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| Bentley Drivers Club | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bentley Drivers Club |
| Formation | 1936 |
| Type | Enthusiast club |
| Headquarters | Crewe |
| Region served | United Kingdom and international |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | W. O. Bentley |
Bentley Drivers Club is a UK-based owners' and enthusiasts' association dedicated to the preservation, enjoyment, and promotion of Bentley Motors heritage. Founded in the interwar era, the club links owners, restorers, engineers, and historians associated with marques that span pre-war Blower Bentley competition cars through postwar Bentley Continental models and modern Bentley Mulsanne production. The organization collaborates with manufacturers, museums, and historic events to support conservation, competition, and community outreach.
The club emerged in 1936 amid a period of motoring enthusiasm connected to figures such as W. O. Bentley, Tim Birkin, D. R. Thomas and contemporaries active in 24 Hours of Le Mans, Brooklands meetings, and Goodwood Festival of Speed precursors. After wartime disruptions paralleling institutions like the Royal Automobile Club and Automobile Association, the club reconstituted alongside postwar developments including the rise of Rolls-Royce Limited acquisitions and the formation of Crewe plant. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the club engaged with marque milestones such as the introduction of the Bentley T-series, interactions with parent companies including Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and later Volkswagen Group, and relationships with restoration specialists connected to S. F. Edge era legacies. The club's archives document participation in events at Silverstone Circuit, Monaco Grand Prix parades, and historic rallies such as the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique.
Membership models reflect tiers seen in clubs like Vintage Sports-Car Club, Goodwood Road Racing Club and MG Owners Club, offering benefits tied to insurance partners such as Thatcham Research-approved providers and technical resources comparable to Heritage Motor Centre collaborations. The club's governance includes a President, Chairman, Secretary and committees analogous to structures at Royal Automobile Club and Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Members range from private collectors maintaining examples by coachbuilders like H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward, Freestone and Webb to professionals from Bentley Motors engineering, restoration workshops such as Jensen, and institutions including National Motor Museum. Honorary memberships have been conferred to personalities associated with Le Mans victories, restoration acclaim, and corporate stewardship.
The calendar mirrors motorsport and concours frameworks with participation at Goodwood Revival, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Concours of Elegance, and national gatherings similar to Classic Motor Show exhibitions. Regular drive-outs traverse routes through regions like Cotswolds, Lake District, and Scottish Highlands and align with endurance challenges inspired by RAC Tourist Trophy heritage. The club organizes technical seminars featuring experts from Bentley Special Coachworks and hosts dynamic displays at venues such as Silverstone Classic and Ecurie Ecosse-style race meetings. Charity runs and timed trials reflect traditions seen at Shelsley Walsh and Prescott Hill Climb.
The club produces a quarterly magazine adopting editorial standards akin to Octane (magazine) and Classic & Sports Car (magazine), with features on restoration case studies comparable to articles in Classic Car Weekly and technical deep-dives referencing archival material from British Motor Museum. Communications include newsletters, technical bulletins, and digital forums intersecting with platforms used by Hagerty and Bonhams auction communities. The archive stewardship collaborates with curators at institutions like National Motor Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum to preserve photographs, correspondence, and workshop manuals.
Chapters operate across the UK and overseas following models similar to American Bentley Club and Bentley Drivers Club (USA), with affiliates in Europe, North America, Australasia and Asia-Pacific resembling networks such as Classic Car Club of America and Automobile Club de France. Regional events take place in locales including Berkshire, Devon, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Derbyshire, Northumberland, and overseas gatherings in Monterey, Geneva, Tokyo, and Sydney. Coordination with local historic vehicle societies mirrors partnerships with Federation Internationale des Vehicules Anciens and national historic motoring federations.
Prominent individuals associated with the club parallel luminaries like Sir Tim Birkin-era drivers, engineers linked to W. O. Bentley, and collectors who have owned vehicles entered at Le Mans and Goodwood Revival. Significant cars include surviving examples of the Bentley 4½ Litre "Blower", Bentley Speed Six, Bentley R Type Continental, Bentley S1 Continental, and landmark modern models such as the Bentley Continental GT. Noted restorations have been undertaken by specialists and shown at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island Concours and Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
The club engages in charitable fundraising coordinated with organizations like The Prince's Trust, Cancer Research UK, Royal British Legion and disaster relief appeals echoed by historic clubs such as The Automobile Association Charitable Trust. Community outreach includes educational initiatives with technical colleges and apprenticeships linked to City and Guilds standards and heritage skills programs similar to projects at National Trust properties. Conservation partnerships involve working with museums and heritage bodies including Historic England to preserve automotive heritage for public benefit.
Category:Automobile clubs in the United Kingdom Category:Bentley Motors