W.O. must be smiling. Not since the unveiling of the 8 Litre Bentley in September 1930 at L1,850 (about $109,000 in 2007$) has Bentley caused such stir in the marketplace as is now will be evident when the $1-2Mn Bentley chassis hits the roads in tandem with Bugatti. The 225Bhp 7.983 Litre Bentley 8 only saw 100 chassis leave Cricklewood before the Receiver's sale and Rolls-Royce acqiusition which killed the legendary 8 Litre---only to be reborn as the 'Silent Sports Cars' from Derby.

Today DR. Piech will have the last laugh, against a mountain of criticism for his acquisition of both Bentley and later, Bugatti. In 1998 Bentley sold 414 cars, and now approaches 10,000 automobiles rolling from the corridors of Crewe---with narry a loss of dash, verve and excitement behind the wheel. And demand still ahead of prodution! The "New Bentley Boys" are having their day, Managing director Dr. Franz Joseph Paefgen and Chief Engineer Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn can only be smiling everytime they take the wheel of the latest products from Crewe.

No doubt that the teaser photographs in your latest issue show the "upscale" Flying Spur based from the super platform shared with Bugatti will not actually carry through to production---that being reserved for Mr. Van Braeckel's true line of form---with the production version probably having far more dash. No doubt that anyone who thought that the era of the "Great Cars" was long passed can now take respite that this is not so. Bentley, of all things, now having become the talismen for the whole of the VWAG Empire, can take heart from its success, that it seems now to have put the word 'Great' back into today's modern hardware.

Can their be little doubt that when Ms. Jennings takes the wheel of this $2Mn Bentley that her words will echo those of W.O. when he tested his first 8 Litre: "It was about as quiet a car can be and could do 110mph on the open road without apparent effort..." except that perhaps her indicated speed of a quad-turbo Veyron inspired 8 Litre Bentley will comfortably sit at 150Mph on the Autostrada!!

Evidently, if what you say becomes truth, and the mettle of the metal, err, rather Aluminum, kevlar, and carbon fibre is tested in your esteemd hands, that the New Bentley Boys have raised the chalice high, putting a new meaning into the phrase "Big Green Driving Machine"

This time, Rolls-Royce will be pressed to respond, and perhaps will counter with their own bespoke "Phantom Continental", for Bentley is not for sale...and Maybach nothing but a wisp of an attempt to rejoin the top-rank. Messrs. Lutz and Wagoner at GM will have to hustle with their V-Series Cadillac V12 if they are to catch-up! And long languishing Lincoln---once maker of the most V-12's of any manufacturer---finds itself in the last dash unable to consider even a challenge!! Aston's Dr. Bez could counter, but will "Rapide" be rapid enough? Ferrari least likely to counter with a four-door than Jaguar can survive long enough to answer. Attempts to revive Duesenberg laughable, any more than those of Packard. Today, it's beleivable that 100 customers will que for this latest from Crewe...thus W.O. has the last word---this time round.    

DouglasR

Source: Automobile Magazine, 'My Life, My Cars', W.O. Bentley, A.S. Barnes NY 1958  

"Uh...I own a BENTLEY".......(AND YOU DON'T)

don't I wish.......lol.