Victorious Celebration EXP2 itself – kindly provided by Bentley Motors

A hundred years to the day since the first race win for a Bentley, the winning car – known as EXP2 – returned to the famous Brooklands racetrack on 16th May to lead a cavalcade of 3 Litres as a tribute to its victory.

EXP2 – the oldest Bentley in the world, and only the second car ever built by the company in 1921 – led a field of 24 surviving 3 Litres from across the UK. The car that took victory in the Whitsun Junior Sprint Handicap, with works driver Frank Clement at the wheel, started a series of race wins for the 3 Litre model, culminating in two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the first in 1924, driven by Clement and John Duff.

These early victories helped to forge Bentley’s reputation in motorsport, paving the way for more than 1600 examples of the 3 Litre to be produced and sold worldwide. This latest celebratory gathering was organised by the Bentley Drivers Club, whose chairman Richard Parkinson commented: “Motorsport success is a huge part of Bentley’s heritage, as it is for the Bentley Drivers Club. We were therefore determined to mark the centenary of the first Bentley racing win on 16th May 1921 at Brooklands on the very same date this year, with the actual car – EXP2 itself – kindly provided by Bentley Motors.” To find out more about the BDC’s motorsport centenary celebrations this year, turn to.