BentleyStraightEight

B E N T L E Y H I S T O RY
19
Social trends in the late 1920s/early 1930s
were mirrored in a rise in smaller ownerdriver
saloon cars with style, performance
and comfort. Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd
successfully met this demand with the Derbybuilt
3 1 /2 and 4 1 /4-litre Bentleys built between
1933 and 1939 but when W.O. was offered a
job at Lagonda in 1935, the year that a Lagonda
won at Le Mans, the allure of working with
racing cars again was irresistible. He went on to
design the V12 Lagonda, later working for Aston
Martin and Armstrong-Siddeley before retiring.
Encouraged by Stanley Sedgwick and the
Bentley Drivers Club, W.O. was Patron
of the club until his death in 1971.
When Bentley announced its return
to Le Mans in late 2000, it was clearly
stated that it would be a three year
programme with victory the only aim.
In 2001, Team Bentley scored a remarkable
third place followed by a creditable
fourth in 2002 with the EXP Speed 8.
Then with the culmination of the development
programme, Bentley achieved outright
victory in June 2003 - bang on schedule.