Jack Barclay Bentley Back on Show
The flagship Jack Barclay Bentley showroom, Bentley’s largest and oldest retailer, welcomed an important piece of its history this week. The Bentley 4.5-Litre driven to victory in the inaugural 1929 Brooklands 500 by namesake and founder, Jack Barclay, returned to the showroom for the first time in more than 50-years.
Barclay established the iconic showroom in 1927, and it moved to its world-famous Berkeley Square site in 1954. He was one of a group of wealthy Bentley and racing enthusiasts known as the ‘Bentley Boys’, who helped to establish Bentley’s reputation through astonishing journeys and countless top-level motorsport victories.
Jack Barclay Bentley, now managed by the H.R. Owen Group, is an important part of Bentley history that has been exquisitely preserved. Recently subject to a multi-million-pound renovation, the Jack Barclay site retains many of its original design features, including the chequerboard floor, art deco signage and ornate entrance.
So steeped in history is the showroom and its founder that the publishers of the Bentley Centenary Opus book – commissioned to celebrate 100 years of Bentley in 2019 – will dedicate a whole chapter to Jack Barclay. The publishers were in attendance, gathering stories and imagery from the showroom and from invited members of the Bentley Drivers’ Club.
