The all-new W.O. Magazine puts craft and Bentley’s community centre stage. Extraordinary owners, colleagues and enthusiasts have always been at the heart of the brand. From the legendary Bentley Boys and Girls who undertook daring feats behind the wheel of iconic motor cars in the 1920s and 30s, to today’s Bentley ambassadors who are pioneers and leaders in their respective fields, it is the people who surround Bentley who have helped shape the company since its earliest days.
Drawing on their passions and experiences, the new editorial direction of this collectible magazine presents Bentley through the people who know it best, revealing a diverse global community brought together by a shared enthusiasm for Bentley and the world around it.
The Inspiration
First published in 2001, Bentley’s customer magazine has evolved through numerous iterations over the past 25 years. At a time when the enduring appeal of print and the value of carefully crafted, tactile experiences are being rediscovered, the publication has been reimagined for a new era of Bentley. With a renewed customer-focused approach, W.O. Magazine places owners and their stories at the centre, offering a considered way to engage with the people, ideas and experiences that make up the Bentley world.
For 25 years, the publication was known simply as Bentley Magazine. Its new editorial direction called for a more distinctive identity, leading to the creation of W.O. Magazine, a name inspired by Bentley’s founder, Walter Owen Bentley. Succinct and confident, the new masthead remains firmly connected to the marque’s origins while offering a fresh perspective for the future.
A pioneer whose passion and vision continue to inspire Bentley today, W.O.’s spirit is reflected throughout the new magazine – from its stories and photography to the people whose lives intersect with the marque.
Bentley’s Marketing Director, Ben Whattam, said “W.O. was an inspiration to so many people, and his vision is embodied in every Bentley that has left our factory, both past and present. We wanted this new magazine to be representative of his strive for perfect, innovative engineering.
“With W.O. Magazine, we wanted to shine a light on our extraordinary community of customers and enthusiasts, celebrating their stories and the shared passion for cars and the automotive world that brings them together. W.O. Magazine is a collectible piece in its own right, one that we are looking forward to seeing in the hands of our customers and friends of the brand.”
Issue 86: The W.O Magazine
The new issue travels around the world, from Tokyo to the Italian lakes, meeting people whose lives and interests intersect with Bentley in unexpected ways. The publication offers a curated collection of stories exploring significant moments in the company’s history, extraordinary customers and their cars, Bentley innovations, and the colleagues who continue to pursue excellence in automotive craftsmanship and luxury. Each story offers a different perspective on the marque, exploring the passions, careers and experiences of the people behind its cars.
The cover story features American actor and filmmaker, Billy Zane, known for films including Titanic, Dead Calm and, more recently, Waltzing with Brando, in which he portrays Marlon Brando. A Bentley Turbo R owner, Zane shares his passion for cars, his career in film and the journey that led him to Bentley ownership. As a guest contributor, he also writes a personal welcome to readers of the inaugural issue.
Each issue will continue to place an owner and their Bentley at its heart, exploring the passions, careers, communities and experiences that exist beyond the car itself.
Design and Craftsmanship
The relaunch of Bentley’s customer magazine comes at a time when the enduring appeal of print is being rediscovered. For Bentley customers, the publication offers a new format, new quality of materiality, renewed focus on art-direction, photography and most importantly hand-crafts editorial from contributors across the world.
W.O. Magazine has been created with the support of leading creative voices and contributors including Greg Williams, Bentley External Creative Director and VIP photographer; Kate Peck, TV presenter and acclaimed writer; Kasper Garnell, founding partner of Joe and the Juice coffee and pioneer of the brand’s evolution into the zeitgeist; Peter Grunert, Editor of the cult car magazine Road Rat; as well as Bentley’s Head of Art Direction, Jeffrey Lee, whose career has included roles at Condé Nast and British GQ. The brief was to craft a customer magazine with the quality and permanence of a collectible publication. The format has therefore been reimagined with considered materials and a tactile combination of paper stocks, giving the publication a sumptuous coffee table book quality.
The creative direction has been deliberately pared back, allowing photography and stories to take centre stage. Bold typography, full-bleed imagery and considered use of white space create a confident visual language, while Bentley’s heritage colour palette is woven throughout the publication.
Attention to detail extends to the physical finish of the magazine. Bentley’s signature Bentley Green was specially colour-matched, while a textured wrap, white foil detailing and a subtle spot UV finish bring an additional layer of craftsmanship to the publication. The result is a magazine designed to be as considered in the hand as it is on the page.
The Bentley Newsagent, Mayfair
To celebrate the launch of W.O. Magazine, Bentley returns to its Mayfair roots, at Automat, Mount Street: a location steeped in the marque’s racing history and the Bentley Boys and Girls of the pre-war era.
A photograph discovered in the Bentley Heritage Collection shows four Bentley racing cars and their drivers gathered on Mount Street in 1929, ahead of 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just 150 metres from the Mayfair apartment once owned by Bentley Boy Bernard Rubin, the location formed part of a neighbourhood closely associated with Bentley’s early racing history. That year, Bentley would claim its fourth victory at Le Mans, with Woolf Barnato and Tim Birkin’s Speed Six leading three Bentley 4½ Litres to a historic 1-2-3-4 finish.
In 2026, Bentley has returned to this historic setting, transforming Automat, Mayfair into the Bentley Newsagent, an immersive experience celebrating Bentley’s racing heritage and enduring spirit of adventure. Open to the public from 28 August, visitors can explore the space and collect a limited-edition copy of W.O. Magazine, available exclusively at the Bentley Newsagent with the purchase of a hot or cold drink, while stocks last.
Following the public launch, W.O. Magazine will be distributed directly to Bentley customers, extending the publication’s stories and experiences to the Bentley community.
