Although not quite in the rarefied air, the Bentley brand belongs in the super luxury sphere. But who is it named after and what does its name mean?
Like many other car companies, Bentley is named after its founder Walter Owen Bentley, who is commonly referred to as W. O. Bentley.
Founded in 1919, the company lost its independence when it was bought out by Rolls-Royce in 1931 after going into receivership.
The brand and its assets were bought by Volkswagen in 1997, but BMW had rights to the Rolls-Royce name.
In 2003 Rolls and Bentley went their separate ways, with Rolls-Royce moving to be facilities under the auspices of BMW, while Bentley stayed in Rolls-Royce’s historic home of Crewe under the control of Volkswagen.
