Continental riff

Bentley's sporting grand tourer turns 20 this year. James Attwood reflects on how it revived the British manufacturer's fortunes

- James Attwood

In the first half of this year, Bentley sold on average 1182 cars per month. Back in 2003, the firm sold 1017 cars. Not 1017 cars per month, just to be clear: for the whole year. It's fair to say, then, that the past two decades have been transformative for the manufacturer - and one model has been pivotal to that.

Launched 20 years ago, the Continental GT served as a fabulously appointed, W12 powered rocketship that has propelled the company higher into the stratosphere than it has ever been before. Consider this: Bentley's history stretches back 104 years, yet about half of the cars it has ever produced are Conti GTs.

The model is now onto its third generation and has expanded to several bodystyles, engine variants and trims. But gazing upon a host of machines spanning those three generations, gathered in a tranquil setting outside The Mews on the Rookery Hall estate, a gentle waft away from Bentley's Crewe factory, what's really notable is how little has changed in the car's feel and ethos over the past 20 years.

The origins of the Continental GT go back to 1998, when the Volkswagen Group swooped in under BMW's nose to buy Bentley for £497 million - quite the sum for a company that produced a total of 414 cars that year from its badly dated Pyms Lane factory.

The German giant invested £500 million both to upgrade the factory and to develop a brand-new car - the first bespoke production Bentley since 1931 - that would widen the brand's appeal.