Deafening engine roar, the nostalgic scent of racing fuel and over 30 pre-war racing Bentleys thundering by will transform a normally tranquil sunset over Silverstone Circuit into a special celebratory race, marking 100 years since the formation of Bentley. Set to take place as the last of the light fades away on Saturday July 27, the Bentley Centenary Trophy for Pre-War Sports Cars will blast into action in the same month that witnesses the 100-year anniversary of the evocative British marque. Several iconic Bentley vehicles including the 3-litre, 4.5-litre Blower and Speed Six are due to speed round Silverstone’s 3.6-mile circuit. It will be like going back in time to the 1920s, when the Bentley Boys were dominating the Le Mans 24 Hours, with five wins in only seven years–including a 1-2-3 victory in 1929.
Pushing the Bentleys to show just what they have on track at this year’s Silverstone Classic will be an eye-catching selection of other pre-war marques including Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Fraser Nash, Lagonda and MG, all of whom competed in the glory days of ‘The Bentley Boys’. Speaking on the up-coming Bentley Centenary Trophy for Pre-War Sports Cars, Silverstone Classic CEO Nick Wigley, said “Those glorious tales of the big green Bentleys thundering through the French night are part of motor sport legend passed down through the generations. Now we will be recreating some of that magic at sunset on Saturday at the Classic to celebrate what is a very special moment in Bentley’s remarkable lifetime.”
The race will be organised by Motor Racing Legends, whose chairman Duncan Wiltshire anticipates “the biggest grid of racing Bentleys ever seen anywhere in the world”. Adding to the centenary celebrations hosted for the marque’s 100-year anniversary will be a special track parade specifically for Bentley car and enthusiast clubs, showcasing the various models that the illustrious luxury brand has produced in its ten decades of manufacture. The Bentley Centenary Trophy for Pre-War Sports Cars and track parade both form part of the 2019 Silverstone Classic, which is due to take place in Northamptonshire between Friday 26 and Sunday 28 July. Tickets are now available online, with a 19% discount offered on those purchased prior to 31st March. In addition to the centenary racing at Silverstone, Bentley’s 100th birthday party will also be celebrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed before crossing the Atlantic to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance prior to a decadent conclusion courtesy of the 2019 Salon Privé at Oxfordshire’s Blenheim Palace.
Pictures courtesy of Silverstone Classic
