Bentley Motors vs Porsche: Founders, CEOs and History
Bentley Motors was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley (W.O. Bentley), H.M. Bentley and is led by Frank-Steffen Walliser. Porsche was founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, Ferry Porsche and is led by Michael Leiters.
Company facts
Bentley Motors
- Founded
- 1919
- Headquarters
- Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Frank-Steffen Walliser
- Employees
- 4,000
Porsche
- Founded
- 1931
- Headquarters
- Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany
- Current CEO
- Michael Leiters
- Employees
- 41,780
Founders
Bentley Motors
Walter Owen Bentley (W.O. Bentley)
W.O. Bentley founded Bentley Motors on 10 July 1919 with the brief he set himself: to build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class.
H.M. Bentley
Horace Milner Bentley, known as H.M., was W.O. Bentley's elder brother and his business partner.
Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) founded Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH in Stuttgart in 1931 as a design consultancy. The office designed the Auto Union Grand Prix cars and the Volkswagen Beetle.
Ferry Porsche
Ferry Porsche (1909-1998) built the 356, the first car sold under the Porsche name, in 1948 and led the company as it became a sports-car manufacturer, overseeing the launch of the 911 in 1963. He later served as chairman of the supervisory board.
CEOs and their tenures
Bentley Motors
- Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen2002–2011
Chairman & CEO (2002-2011)
Turned Bentley from a maker of a few hundred hand-built saloons into a volume luxury brand built around the Continental GT.
Source - Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber2012–2014
Chairman & CEO (2012-2014)
Carried the Bentayga programme through its development phase after the EXP 9 F concept was redesigned.
Source - Wolfgang Dürheimer2014–2018
Chairman & CEO (2011-2012, 2014-2018)
Signed off the Bentayga, which has been Bentley's best-selling model since launch and accounted for 44 per cent of sales in 2023.
Source - Adrian Hallmark2018–2024
Chairman & CEO (2018-2024)
Took Bentley to a record operating profit of ~$800 million (708 million euros) on revenue of ~$3.82 billion (3.38 billion euros) in 2022 and ~$666 million (589 million euros) in 2023, then left in 2024 to become chief executive of Aston Martin.
Source - Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser2024–present
Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer
Oversaw the switch from the W12 to the 782 PS Ultra Performance V8 hybrid across the Continental GT and Flying Spur, the reveal of the electric Torcal in September 2026, and the Crewe rebuild that includes the Design Centre opened in July 2025, the A1 electric…
Source
Porsche
- Dr. Oliver Blume2015–2025
Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO)
Blume's tenure covered record results in 2022-2023, the Taycan launch and the 2022 IPO. The EV-heavy plan set under him proved costly, and the 2025 reversal left his successor a turnaround.
Source - Dr. Jochen Breckner2025–present
Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT (CFO)
Oversees cost reduction and cash flow during the 2026 reset; H1 2026 automotive net cash flow was about $1.15 billion (EUR1.02 billion).
Source - Dr. Michael Leiters2026–present
Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO)
He took over after 2025 operating profit fell to ~$467 million (EUR413 million). In 2026 he has pursued a 'value over volume' plan, a 'Future Package' with about $2.37 billion (EUR2.1 billion) of site investment through 2035 and roughly 5,000 job reductions by…
Source
Timeline: Bentley Motors and Porsche side by side
1919Bentley Motors
Bentley Motors founded in London: W.O. Bentley founded the company on 10 July 1919 and had Bentley Motors established by October that year; the first production car was delivered to Noel van Raalte in…
1924Bentley Motors
First win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: John Duff and Frank Clement won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Bentley 3 Litre, the first of five wins for the marque in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.
1931Bentley Motors
Rolls-Royce buys Bentley out of receivership: Financial trouble forced Bentley into receivership and Rolls-Royce bought the company for 125,275 pounds; production moved to Derby, where the 3.5 litre S…
1931Porsche
Porsche Engineering Office Founded
Ferdinand Porsche founded the engineering consultancy in Stuttgart.
1946Bentley Motors
Car production starts at Pyms Lane, Crewe: Bentley moved car production to the Pyms Lane factory in Crewe, built in 1938 to make Merlin aero engines, and the Mark VI was the first model built there as…
1948Porsche
Porsche 356 Built
Ferry Porsche led production of the first Porsche-branded sports car, using the rear-engine, air-cooled layout that would define the brand.
1952Bentley Motors
R-Type Continental debuts: The Mulliner-bodied R-Type Continental arrived with a top speed just under 120 mph, making it the fastest four-seater in the world and the design ancestor of the modern Cont…
1963Porsche
911 Introduced
Porsche introduced the 911, the model that became the brand's central sports-car icon and remains its defining product line today.
