The South African Barnato-Bentley Connection

It is probably true to say that were it not for the discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa in the late 19th century, the very name of Bentley in respect of awe-inspiring motorcars wouldn’t exist today.

Barney Barnato was one of the English Randlords who made a fortune in South Africa, but who died in mysterious circumstances while travelling by ship from South Africa to England in 1897. His son Woolf Barnato inherited a huge amount of money while still a young boy. Woolf became enamoured with Bentley sports cars soon after they went into production in 1919, and went on to acquire a 3-litre model in 1925 and race Bentleys at Brooklands race track in England and at Le Mans, as one of the famous Bentley Boys.

When W.O Bentley, the founder of Bentley, suffered financial setbacks in 1925, Woolf Barnato bailed the company out and became Chairman of Bentley.

This period was to be seen as the Golden Period, as Bentleys won four consecutive Le Mans 24-Hour races between 1927 and 1930. But after the stock market crash in1929, Bentley Cars was then taken over by its fierce competitor, Rolls-Royce in 1931. Thus began the era of 3 ¹⁄₂ Litre cars, advertised by Rolls-Royce as “the silent sports car”. Post war the Mk VI Bentleys were produced at Crewe, England, and later came the famous R-Type and S-Series of the 1950s. Rolls-Royce ownership continued until 1970, when it was bought out by the Vickers Group. And from 1998, the Bentley nameplate has been under ownership of the Volkswagen Group.

A massive contingent of vintage and classic Bentleys will arrive en masse at the Knysna Motor Show on April 28, 2019. The occasion will be the Bentley Centenary, and to celebrate this huge milestone, The Bentley Drivers Club of South Africa has scheduled the Knysna Motor Show as the first stop of its special commemorative 2019 rally.

At present, some 20 Bentleys are confirmed for the Knysna Motor Show. Apart from the vintage and classic-era Bentleys on display, it is expected that there will be a significant presence of the latest Bentley models, including the new Bentayga SUV.

Article: Stuart Johnston