Bentley Motors is owned by the Volkswagen Group, and since 2022 it has been managed and consolidated under VW’s premium brand division, Audi.

Quick Scoop

Who owns Bentley right now?

  • Bentley Motors Limited is a British luxury carmaker based in Crewe, England.
  • The company has been a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group (VW Group) since 1998.
  • Since 2022, Bentley has been organizationally placed under Audi, another VW brand, which means Audi oversees Bentley at a strategic and management level while Volkswagen Group remains the ultimate parent company.

In simple terms:

Volkswagen Group is the owner; Audi is the internal group in charge of Bentley’s brand direction.

How did we get here?

  • 1919: Bentley Motors is founded by W.O. Bentley in the UK.
  • 1931: Bentley is bought by Rolls‑Royce after financial troubles.
  • Late 20th century: Bentley sits under Rolls‑Royce Motors through various ownership changes.
  • 1998: Volkswagen Group acquires Bentley, the Crewe factory, and rights related to Bentley branding, using it to build out its luxury segment.
  • 2022: VW consolidates Bentley under Audi’s “progressive” brand group, aligning it with Audi’s tech and electrification roadmap.

Why is Bentley under Audi inside VW?

  • Audi shares high-end engineering, platforms and electrification tech with Bentley, helping Bentley move toward a more electric, tech‑heavy luxury lineup.
  • Being grouped with Audi (and brands like Lamborghini and Ducati) puts Bentley inside VW’s performance-and-luxury cluster, not the mass‑market side.

This setup matters for future models: expect more shared electric architectures and tech with Audi while Bentley keeps its ultra‑luxury positioning.

Mini FAQ (forum-style)

  • Is Bentley British or German now?
    Legally and financially, it’s part of German-based Volkswagen Group, but the brand, design, and production identity remain strongly British in Crewe.
  • Did Rolls‑Royce own Bentley?
    Yes, Rolls‑Royce owned Bentley for decades after 1931, until the 1998 deal that saw Volkswagen take Bentley and the Crewe operations.
  • Is Rolls‑Royce also VW?
    No. Today Bentley is under Volkswagen Group, while Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars is a separate brand under BMW.

HTML table: Ownership snapshot

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Aspect</th>
      <th>Details</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Current ultimate owner</td>
      <td>Volkswagen Group (VW Group)[web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Managing group/arm</td>
      <td>Audi (VW premium/“Brand Group Progressive” cluster) since 2022[web:1][web:3][web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Country of parent company</td>
      <td>Germany (Volkswagen Group headquartered in Wolfsburg)[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Brand headquarters</td>
      <td>Crewe, England (Bentley Motors Limited HQ and main factory)[web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Year VW acquired Bentley</td>
      <td>1998[web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Previous long‑term owner</td>
      <td>Rolls‑Royce / Rolls‑Royce Motors (from 1931 until the late 20th century)[web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: If you’re asking “who owns Bentley” today, the answer is: Bentley Motors is owned by Volkswagen Group, with Audi responsible for its management and strategic direction inside the group.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.