1980Bentley Motors
Vickers takes over and revives the Bentley name: Vickers plc acquired Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd, including Bentley, and relaunched the marque as the sporting brand with the 300 horsepower Mulsanne Tu…
1998Bentley Motors
Volkswagen acquires Bentley and Crewe: On 3 July 1998 Volkswagen acquired the Bentley brand, the Crewe factory and the right to use the Rolls-Royce name until the end of 2002, ending 67 years of share…
2002Porsche
Cayenne Launch
The Cayenne SUV created a new profit engine and broadened Porsche's customer base beyond sports-car buyers.
2003Bentley Motors
Le Mans win with the Speed 8: Bentley returned to Le Mans and finished first and second with the EXP Speed 8, Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Guy Smith taking the marque's sixth win 73 years after…
2003Bentley Motors
Continental GT launched: The Continental GT, with a 552 bhp 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 and all-wheel drive, became the first car of the modern Bentley era and created the modern luxury grand tourer segm…
2015Bentley Motors
Bentayga creates the luxury SUV class: Bentley launched the Bentayga, its first SUV and fourth model line at the time, which has been the brand's best-selling model ever since.
2019Porsche
Taycan Launch
Porsche launched the Taycan as its first dedicated battery-electric vehicle.
2020Bentley Motors
Beyond100 strategy announced: In its highest-selling year to that point, 11,206 cars, Bentley announced the Beyond100 strategy to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to switch the whole range to battery ele…
2022Bentley Motors
Record financial year: Bentley posted its best results, with operating profit of ~$800 million (708 million euros), up 82 per cent, on turnover of ~$3.82 billion (3.38 billion euros) and a record 15,1…
2022Porsche
Porsche AG IPO
Porsche AG listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under CEO Oliver Blume, who simultaneously ran parent Volkswagen Group.
2024Bentley Motors
Last W12 built at Crewe: Bentley hand-built its final 12-cylinder engine in July 2024, more than 100,000 W12s after the engine's 2003 debut, replacing it with the 782 PS Ultra Performance V8 hybrid.
2024Bentley Motors
Beyond100+ extends the plan to 2035: On 7 November 2024 Bentley extended Beyond100 to Beyond100+, moving the all-electric ambition from 2030 to 2035, keeping plug-in hybrids on sale and confirming its…
2025Porsche
Profit Collapses on EV Writedown
Porsche reworked its EV-first product plan; full-year operating profit fell to ~$467 million (EUR413 million) on revenue of ~$41 billion (EUR36.27 billion), with China deliveries down 26%.
2026Bentley Motors
Torcal, the first electric Bentley: Bentley revealed the Torcal in London on 23 September 2026, a fully electric SUV and the fourth model line in the current range, priced from about 173,000 pounds wi…
2026Porsche
Michael Leiters Becomes CEO
Dr. Michael Leiters became Chairman of the Executive Board effective January 1, 2026, ending Oliver Blume's dual role running both Porsche and Volkswagen Group.
2026Porsche
H1 2026 Profit Recovery and Future Package
First-half operating profit rose 34% to ~$1.53 billion (EUR1.35 billion); Porsche outlined about $2.37 billion (EUR2.1 billion) of site investment and around 5,000 job reductions by the mid-2030s.
Acquisitions
Bentley Motors
- Bentley brand and the Crewe factory (bought by Volkswagen AG)1998$700M
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd including Bentley (bought by Vickers plc)1980Undisclosed
- H.J. Mulliner & Co. (coachbuilder)1959Undisclosed
- Bentley Motors Limited (bought by Rolls-Royce Limited)1931Undisclosed
Porsche
- Fazua2022Undisclosed
- Bugatti Rimac (joint venture stake)2021Undisclosed
Questions about Bentley Motors vs Porsche
Who is the CEO of Bentley Motors and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG?
Bentley Motors is led by Frank-Steffen Walliser and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is led by Michael Leiters. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Bentley Motors founded vs Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG?
Bentley Motors was founded in 1919 — 12 years before Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, which was founded in 1931. Bentley Motors's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.
How many employees does Bentley Motors have compared to Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG?
Bentley Motors employs approximately 4,000 people, while Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG employs approximately 41,780. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has the larger workforce at 41,780 employees, compared to Bentley Motors's 4,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Bentley Motors and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG headquartered?
Bentley Motors is headquartered in United Kingdom and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Bentley Motors and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG?
Bentley Motors was founded by Walter Owen Bentley (W.O. Bentley), H.M. Bentley. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG was founded by Ferdinand Porsche, Ferry Porsche.
Which company has a longer operating history — Bentley Motors or Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG?
Bentley Motors has been operating for approximately 107 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has been in operation for around 95 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Bentley Motors vs Porsche overview