Bentley and Rolls Royce come full circle

Bentley and Rolls-Royce are inextricably linked. Indeed, it is possible to argue that for many years they produced the same cars with lightly adjusted features, just enough so that buyers could claim to be making an informed choice about which brand suited their own unique lifestyle. Today, this is not the case, and nor was it many years ago.

Rolls-Royce Crewe factory © photo courtesy of: Rolls-Royce

Both manufacturers have had a potted history, littered with examples of success, failure and the ever-prevailing threat of financial doom. Since I learnt to drive, and indeed have been driving these vehicles, the picture has looked incredibly rosy for both manufacturers. There has been huge investment at Crewe, which has turned the manufacturer around and the city itself and Rolls-Royce has moved its home to Goodwood, where a state-of-the-art facility manufactures an increasingly large range of world beating cars.

But what are the origins of the two great marques? Rolls-Royce was founded in 1906 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. They began producing cars in Derby, after the local council offered them cheap electricity, and they began producing their first high-end automobiles, starting off with a 10hp car and quickly moving to higher outputs. However, the grounding for the company’s future was set. Rolls-Royce would concentrate on producing some of the world’s most luxurious cars, even if they would not always be the best according to contemporary road-testers.

Founder W.O. Bentley © photo courtesy of: Bentley

Bentley was not founded until a little later by W. O. Bentley, who first showed a car at the London Motor Show in October 1919. Again, the core philosophy of the company was evident from an early stage. In 1922 Bentley entered a car into the Indianapolis 500, and in 1923 a car was entered into the Le Mans 24 hours, albeit by a privateer who finished in a commendable fourth position. Bentley returned a year later and took the first of five wins that would come before the firm was taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1931. Bentley had established its sporting credentials, but had also demonstrated its grand-touring capabilities in the hands of drivers like Woolf Bernato and the Bentley Boys. Bernato became Chairman of the company in 1927, keeping it afloat until Rolls-Royce stepped in.

Napier had threatened to take over Bentley and Rolls-Royce was concerned that this eventuality would threaten their flagship model, the Phantom II. Following the acquisition Rolls-Royce moved production to Derby, alongside the Rolls-Royce line.

Following the takeover the two marques operated in tandem, first they produced cars at the Derby plant and then moved to Crewe in 1946, where there was a vacant wartime engine plant. During this period, before the two companies were bought by their current owners, BMW and VW, Rolls-Royce and Bentley underwent numerous financial troubles, increasingly producing cars with shared platforms and parts. By 1998 they two marques were indistinguishable in many ways. The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, produced from 1980 shared the same chassis as the Bentley Mulsanne and the two cars bore each other’s styling traits. In 1998 the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and Bentley’s Arnage broke cover, externally very similar they also shared a BMW V12, abandoning the venerable 6.75 litre V8 that could be traced back to the late 1950’s.

Vickers chose to sell Rolls-Royce and Bentley in 1998, however, the deal turned out to be more complicated than many would have imagined. BMW ended up with the Rolls-Royce operation while Bentley would be produced by VW. Bentley had been out-selling Rolls-Royce by roughly two to one in the mid-1990’s and they also kept the Crewe factory, while BMW chose to develop and all-new  eco-friendly factory at Goodwood, which, in part due to the Festival of Speed at Lord March’s Goodwood home has become synonymous with British motoring.

The roots I have discussed laid the foundations for the two competing, quintessentially English manufacturers and their development under their new German paymasters.

VW unveiled the Continental GT in 2003 to rapturous applause. It was clear that VW had big plans for the company, and that Bentley would be a more ‘sporting’ brand from this point onwards. There would also be a large increase in production at Crewe. Indeed, production rose from around 1000 units to over 9000 in 2006 with the Continental range providing the majority of sales. The Continental GT was also more affordable, with prices starting at just over £110,000. The GT was also very ‘driveable’ due to its smaller size and less cumbersome nature. Although the top speed was officially ‘only’ 197mph contemporary tests showed that the 550bhp coupe was good for over 200mph. The GT was produced as a coupe to start off with, before a saloon (Flying Spur) and a convertible (GTC) joined the fray.

