"W. O." I first met 25 years ago [1946]. . . . "W. O." has said that the pleasure he derived in the post-war years from Club activities; from making new friends among its members; and from seeing the loving care bestowed upon 'his' cars has more than compensated for all his earlier disappointments." S. S. "The six years during which I worked for "W. O." were a period of education and pleasure. His modesty, lack of pretension, mental honesty and reasonableness endeared him to those in contact with him, and his over-riding interest in the improvement of the car provided the education in a period which included the post-war -litre Lagonda development, schemes for 4 and 8 cylinder derivatives, for the pursuit of shorter strokes in engines, for a small transverse-engined front wheel drive car and for a performance engine for the Morris Minor in place of the 850cc side valve engine it then endured. Though normally of reflective habit his experience showed him when swift action was necessary, and he could be very determined in pursuing it. Big enough to admit mistakes when they had occurred, he also knew when to modify and when to start afresh in remedying them. It is a pity that circumstances prevented his influence on car development from being greater than it was. Though motoring and motor cars were his life he retained a keen interest in locomotives." Mr Donald Bastow. The Bentley Drivers' Club Woolf Barnato (1895–1948) served a term as president. W. O. agreed to become patron in 1947. Founded in 1936 the club now has nearly 4,000 members throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, US, Canada, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Notes References Bibliography External links The W. O. Bentley Memorial Foundation The Bentley Drivers' Club Pictures and specifications of W. O. 's cars 1919–1932 Bentley 8-litre coupé, coachwork by J Gurney Nutting Channel 4 short biography of Bentley Jay Leno explains and demonstrates W. O.'s racing Lagonda V12 Jay Leno shows his 8-litre Bentley saloon 1888 births 1971 deaths People educated at Clifton College Alumni of the University of London Alumni of King's College London British automotive pioneers Bentley British automobile designers British founders of automobile manufacturers Isle of Man TT riders Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Hampstead Royal Navy officers of World War I Automotive businesspeople British engineers English people of Australian