Bentley’s greatest hits

01 Bentley 3 Litre

The car that started it all for WO Bentley. Not only did the 3 Litre win Le Mans in 1924 and 1927, but owner and adventurer John Duff would also set 21 world records in 24 hours in 1925 while behind the wheel.

02 Bentley Flying Spur (2019)

The first two generations of modern day Flying Spur just didn’t look right, but the current one is so good that it usurped the Mulsanne as Bentley’s flagship and still manages to be compelling to drive.

03 Continental Supersports Convertible

In 2011, Bentley decided to prove the talents of its soft-top Supersports by streamlining the styling and firing rally ace Juha Kankkunen down an ice lake at 205.48mph, collecting the world ice speed record in the process.

04 Bentley Arnage T

“The most powerful Bentley ever” was the claim when the covers were whipped off the Arnage T in 2002. With a 168mph top speed and 0–60mph time of 5.5secs, Bentley hoped it’d attract “younger” drivers in their late 40s.

05 Bentley Brooklands Coupe

When the Brooklands returned in 2007, it was as a giant two-door hard-top version of the Azure convertible. The 6.75-litre twin-turbo RollsRoyce V8 produced so much torque (774lb ft) that it could shift tectonic plates.

06 Blower Bentley

The most iconic pre-war Bentley? When more power was needed from the 4½ Litre, WO Bentley decided to create a 6½ Litre Speed Six, but Sir Tim Birkin persuaded Bentley chair Woolf Barnato to sign off a supercharged 4½ Litre, hence the name.

07 Bentley Speed Six Blue Train

It was thought this coupe was the car in which Barnato raced – and beat – the Blue Train from Cannes to Calais in 1930. We now know he did the feat in a Mulliner saloon and this gorgeous creation was likely a reward to himself.

08 Bentley S1 Continental

Originally known as simply the S, this was Bentley’s take on the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. The Continental was the 4.9-litre straight-six-engined ‘performance’ version that was released six months after the original.

09 Bentley Speed 8

Bentley returned to racing and Le Mans in 2001 with the bonkers 600bhp Speed 8 prototype. In 2003 it finally returned to the top of the podium, with Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Guy Smith taking the 24 Hours victory at la Sarthe.