Bentley Drivers Club’s 75th Anniversary
(Crewe, Tuesday 21st June) Bentley Motors today rolled out the red carpet to welcome over a hundred members of the Bentley Drivers Club (BDC) – and their fifty Bentleys – to its headquarters in Crewe.
The visit is part of the Britain by Bentley tour which celebrates the club’s 75th anniversary by emulating the tradition of the grand tour and traversing some 3,000 miles of UK roads in a range of models that span 80 years of Bentley’s history.
Drivers have travelled from around the world to take part in the event: Syd and Nikki Reinhardt have travelled from Australia with their 1927 6 ½ litre Mulsanne whilst others like Jenny Ford and her Blower Bentley are already based in the UK.
The drivers arrived at Crewe Hall on Monday evening for a gala dinner with executive members from Bentley Motors. They then travelled to Bentley’s Pyms Lane site under an honorary police escort this morning for a tour of the factory where new models such as the Mulsanne and new Continental GT are now in full production.
Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who hosted the visit said: No grand tour of Britain by Bentley would be complete without a visit to our headquarters here in Crewe. We are delighted to welcome so many members of the Bentley Drivers Club and their vehicles today. It is a unique and very special occasion to have so many rare and historic Bentleys gathered here in Crewe.
Bentley and its drivers have always enjoyed a unique friendship which very few other motoring marques have been able to emulate. We hope that our visitors will also enjoy the factory tour and the opportunity to see the next generation of our cars which will create a new and exciting chapter for Bentley.
Jenny Ford, Chair of the Bentley Drivers Club said: The Bentley Drivers Club was set up 75 years ago by Bentley owners who revelled in driving their cars. We are proud to maintain that tradition today and have greatly enjoyed the warm welcome extended to us and the opportunity to see the Bentley factory flourishing.
Bentley Motors employs just under 4,000 people in Crewe which is home to all its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury vehicle manufacturers such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley exports over £500m worth of goods every year to established markets like the US, as well as emerging markets such as China and South America.
