Bentley’s got a new badge, and this new ‘Winged B’ is only its fifth in 106 years

Bentley has revealed a brand-new set of wings that in turn will sit atop a brand-new concept car that in turn will showcase its future design direction. From the smallest acorn and all that.

Welcome then, to only the fifth new ‘Winged B’ in Bentley’s 106-year history. It is apparently the “biggest change to the instantly recognisable mark in more than a century of history”. Fair enough: along with the Spirit of Ecstasy, the Prancing Horse and Aston’s own wings, you’d namecheck a Bentley from its famous flying B alone.

Following an internal competition, the final badge was spun off a design submitted by one of Bentley’s interior designers, Young Nam. Bentley said the new wings are “sharper and more dramatic” than before, and takes cues from the world of luxury watches – things like a bevelled glass edge, metal surround, that sort of thing.

‘Just a badge, innit,’ you might lament, but it’s a big step. W.O. Bentley – literally, Mr Bentley himself – turned to his friend F. Gordon Crosby back in 1919 and tasked him with designing something that’d sit atop his exciting new motor cars.

It would change later in 1931 when Bentley was bought by Rolls-Royce – taking in a symmetrical design and a “simpler” B – which would end up being the longest-running badge. The third change came in 1996, and then again in 2002 after Bentley was bought by the Volkswagen Empire. That new badge sat atop something called the ‘Continental GT’.

“The new Winged B – and the concept car that introduces it – both symbolise a powerful, exciting future for this company and its exceptional, handcrafted products,” said Page.

Oh, right, the car – we’ll see that on 8 July, so check in again then to see what this new design direction is…