How to build British....Bentley.

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It was an interesting well put together programme, plenty of good production pictures combined with some informative audio. Overall worth watching.
 
Lovely cars to drive i am sure, but not a real Bentley.
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I admit I’ve not seen this programme yet, but the blurb seems to indicate it’s a car built by Bentley in a Bentley factory, and carrying a Bentley badge.

If this is the case, why is it not a real Bentley?

(apologies if I’ve misunderstood your post, of course)
 
I thought the programme gave a reasonable overview of what goes on at Bentley.
Although, I was horrified that within the first few minutes we were told that in 1929 a famous 'Blower Bentley' won Le Mans!
It didn't. It may well have set the pace and acted as a 'hare' to break others, but a conventional 'atmo' Bentley won the race.
The first 'Blower Bentley' to win Le Mans was in 2003. I know, I was Project Manager.

Still a good overview of the production operations. I'm surprised they didn't use the fact that the the factory was used to to build 12 cylinder Merlin engines during the war and is now still the largest producer of 12 cyl engines in the world.
I wasn't surprised that they didn't include the fact that the Merlin engines were used against the Germans, but the current W12 production is owned by them....:dk:
 
I thought the programme gave a reasonable overview of what goes on at Bentley.
Although, I was horrified that within the first few minutes we were told that in 1929 a famous 'Blower Bentley' won Le Mans!
It didn't. It may well have set the pace and acted as a 'hare' to break others, but a conventional 'atmo' Bentley won the race.
The first 'Blower Bentley' to win Le Mans was in 2003. I know, I was Project Manager.

Still a good overview of the production operations. I'm surprised they didn't use the fact that the the factory was used to to build 12 cylinder Merlin engines during the war and is now still the largest producer of 12 cyl engines in the world.
I wasn't surprised that they didn't include the fact that the Merlin engines were used against the Germans, but the current W12 production is owned by them....:dk:

It was mentioned towards the beginning of the program that the factory was used to build Merlin engines for Spitfires. :)

I though it was a brilliant and fascinating program that showed the attention to detail and the technology used. I'm looking forward to the remaining three programs.

The revolving section of the dash is fabulous! :cool:
 
I admit I’ve not seen this programme yet, but the blurb seems to indicate it’s a car built by Bentley in a Bentley factory, and carrying a Bentley badge.

If this is the case, why is it not a real Bentley?

(apologies if I’ve misunderstood your post, of course)
I'm guessing it's, "because they're a Volkswagon"...?
 
It was mentioned towards the beginning of the program that the factory was used to build Merlin engines for Spitfires. :)
Agreed!...but they failed say this same factory is still the biggest producer of 12 cyl engines in the world!

On the 'not a real Bentley' bit, I can only say that Volkswagen have been a great parent for Bentley.
They have supplied the funds and technology to drag Bentley into the 21st century.
They have also been wise enough to allow Bentley to do what they best and produce cars to WO's mantra of ' a fast car, a good car, best in class'
They are much less of just a 'badged' car than they were in the 60 odd years of Rolls ownership.
So maybe 'real' Bentleys were only built before 1930?
 
I'm guessing it's, "because they're a Volkswagon"...?
The company may be owned by Volkswagen, but they make Bentleys. It’s like saying Fairy liquid isn’t real Fairy liquid because it’s owned by Procter and Gamble.
It’s just one of their products.
Skoda is part of the VW group,, but it’s said Skodas are great now they are owned by VAG, not that they aren’t real Skodas.

we might as well scrap most car marques (bar MB, but if we’re being consistent, they are really Daimlers, aren’t they?), as very few are just the one brand, eg, over the years

Volvo/Ford
Land Rover/Ford
Rolls Royce/BMW
Vauxhall/GM/Peugeot
Aston Martin/several
etc

I’m often approached in car parks when I’m with the JZR, with "that’s not a real one", suggesting I’m trying to pass it off as M**g*n. It is a real JZR though, which I describe as 'a tribute to the sporting 3 wheelers of the 1930s'.
rant over.

EDIT: Mactech is spot on!!!
 
The company may be owned by Volkswagen, but they make Bentleys. It’s like saying Fairy liquid isn’t real Fairy liquid because it’s owned by Procter and Gamble.
It’s just one of their products.
Skoda is part of the VW group,, but it’s said Skodas are great now they are owned by VAG, not that they aren’t real Skodas.

we might as well scrap most car marques (bar MB, but if we’re being consistent, they are really Daimlers, aren’t they?), as very few are just the one brand, eg, over the years

Volvo/Ford
Land Rover/Ford
Rolls Royce/BMW
Vauxhall/GM/Peugeot
Aston Martin/several
etc

I’m often approached in car parks when I’m with the JZR, with "that’s not a real one", suggesting I’m trying to pass it off as M**g*n. It is a real JZR though, which I describe as 'a tribute to the sporting 3 wheelers of the 1930s'.
rant over.

EDIT: Mactech is spot on!!!
I was being (attempting to be) ironic, perhaps preempting the response from someone else.
On QI, the klaxon would have gone off good style. :)

Bentley are made just down the road from me. Some of my former colleagues work there, building (though mostly testing) the cars. I don't think of them as being VW any more than I think of Mercedes F1 being MB.
 
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I quite enjoyed it, love the look of those W engines.

Liked the tool that knew via the computer that everything had been done up correctly.
Reminded me of a production line I was working with in Asia, when I asked one of the guys why the operators were only putting 1 part n each the answer was, "they wont forget 1 but give them more than 1 and some may end up missing".
 
I admit I’ve not seen this programme yet, but the blurb seems to indicate it’s a car built by Bentley in a Bentley factory, and carrying a Bentley badge.

If this is the case, why is it not a real Bentley?

(apologies if I’ve misunderstood your post, of course)
To me a Bentley is an elusive car for the very rich only, like a Bristol. The sort of car that even if you had the money that did not guarantee you could purchase one.

The Continental GT changed all that because it made Bentley popular with the masses with it's almost 200mph top speed and relatively affordable price tag. Undoubtedly a wonderful car to drive but with this mass appeal the Bentley brand lost something.

All very un Bentley imho.
 
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To me a Bentley is an elusive car for the very rich only, like a Bristol. The sort of car that even if you had the money that did not guarantee you could purchase one.

The Continental GT changed all that because it made Bentley popular with the masses with it's almost 200mph top speed and relatively affordable price tag. Undoubtedly a wonderful car to drive but with this mass appeal the Bentley brand lost something.

All very un Bentley imho.
Sound rather like the journey the Mercedes brand has been on - from cars for the well heeled that cost greatly more than the competition, to mass-market offerings to tempt the majority out of their Fords, Nissans and Vauxhalls. Not great for the brand but seems to make money...
 
Sound rather like the journey the Mercedes brand has been on - from cars for the well heeled that cost greatly more than the competition, to mass-market offerings to tempt the majority out of their Fords, Nissans and Vauxhalls. Not great for the brand but seems to make money...
I’m not so sure the brand is any worse for it. I can’t think of any other brand which has such a broad market Mercedes from A-Class to Mercedes-Maybach, from G-Wagen to AMG GT R Pro, from EQC to G 6x6, from GLB to Actros, from C63 to Unimog. And that doesn’t include Smart.

Brand perception in one market segment does not put off buyers in another. Incredibly most of the vehicles are leaders in the class, in fact Mercedes is enjoying something or a Renaissance right now, and long may it continue. The brand seems fairly healthy to me.
 

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