Blower Bentley
April 1, 2005
As recently as the 1970s, Bentley got no respect. Only a grille, some badges,
and a few dollars separated the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II from the
Bentley T2
and, logically, the two should have been considered equals;
but somewhere along
the way Bentley experienced an identity crisis—no
one really understood the
marque’s purpose. At one time the sporting
alter ego to sedate Rolls-Royce,
Bentley no longer offered a more
athletic driving experience, and without that,
its value as the
ultimate statement in reverse snobbery declined. Instead of
regarding
the Bentley as a less-showy alternative, buyers saw it as a
second-tier
Rolls-Royce, the equivalent of paying Cadillac money for a Buick.
Only
one person is said to have requested a Bentley version of Rolls-Royce’s
range-topping Camargue coupe, and in the secondhand market it wasn’t
unusual to
find Bentleys fitted with Parthenon-like Rolls-Royce
grilles.
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Modifying the ECU increases horsepower in the
Continental GT’s W-12 engine
to 630. (Click image to enlarge)
Things improved for Bentley in the 1980s. The Mulsanne and the Eight—Bentley’s Silver Spirit variants—started at least paying lip service to the marque’s illustrious racing past with “S” models and mesh grilles. Then came the introduction of the Turbo R toward the end of the decade. With buckets of torque, a painted radiator shell, and unique interior design, there was no mistaking a Turbo R for its Rolls-Royce stablemates—the winged B atop the rounded Bentley grille started to regain its luster. Turbochargers, particularly, helped create a unique identity for Bentley, since Crewe initially declined to bolt them onto any Rolls-Royce engine. Wisely, Bentley continued to cultivate its sportier image throughout the 1990s; just as young, fashion-conscious buyers had readily embraced the Rolls-Royce Corniche in the ’70s, they were snapping up Bentley sedans, coupes, and convertibles with verve. The Azure convertible’s regular appearances in music videos underscored the marque’s newfound cool factor.
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