well-known for designing aircraft and car engines, Bentley started his own company in 1919. He grew the company into one of the world's top luxury and performance car makers. His brand won many races at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1931, he sold his company to Rolls-Royce. Later, he worked as a designer for Lagonda, Aston Martin, and Armstrong Siddeley.
Early life
Bentley was born on September 16, 1888, in Hampstead, London. He was the youngest of nine children. His father, Alfred Bentley, was a retired businessman, and his mother, Emily (née Waterhouse), was born in Adelaide, Australia. She was the daughter of T. G. Waterhouse. As the son of a wealthy family, Bentley received private education at Clifton College in Bristol from 1902 until 1905. At age 16, he left school to begin an apprenticeship as an engineer with the Great Northern Railway at Doncaster Works.
The five-year apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway cost his father £75. It taught Bentley how to design complex railway machinery and gave him hands-on experience in the technical steps needed to cast, build, and manufacture it. He later said, "The sight of one of Patrick Stirling's eight-foot singles could move me profoundly." While working for the Great Northern, Bentley nearly achieved his childhood dream of driving one of their Atlantic express locomotives. At the end of his apprenticeship, he gained experience as a second fireman on main-line trains. He described one of his longest days as traveling from London to Leeds and back, covering 400 miles in total. This required shoveling about seven tons of coal. He completed his apprenticeship in the summer of 1910 but decided that working for the railways did not provide enough opportunities for a satisfying career.
In 1909 and 1910, Bentley raced motorcycles named Quadrant, Rex, and Indian. He competed in two Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races: one in 1909 on a Rex motorcycle and another in 1910 as part of the Indian factory team. He did not finish either race. In 1910, his Indian motorcycle’s rear tire burst on the second lap of the race.
After studying theoretical engineering at King’s College London, Bentley worked for the National Motor Cab Company. His duties included overseeing the maintenance of the company’s 250 Unics cars. He was interested in how taxi drivers creatively adjusted the meters.
In 1912, Bentley joined his brother, Horace Millner Bentley, in a company called "Bentley and Bentley" that sold French Doriot, Flandrin & Parant cars. Dissatisfied with the performance of the DFP cars, Bentley believed that success in competitions would help sell them. Inspired by a paperweight, he had pistons for the engines made from aluminum alloy. When fitted with these pistons and a modified camshaft, a DFP car set several records at Brooklands in 1913 and 1914.
At the start of World War I, Bentley realized that using aluminum alloy pistons in military engines could benefit the country. These pistons improved engine power and allowed higher engine speeds. Because security concerns prevented him from sharing this information with engine manufacturers, Bentley contacted Commander Wilfred Briggs, the official liaison between manufacturers and the Navy. Briggs became Bentley’s senior officer throughout the war.
Commissioned in the Royal Naval Air Service, Bentley shared his knowledge about engine modifications with manufacturers. His first meeting was with the future Lord Hives at Rolls-Royce, leading to the design of the company’s first aero engine, the Eagle, which used aluminum pistons instead of cast-iron or steel. He later visited Louis Coatalen at Sunbeam, where the same innovation was applied to all their aero engines.
Bentley also worked with Gwynnes, whose factory in Chiswick produced French Clerget engines under license. He helped connect the squadrons in France with Gwynnes’ engineers. When Gwynnes refused to use Bentley’s suggestions, the Navy provided him with a team to design his own aero engine at the Humber factory in Coventry. The engine, called the BR1 or Bentley Rotary 1, differed from the Clerget engine except for the cam mechanism, which was kept to simplify production. A prototype of the engine ran in early summer 1916. A larger version, the BR2, was developed in early 1918.
For his contributions, Bentley was awarded the MBE. In 1920, he was invited to make a claim for his work, which the Clerget licensees contested but lost. The Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors gave him £8,000.
Bentley Motors
After the war, in early 1919, Bentley started a new company in a small building in London with Frank Burgess (who had previously worked for Humber) and Harry Varley (who had previously worked for Vauxhall). Clive Gallop joined the team as an engine designer to help create their 3,000 cubic centimeter (180 cubic inch) straight-four engine. The 3-liter engine was first tested in New Street Mews, Baker Street, London. A plaque now marks the building, which is now called Chagford Street. Bentley’s first complete 3 Litre car began road tests in January 1920. The first production version, made in Cricklewood, was delivered in September 1921. People praised the car’s durability.
Bentley’s motto was, “To build a good car, a fast car, the best in class.” His cars competed in hill climbs and at Brooklands. In the 1922 Indianapolis 500 mile race, the only Bentley 3 Litre entered by the company, driven by Douglas Hawkes, finished thirteenth with an average speed of 74.95 mph. Bentley entered a team of modified 3-liter cars in the 1922 Tourist Trophy, with Bentley himself driving one. The only team to finish, they received the Team Award, which helped build Bentley’s reputation. Jean Chassagne, who later became a “Bentley Boy,” had previously won a Grand Prix in 1921 driving a Sunbeam. Bentley cars set many records at the Le Mans 24-hour races, with “Bentley Boy” Woolf Barnato winning all three times he entered.
