Bentley Motors vs Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: 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. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was founded in 1904 by Charles Stewart Rolls, Sir Henry Royce and is led by Chris Brownridge.
Company facts
Bentley Motors
- Founded
- 1919
- Headquarters
- Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Frank-Steffen Walliser
- Employees
- 4,000
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Founded
- 1904
- Headquarters
- Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Chris Brownridge
- Employees
- 2,500
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.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Charles Stewart Rolls
Charles Stewart Rolls was an incredibly charismatic British aristocrat, fiercely passionate motoring and aviation pioneer, and the profoundly influential commercial co-founder fundamentally responsible for the massive branding and global distribution of the in…
Sir Henry Royce
Sir Henry Royce was an absolutely legendary British engineer, fiercely obsessive mechanical perfectionist, and the profoundly influential technical patriarch fundamentally responsible for inventing the incredibly refined automobiles that massively defined the…
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
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Charles Rolls & Sir Henry Royce1904–1910
Founders
Rolls and Royce established the pinnacle benchmark of automotive craftsmanship and luxury engineering, creating an enduring global standard of luxury.
Source - Torsten Müller-Ötvös2010–2023
CEO
Müller-Ötvös's masterful brand curation multiplied Rolls-Royce deliveries and profitability, cementing Goodwood as the spiritual home of modern ultra-luxury.
Source - Chris Brownridge2023–present
CEO
Brownridge previously served as Chief Executive Officer of BMW UK, bringing nearly three decades of high-end automotive sales and marketing expertise.
Source
Timeline: Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars side by side
1904Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
May 4: Charles Rolls and Henry Royce meet at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, agreeing to build Rolls-Royce cars.
1906Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Limited is incorporated; the 40/50 hp model later known as the Silver Ghost is launched.
1911Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Charles Robinson Sykes sculpts the well-known 'Spirit of Ecstasy' bonnet mascot.
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.
1925Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Launches the first Rolls-Royce Phantom, establishing the well-known flagship lineage.
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…
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…
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…
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…
1998Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
BMW Group acquires the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and marque for cars; Volkswagen takes Bentley and the Crewe factory.
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…
2003Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
January 1: Goodwood headquarters officially opens, debuting the modern generation Phantom VII.
2010Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Torsten Müller-Ötvös appointed CEO; launches the Ghost, broadening the customer base globally.
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.
2018Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Launches the Cullinan super-luxury SUV, which quickly becomes the brand's top-selling model.
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…
2023Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Spectre deliveries begin; Chris Brownridge becomes CEO in December; record 6,032 deliveries.
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…
2025Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
January: Rolls-Royce announces a ~$396 million (£300 million)-plus extension of Goodwood. Full-year deliveries reach 5,664.
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…
2026Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
March: Rolls-Royce drops its 2030 all-electric target and confirms the V12 will stay in production.
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
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Bentley Motors vs Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Who is the CEO of Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?
Bentley Motors is led by Frank-Steffen Walliser and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is led by Chris Brownridge. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Bentley Motors founded vs Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was founded in 1904 — 15 years before Bentley Motors, which was founded in 1919. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Bentley Motors.
How many employees does Bentley Motors have compared to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?
Bentley Motors employs approximately 4,000 people, while Rolls-Royce Motor Cars employs approximately 2,500. Bentley Motors has the larger workforce at 4,000 employees, compared to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars's 2,500. 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 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars headquartered?
Both Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are headquartered in United Kingdom, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Bentley Motors and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?
Bentley Motors was founded by Walter Owen Bentley (W.O. Bentley), H.M. Bentley. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was founded by Charles Stewart Rolls, Sir Henry Royce.
Which company has a longer operating history — Bentley Motors or Rolls-Royce Motor Cars?
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been operating for approximately 122 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Bentley Motors has been in operation for around 107 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 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars overview