Part of the original Crewe factory site has been repurposed as a home for some of the most historically significant Bentley models from the last 103 years of company history. The Heritage Garage complements the existing Bentley Lineage exhibition in CW1 House, providing a showcase for the 42-car-strong Bentley Heritage Collection. The Heritage Garage will house 22 cars from the Collection, currently spread from 1919 onwards but eventually focusing on those members of the fleet built in Crewe – everything from 1946 onwards.
The new facility means that every member of Bentley’s Heritage Collection is now kept on the Bentley campus, for the first time ever. The Collection has undergone a significant development and expansion program over the last 18 months, and now represents the entire company history.
Visitors to Crewe, whether customers, VIPs or media guests, will now be able to view an unbroken chain of Bentley production models, all kept in perfect working order and road-legal condition. By next summer, the Collection will be split across three different areas. Significant Cricklewood models (1919-31) and Derby-era Bentleys (1931-39) will live in a soon-to-be-redeveloped display in CW1 House, while the Heritage Garage houses Crewe-built models. Meanwhile, the eight motorsport cars in the Collection (including Speed 8s from Le Mans, Ice Speed Record and Pikes Peak cars and GT3 racers) will form a separate display.
The Heritage Garage is located within the original 1930s brick-built factory and was previously the ‘project forum’, where models such as the 2003 Continental GT were planned and developed. The light and airy setting is at heart of the factory and is visible to colleagues as they walk through the factory. The Garage is also being used as an event space for external presentations and internal briefings, surrounded by the beautiful line-up of vintage Bentleys.
As the company continues its Beyond100 journey of transformation, the Heritage Collection plays an important role by providing a clear picture of where the Bentley of today comes from. Heritage Collection vehicles are also shown and driven at major events throughout the world, from Pebble Beach to Mille Miglia.