In 1923, Bentley, who was initially doubtful, attended the first Le Mans race and saw John Duff and Frank Clement’s private car finish in fourth place. A Bentley 3 Litre won at Le Mans in 1924. Neither of the two Bentleys entered in the 1925 race finished, but later models won again in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930. The factory team was managed by Bentley’s old school friend, Richard Sidney Witchell. Ettore Bugatti once said that Bentley made “the fastest lorries in the world.”
When Bentley Motors Ltd. faced financial problems and its board members criticized Bentley, Barney Barnato’s heir, Woolf Barnato, bought the company’s assets and became chairman. Bentley continued his design work as Barnato’s employee. The racing version of the Bentley-designed six-cylinder Speed Six (the road car was introduced in 1928) was the most successful Bentley in competition, winning Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. In 1929, against Bentley’s wishes, Barnato approved the development of a supercharged, “Blower” version of the 1927 4½ Litre. Created by Tim Birkin, the car was built in separate workshops in Welwyn Garden City, away from Bentley. As Bentley had feared, the car’s durability was poor, and it failed on the track.
Although Barnato continued racing Bentleys successfully, and the company sold 100 of its 8 Litre model (introduced in October 1930 as a luxury car for the wealthy), the Great Depression hurt the business. By July 1931, Barnato’s financial support had declined, and Bentley Motors went out of business. On July 10, a receiver was appointed to manage the company. Bentley’s company had lost £136,220 and had used up three fortunes, including Barnato’s.
With plans to return to the luxury car business, Napier & Son began talks to buy Bentley Motors.
— Press Association, Napier To Absorb Bentley Motors, The Times, 24 October 1931, page 18
Cricklewood Production
– 506 of the 3-liter cars were “Speed Models,” and 15 were “100 mph Models.”
– 54 of the 4½-liter cars were supercharged.
– 171 of the short-chassis 6½-liter cars were “Speed Sixes.”
Rolls-Royce Limited, Derby
However, Bentley's main competitor, Rolls-Royce, was concerned about the 8 Litre model entering the same market area as their Phantom II. To stop Bentley from continuing as a competitor, Rolls-Royce's agents made an offer, pretending to be a different company to avoid alerting Napier and increasing the price. This allowed Rolls-Royce to buy the company, outbidding Napier at the last moment. They announced the acquisition on November 20, 1931. Bentley described in his biography how he learned about the purchase. His wife returned from a cocktail party, where she heard a man say something that sounded like his company had recently taken over Bentley. Later, she found out from the hostess that the man’s name was Arthur Sidgreaves. “Who is he?” she asked her husband. “He’s the managing director of Rolls-Royce,” Bentley replied.
The old business had not officially registered their Bentley trademark; Rolls-Royce quickly fixed that mistake. Cricklewood was closed in 1932. After that, production moved to Rolls-Royce’s premises in Derby and, after the war, to Crewe.
Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley’s showrooms in Cork Street, the service station at Kingsbury, the entire Cricklewood establishment, and Bentley himself. This last part was challenged by Napier in court, but Napier lost the case. Everything was sold except some 8-litre chassis, which were sent to Derby. The name “Bentley” was kept and used for a smaller, more economical car. However, the prototype was very complicated and costly, and its development was stopped.
Bentley believed Barnato had bought a large number of shares in Rolls-Royce just before stopping his support while visiting New York. Barnato was invited to become a director of the new Rolls-Royce subsidiary, Bentley Motors (1931) Limited.
Bentley’s winter of 1931/1932 was difficult: his wife divorced him, and he lost his personal car when he was asked to return his Bentley 8 Litre. After learning about this, Lord William Rootes, CEO of Rootes, arranged for Bentley to test a new Hillman car each weekend.
As required by the court, Bentley joined Rolls-Royce under a contract lasting from May 1, 1932, to April 30, 1935.
Bentley hoped he would be given his own design team at Rolls-Royce. The first meeting between Bentley and Henry Royce ended this hope when Royce asked, “I believe you are a commercial man, Mr. Bentley?” Bentley replied, “Well, not really—I suppose I’m more of a technical specialist.” Royce continued, “You’re not an engineer then, are you?” Bentley responded, “I think you were a boy in the GN running sheds at Peterborough, a bit before I was a premium apprentice at Doncaster.” Rolls-Royce kept Bentley isolated in London and Europe, assigning him tasks such as testing vehicles at Brooklands and driving long test runs across the Continent and the Alps.
While working on testing the prototype, Bentley was only allowed to comment on the design of the new Derby 3 + 1⁄2-litre model, announced in October 1933. Around that time, he began reporting in person to the design teams at Derby, where he made friends, including Harry Grylls and Stewart Tresilian, who worked on a short-stroke replacement for the V12 engine for the Phantom III. Bentley was not involved in designing the new car bearing his name, but he respected the team’s work.
