They’re two of the most iconic brands where luxury cars are concerned, but which of the two is more expensive?
Rolls-Royce is a considerably more expensive brand than Bentley, with every car it offers having a higher price point than the comparable models from Bentley. It’s also much more popular and arguably a more iconic brand than Bentley.
Read on to learn more about these powerhouses of luxury, the cars they manufacture, and how much they cost.
The Cars Of The Ancients
These days, there are plenty of vehicle manufacturers in the world, all fighting for the top spot of their respective niche. There are supercar companies, family car manufacturers, and luxury car constructors, with the industry experiencing innovation and expansion on an almost daily basis.
However, there are few car companies with such established legacies as Rolls-Royce and Bentley. These two powerhouses of luxury have been doing what they do best for over one hundred years, and they’ve both earned iconic places within the industry.
Although both have witnessed more than their fair share of adversity throughout the last ten decades or so, they’ve ultimately come through on top. Today, they both manufacture some intensely impressive, sumptuous, and powerful vehicles that are worth staggering amounts of money.
When these companies were both founded, more than one hundred years ago, the vehicle industry was dramatically different to today. Almost every car that was built was an experiment in exploration, and new engine types, parts, and feats of engineering were extremely common.
The world was only just starting to explore the potential of motor cars, and trying to determine how they could make them faster, stronger, and more luxurious. At the turn of the century, motor racing became a popular activity, and many of the earlier vehicle companies built their cars solely for racing.
Bentley capitalized on this popularity, while Rolls-Royce was focused primarily on manufacturing road vehicles. In fact, Bentley’s cars quickly became famed for their durability and power, and they were some of the earliest cars to dominate the racing industry.
In England, a racing track was built on a site known as Brooklands, in 1907 – it was the world’s first purpose-built angled racing track. It took little more than a decade for Bentley to flex its engineering prowess on this track, before moving on to bigger and better things.
Moving Across To Modern Motoring
Once upon a time, Bentley was owned by Rolls-Royce, owing to a buyout in 1931 that aligned the two brands. However, when Rolls-Royce (the original company) was liquidated in 1971, Bentley was subsequently picked up by Vickers plc.
Today, Bentley is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, which boasts one of the largest rosters of vehicle manufacturers in the world. By contrast, Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW, another German group which also has a substantial list of brands under its umbrella.
In some twisted way, Bentley is Rolls-Royce, acting somewhat as a successor to the original Rolls-Royce company that was liquidated. Bentley survived and persisted, carrying with it a lot of the original Rolls-Royce force.
Both companies are now focused almost entirely on the manufacture of some seriously luxurious vehicles. Although, Rolls-Royce has moved up and assumed the top spot in this battle, offering more vehicles with a better reputation and a higher price.
Bentley is by no means a weak competitor, but it doesn’t have the market value that Rolls-Royce has, and it moves less units overall. In 2021, Bentley had just three models in its roster, while Rolls-Royce boasted a five car lineup.
When we look at the prices of these vehicles, we can see a clear trend: Rolls-Royce is much more expensive than Bentley. There isn’t a single stock Bentley with a higher price point than any Rolls-Royce car.
For example, you could purchase a top of the range Bentley Continental for around two hundred and forty thousand dollars. Conversely, a brand new, top-spec Rolls-Royce Phantom would set you back more than half a million dollars.
The cheapest Rolls-Royce is the Ghost, which you can reportedly find brand new for around three hundred thousand dollars. Ultimately, you’re paying for what is arguably the most luxurious range of vehicles in the world, so it’s likely worth every penny.
As Rolls-Royce explained in an advertisement in the 1980s, “It doesn’t matter whether you buy a Rolls-Royce or lease a Rolls-Royce. What matters is that you drive one.” If you want to learn more about Rolls-Royce, you can do so here.