60 years of Rolls-Royce Phantom

© photo courtesy of: Rolls-Royce

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce took a different route. The Phantom was introduced in 2003 also, again to a very positive reception. The Phantom occupies the rarified world of ‘ultimate’ luxury and has become a pin up for business leaders and celebrities alike. Again, the first cars were Saloons, with a coupe and a drop-head couple being added in the following years. The Phantom cost £250,000 and was produced in much smaller numbers than the new ‘baby’ Bentley, reaching a sales peak of 1,010 in 2007. In 2003 Rolls-Royce had once again gone their separate ways and differentiated their products.

Of course, it is easy to forget about the Bentley Arnage, a car I like a lot, but not for any rational reasons. It remains an anachronism in many ways, flaunting old world technology and antiquated driving characteristics, but maintaining the character that meant it would continue to be sold until its demise in 2009. Again, it was produced in three different body shapes, with the Azure and the Brooklands coming later. Bentley would claim until you were deaf that the Arnage competed with the Phantom, but it was difficult to take them seriously.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost was released in 2010 and represented a lower ‘price point’ for Rolls-Royce, perhaps a car that would be easier to use and with the recession in full flow a less ostentatious statement. The Ghost is also more powerful than the Phantom, offering 563bhp and transmitting it’s power through an eight speed gearbox. However, it still maintained Rolls-Royce’s core philosophy: Luxury.

So, in 2010 Bentley unveiled the new Mulsanne, a car it claims competes with the Phantom, but in truth may sit closer to the smaller, more powerful Rolls-Royce. It uses the same 6.75 litre twin-turbo V8 that I love so much, but comes with 505 bhp now, down on the Brooklands’ 530bhp, but now connected to an ultra-smooth 8-speed ZF gearbox. It feels luxurious, but also a little bit naughty, and most of that’s down to the powerplant. Personally, I also think it steers a little better than a Phantom or a Ghost, which both suffer from perceptible ‘shake’ through the steering wheel over larger potholes. Something that I for one was a little perturbed with, but a potential side effect of large wheels.

The Mulsanne is a very good car, and something which Bentley needs in order to maintain its position in the very upper echelons of the luxury car aristocracy. It is a statement and a very positive one at that.

A recent car that has not been such an unqualified success is the all-new for 2011 Continental GT. Again, it has improved greatly, with a far more sophisticated media system than before. However, it is all but indistinguishable from the previous model, even to the seasoned observer.

These were my initial views, and I will stick by them:

It does not seem like long ago that Bentley was reinvigorated by VW and every footballer and his wife wanted the new small Bentley parked on the drive of their Cheshire mansion. However, towards the end of the first generation cars life sales slid and only new more powerful editions such as the Supersports kept customers coming through the doors. The new car offers added power and refinement and an all new media interface that is very welcome to anyone who has driven a Continental GT recently.

Bentley Le Mans cars

© photo courtesy of: Bentley

It certainly is much improved and anyone who wants to use one for business will be delighted. Ours came with 21” wheels and so ride quality was always going to be an issue and I couldn’t find a suspension setting that I liked, especially when I compared it to the way a Speed rides and corners – which is very well for the record. On a soft setting it wallows before becoming slightly harsh on harder settings but without providing any significant feedback. In some ways it moves the game forward for Bentley but it fails to revolutionize the brand in the way that the original did and this may see sales suffer. I look forward to driving one a bit more to reassess but initial impressions suggest that the average customer won’t see the 70 thousand pounds worth of value he will be asked for to get into the new model.

So, what have we learned? Bentley and Rolls-Royce have ended up where they started. Bentley returned to Le Mans in 2003, winning its sixth crown. The Continental is the bedrock of the company and very much the all-conquering sporting trans-continental cruiser that Woolf Bernato favoured. The Mulsanne, meanwhile has been produced on Bentley’s terms once again and is a credible alternative to its rivals. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has returned to its roots, with ultra-smooth V12 engines prevailing. The Phantom is a car to be driven in while a Ghost driver may choose to drive himself.

We must give VW and BMW some credit, they have understood the core philosophies behind the two companies and produced a number of cars which tie in with those philosophies to huge success. They have alleviated the financial worries and either built or developed world-beating factories. Long may it continue.