Bentley’s 100th Anniversary Celebrated by 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans has celebrated the 100th anniversary of Bentley, one of the race’s most successful brands, with a series of special events and displays.
Bentley will officially mark its 100th birthday on July 10th, and with the company achieving six outright wins at Le Mans there was no better opportunity to recognise the marque’s history.
The traditional pre-race parade lap featured a fleet of Bentley models, led by the new Flying Spur in its global dynamic debut only a week on from its unveiling.
Also in the convoy were the race-winning 2003 EXP Speed 8, a pair of 1920s 3 Litre cars, a modern Continental GT3-R, and the legendary EXP 2.
Some of these vehicles also appeared in a special display at the Dunlop Curve, which featured some of the cars entered in the 1924-1930 period when Bentley won five of the seven races.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum, just outside the main entrance, will feature an exhibition on Bentley. That includes replicas of the Speed Six and Speed 8, and the “Bentley Corner” display will be available until September.
Perhaps most interestingly of all, the Mayor of Le Mans has renamed a street in honour of Bentley. A short section of the Rue de Laigne, running from the main entrance and past the museum, is now known as the Rue des Bentley Boys.
