2007 Bentley Continental Gt Coupe 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Bentley offers very small ride for very small drivers

There’s a new Bentley on the horizon. It has no motor, no transmission. No touchscreen, no windscreen. In fact, it's a convertible, sort of, and instead of zero-to-60 times, thereÂ’s a zero-to-whatever time, depending on the age of the driver; five years old is about right. Considering its a Bentley, the price of its Mulliner Tricycle on sale in the UK—about $750--is a bargain, at least in Bentley terms. Of course, consider that a Big Wheel “Rally Racer” edition costs $112 at WalmartÂ….well, a Big Wheel hasnÂ’t got leather seats, a plush, quilted handle bag, a sun canopy and—deal-maker—a Bentley-badged seat-belt buckle. The so-called “6-in-1 Trike” was inspired by the brandÂ’s Mulliner bespoke division, which allows buyers to customize a Bentley with gold organ-stop buttons, “pinstripe” wood veneers or to upholster seats in “Cherry Blossom hides.” The three-wheeler may lack those exotic options, but it does include air-pumped wheels, anti-slide metal pedals, and a safety seat with “soft inserts” that “simulates the shape of the car seat and ensures extra comfort for children.” Advertised as accommodating kids aged from six months, the tricycle converts—see? We told you!—to a stroller, with the seat facing the designated adult driver. No word yet on the vehicleÂ’s availability in the States. Toys/Games Bentley

First Bentley to race at Le Mans sells for over $3.7 million

What's the big deal with Bentley? After all, the luxury marque has spent much of its life as a Volkswagen sub-brand or Rolls-Royce understudy. Well the big deal is, in short, racing provenance. In its very early days, before it became an nouveau riche status symbol, Bentley staked a claim as a force in the motorsports world. And people who remember that still hold the brand in high regard. Case in point: The first Bentley to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans has just sold for more than $3.7 million. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the famed French enduro, hailed by many as the greatest auto race in the world. In 1923 Bentley 3-Litre, chassis 141 became the first of many to enter the race. In fact, it is billed as the first international entrant, period.  Prior to its arrival at Circuit de la Sarthe, the car had been raced by WWI veteran and Bentley dealer John Duff at the Double 12 Hour at Brooklands. At the time 24-hour races had been outlawed in the U.K. due to noise so the race was divided into two segments. Duff set 38 international records as he covered 2,082 miles at an average 86.79 mph. Based on that success, he asked founder W.O. Bentley to help him prep the car for a new day-long race in France. Duff and his co-driver Frank Clement, a Bentley factory test driver, managed to finished fourth despite a hole in the fuel tank caused by a rock on the track in this pre-paved era. Along the way, they set a lap record of 66.69 mph average speed. Duff and several other racers became known as the Bentley Boys, a cadre of free-wheeling daredevil rascals. Bentley, Duff and Clement returned the following year and won the race outright. The Bentley Boys would then set a four-year streak from 1927-30 at the fledgling event, cementing the brand into legend. Then Rolls-Royce bought the company in 1931 and ceased its racing activities. A Bentley works car would not appear on the starting grid at Le Mans until the EXP Speed 8 in 2001. Despite its pivotal role in Bentley history, chassis 141 was pretty much treated as a used car after its retirement. According to the brokerage firm that arranged the $3.7 million sale, at some point a local undertaker covered the rear and used it as a wagon, perhaps for macabre cargo.

Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.