Oct

25

Bentley

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The British are known for having a fondness to autos made by their countrymen, especially those who are loyal to Bentley Motor Cars. Bentley was formed in 1919 by W.O. Bentley, who began his career as a railroad engineering apprentice and who then got into motorcycle racing.

Because he of his love for speed, Bentley's first cars were high performance autos that were winners among the racing circuits. In fact, Bentley products won the 24-hour LeMans four times between 1923 and 1931, when the company began to turn downhill financially.

The reason Bentley Motor Cars began to struggle was because up until this point, they were mainly producing race cars, of which there was a very limited market. He decided to turn to making autos with high-end bodies that were for wealthy customers.

Eventually, Bentley became a major competitor for Rolls Royce with it's luxury line-up of touring cars, limousines and coupes. When the Great Depression hit, however, Bentley was sold Rolls and the distinctive Bentley name became a slightly cheaper Rolls Royce with a different grill. One of the more notable Bentley's of this era was the Continental which first sold in the 1950's and then reappeared in 1992. In 1998, Bentley was purchased by Volkswagen, and they have once again reclaimed their original stature and luxury.

Oct

2

Lotus

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Lotus Cars was formed in 1952 as Lotus Engineering Ltd in Norfolk, England. In 1954, Team Lotus was formed, and was involved in Formula One racing from 1958 to 1994. In fact, Lotus automobiles won the Formula One Racing Championship seven times.

Lotus Cars Limited was created in 1959 and focused on road cars for customers that wanted higher performance sports cars, but were not interested in racing them. When thinking of road models, one of the first that comes to mind is the Lotus Esprit. Launched in 1976, this angular car was almost futuristic in design. This car was well known for gaining its performance through being light weight, as it weighed less than 2300 lbs.. Some may remember the Esprit from its appearances in the James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me” in 1977, as well as in the Julia Roberts break-out hit “Pretty Woman” in 1990.

One model currently being produced is the Lotus Exige, which has been named by some automotive journalists as being the best handling sports car on the road today, due mostly to its superior cornering capabilities.

Lotus will forever be known as a builder of fine British performance cars.

The Lotus Book: The Complete History Of Lotus Cars (The Lotus Book)