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When did Volkswagen buy Bentley?
A friend of mine just told me that VW actually owns Bentley and a bunch of other car brands. I’m like; there’s no way a Beetle came from the same company that owns Bentley! When did Volkswagen buy them?
Kathryn Mae Kurlychek · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
The Volkswagen Group bought Bentley for its own on July 28, 1998. And that wasn’t its first luxury acquisition—the brand’s Audi AG subsidiary was formed as early as 1969, and also acquired the Czech-based Škoda Auto in 1991.
The Bentley company was initially founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley, a British engineer who would go on to create the first aluminum engine pistons. His invention was first utilized in World War One efforts by the Royal Navy Air Service, but later transferred into his true passion—cars. W.O. Bentley would continue to develop proprietary engines until the company was sold to Napier in the early 19030s.
The Rolls-Royce marque was included in the Bentley acquisition—although, oddly enough, the agreement failed to include distribution rights for the Rolls-Royce trademark. Instead, those rights went to
BMW
—and continue to belong to the German-based auto manufacturer even today (BMW still furnishes Rolls-Royce engines in an agreement with Volkswagen). Outside of Bentley and Audi, The Volkswagen Group owns other luxury and high-end lifestyle subsidiaries including
Porsche
, Ducati, and Cupra. In January 2022, Bentley joined the Audi group. View full answer
- Gregory R.
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