Heraldic Workshop from the Art Studio "Traditions of Times"

At the beginning of the 20th century, the automobile industry was just learning how to go fast. Most cars were more technical experiments than status symbols. But the young engineer Walter Owen Bentley, known to his friends simply as "W O," saw the automobile not as a means of transportation, but as a challenge. He was interested in power, endurance, and honest engineering—in other words, cars that could go fast and for a long time without falling apart on the first race. Even before cars, Walter worked on aircraft engines and was one of the first to use aluminum in their construction. This decision later influenced automobile engines.

How it all began. The company was founded in 1919 in London. Walter Bentley formulated a principle that would later become legendary: "build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class." The first production car, the Bentley 3 Litre, appeared a couple of years later. It didn't look flashy, but it had what drivers valued: power and endurance. It was racing that made the Bentley name famous. In the 1920s, a team of wealthy enthusiasts, known as the Bentley Boys, began competing in the famous French 24 Hours of Le Mans race. They were eccentric and incredibly bold. And so the cars won again and again. Between 1924 and 1930, Bentley won Le Mans five times. For the young car brand, this was not just a sporting success, it was advertising that cannot be bought.

A time of change. But racing success doesn't always translate into financial stability. By the early 1930s, the company was in trouble and was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931. From that moment on, the character of the Bentley automobile brand changed. While previously associated with the rugged power of racing cars, during the Rolls-Royce era, it became the embodiment of the British aristocratic automobile—luxurious, quiet, and incredibly expensive. This gave birth to the elegant sedans of the mid-20th century, and later to models that finally cemented the automobile company's reputation, such as the Bentley Continental GT, introduced in the 21st century. Since 1998, the Bentley automobile brand has belonged to the Volkswagen Group. And it was during this period that Bentley experienced a rebirth, modern technology, a global market, and a return to the idea of ​​powerful yet refined automobiles. Bentley symbols. In the 1920s, cars were increasingly decorated with small hood ornaments. These miniature sculptures were more than just decoration. They hinted at the car's character, its speed, power, and the confidence of its owner. One of the most recognizable symbols of the automotive world, the winged B, the Bentley Winged emblem appeared almost immediately after the car company's founding. It was created by British artist and illustrator Gordon Crosby, known for his automotive illustrations. The meaning was both clear and beautiful. The B, as a monogram, signifies Bentley, the founder's surname, and the wings symbolize speed, freedom, and technological progress.

Perhaps the wings are a symbol associated with Walter Bentley's fascination with aircraft engines. Interestingly, the wings on the logo are asymmetrical. One side has more feathers than the other. This small design trick was done intentionally to make the emblem more difficult to counterfeit. The Bentley emblem exists in several color versions, and these are no coincidence. The Bentley emblem comes in various colors, including green, black, silver, gold, red, and others. The emblem's color thus became a subtle hint about the character of a particular Bentley model. A return to roots. In recent years, the Bentley automobile brand has once again emphasized power and dynamics. Modern car models combine what once seemed incompatible: handcrafted luxury and engineering prowess that the Bentley Boys would have appreciated. And there is a certain logic to this. When Walter Owen Bentley founded his company over a hundred years ago, he didn't intend to simply build expensive cars. He wanted to make cars that people could be proud of on the track.

Today, Bentley is one of the most renowned luxury car manufacturers. But at the heart of its history lies Walter Bentley's simple idea that a car should not only be beautiful and expensive, but above all, well-made. Sometimes, it's these ideas that endure for an entire century.

Photo from Bentley's Instagram account