Rolls-Royce promoted its new line of Bentleys as “The Silent Sports Car.” Bentley left Rolls-Royce at the end of his contract in April 1935 with a sense of freedom.
Lagonda, Staines, Middlesex
A Lagonda M45R Rapide with a Meadows engine won the 1935 Le Mans 24-hour race. One week later, Lagonda avoided financial trouble thanks to Alan P. Good. Bentley joined Lagonda’s new board as Technical Director and brought most of Rolls-Royce’s racing department staff with him. Bentley returned to racing. When he could not convince Harry Grylls to join his team at Staines, Bentley hired Stewart Tresilian in February 1936. Tresilian brought Frank Stark and Reg Ingham with him, and Donald Bastow later joined the group.
Bentley made Tresilian the chief designer for the V12 engine project, which was introduced in 1937. The engine had a 4480 cc displacement, produced 180 bhp (134 kW), and could accelerate from 7 to 105 mph in top gear while reaching 5000 rpm. Tresilian left Lagonda in early 1938 to work for a Hawker Siddeley subsidiary. At that time, the V12 engine was not fully completed, and Lagonda’s financial problems caused more staff to leave.
The car was displayed at the 1939 New York Motor Show. The New York Times reported: "The most expensive car in the show this year is a Lagonda called the 'Rapide' model, imported from England. Its engine is a twelve-cylinder V engine that produces 200 horsepower."
During the war, Bentley worked on weapons production at Lagonda. As the war ended, he began designing a new straight-6 engine because the V12 was considered too costly for the postwar market. The team created a modern straight-6 engine with a 2.6 L (2580 cc/157 in³) displacement. It had a 78 mm (3.07 in) bore and 90 mm (3.543 in) stroke, and produced about 105 hp (78 kW) with dual SU carburettors. This engine was not sold until 1948.
Because of material shortages, the Ministry of Supply, which controlled steel allocation from 1945 to 1954, gave Lagonda steel for only 100 cars. Although Lagonda had prepared for large-scale production and showed proof of a strong export order, David Brown’s companies received the steel they needed. One result of these controls was that aluminum was used in Land Rovers, which led to the vehicles being known for not rusting.
In August 1947, J. R. Greenwood, Chairman of Lagonda, announced that work had started on the first 1,000 of the new Bentley-designed 2 + 1⁄2-litre cars. However, the project was canceled due to ongoing production challenges and a new double purchase tax. While Lagonda would continue other engineering work, including making a diesel-powered pile-driver, the company informed its 1,600 workers that some would lose their jobs.
David Brown, Feltham, Middlesex
One month later, around September, it was announced that the Lagonda model had been purchased by David Brown & Sons (Huddersfield) Limited, a company that makes gears. This company would combine the production of cars with the Aston Martin model, which it had bought earlier that year.
The production of cars was moved to Feltham, Middlesex.
Brown bought Lagonda mainly to get help from Bentley's engineers. Right away, he used Bentley's newest engine, the 2.6-litre Lagonda Straight-6 engine, in another car he had recently acquired: the Frank Feeley-designed Aston Martin DB2. This strong engine with two overhead camshafts was used in both Lagondas and Aston Martins until 1959. Bentley noted that important design details from this engine were later used in their V8 models.
Armstrong Siddeley
Bentley transferred from Aston Martin-Lagonda to Armstrong Siddeley, where he created another 3-liter engine with two overhead camshafts before retiring. His team included Donald Bastow. One report stated that the team was responsible for designing the car's chassis for the Sapphire project. However, by 1949, their work had only provided detailed ideas for the production version of the car, which was officially announced in October 1952. Although Bentley's specific engine design was found to be too expensive for production, his involvement ensured that the final Sapphire model was respected by other designers of the time.
Personal life
Bentley married three times and did not have any children. In 1914, he married Leonie Gore. She was the daughter of Sir St George Ralph Gore, the ninth baronet of Magherabegg. Leonie died during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1919. In 1920, Bentley married Poppy (Audrey Hutchinson), who was born in 1895 and died in 1981. Poppy was a lively and social person who did not enjoy working in factories. Bentley, however, liked spending time in workshops. They divorced after the business was sold in 1931. In 1934, Bentley married Margaret Roberts Hutton, who was born Murray. Margaret lived for about 18 years after Bentley’s death.
Bentley died on Friday, August 13, 1971, just before his 83rd birthday, in Woking, Surrey. From 1947 until his death in 1971, he was the patron of The Bentley Drivers’ Club.
In 1995, Bentley was honored by being inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Obituaries
The Times published a long obituary on August 16, 1971. The same newspaper then published two additional articles during the next week:
The Bentley Drivers' Club
Woolf Barnato (1895–1948) was president. Bentley became a patron in 1947. The club was founded in 1936 and now has about 4,000 members in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Canada, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.
A new website, www.wobentley.club, was created. It has an archive with information about all known and unknown Bentleys, including photographs and documents that describe each car's history.