Bentley has unveiled its new wings emblem ahead of a brand new concept car reveal.
The new look is the fifth iteration of the Bentley emblem in the brand’s 106-year history and coincides with the opening of a new Design Studio at its headquarters in Crewe.
The history of the Bentley logo
The original winged design was created in 1919 by F. Gordon Crosby with a pair of wings chosen to represent ‘the exhilaration of motion’. It was also a nod to company founder W.O. Bentley’s background as a designer of engines for fighter planes in the First World War, and each vehicle was given an emblem with different numbers of feathers on the wings each time to make it completely unique.
A new logo was created in 1931 after the ownership of Bentley was passed to Rolls Royce, with a symmetrical emblem featuring 10 straightened feathers on each side, as well as a simpler B in a plain black oval. This remained in place until 1996, when the ‘B’ was revised to match the original while the wings became more curved.
When Bentley was purchased by Volkswagen in 1998, the emblem had another redesign ahead of the launch of the first Continental GT in 2002, a car that signalled a new era for the brand. The original 1919 logo was honoured by going with a more asymmetric design featuring 10 feathers to the left and 11 to the right.
The new ‘Winged B’ has been created in-house by Bentley’s design team and overseen by Director of Design Robin Page. The wings take on a sharper, more dramatic shape compared to the softer shapes on previous iterations, while the lower feathers underneath the B have been removed entirely for a cleaner look. The ‘B’ has been redesigned to also be used as a standalone logo with 3D depth in its own right. Its first appearance will be on the upcoming future vision concept car due to be revealed on July 8th.
Bentley’s Director of Design, Robin Page, commented: “The new Winged B – and the concept car that introduces it – both symbolise a powerful, exciting future for this company and its exceptional, handcrafted products.”
This upcoming week will also see the opening of Bentley’s new three-storey Design Studio located with the original factory headquarters, first built in 1938.
The evolution of the Bentley ‘Winged B’ emblem from 1919 - 2025
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Bentley