Bentley Opens Heritage Garage In The Middle Of Its Present-Day Factory

Bentley today announced that it has officially opened the Heritage Garage, a new space designed to house 22 classic cars from its 103-year history. The new garage will, therefore, be home to a significant chunk of Bentley’s Heritage Collection.

The space now contains cars that date back to as early as 1919, but ultimately the plan is to limit its contents to vehicles built in Crewe. That means that it will eventually only host vehicles made after 1946.

The choice of location for the Heritage Garage is apt, since it is located within the original 1930 brick factory that was most recently used as a “project forum.” There, vehicles like the 2003 Continental GT were planned and developed.

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Located at the heart of Bentley‘s current-day factory, its employees can see the history of the brand as they walk through the building. In addition to housing classic cars, it will also be used as an event space for presentations, press briefings, and more.

“As we continue to evolve, we want our guests and colleagues from all areas of the company to be able to share the rich history of Bentley Motors,” said Mike Sayer, the head of Bentley’s Heritage Collection. “The Heritage Garage brings that history to vivid life, and means we can actively reference our past while setting the course for our future.”

Bentley’s Heritage Collection is now 42 cars large and contains some of the most remarkable moments in its history. It includes EXP2, the second Bentley ever made (and the oldest still in existence), as well as the Bentley Mark VI that was the first vehicle ever to emerge from its Crewe factory.

When it’s complete, Bentley’s Heritage Collection will be housed in three locations. The oldest vehicles built at Cricklewood (1919-1931) and Derby (1931-1939) will be kept at the soon-to-be-redeveloped CW1 House. Crewe-built models will be stored at the Heritage Garage, and the eight modern motorsport cars (which include the Speed 8s, the Ice Speed Record cars, and the Pikes Peak record car) will be shown at a separate display.

“Having now rebuilt the Collection to fully chart our history, we have an ongoing commitment to add to it with each significant new model we launch,” said Sayer. “For example, the Collection now includes the 2019 Bentayga Hybrid, which was both the first-ever plug-in hybrid Bentley and an important step in our ‘Beyond100’ strategy towards electrification.”