The "Flying B" Is Bentley's Mesmerizing Hood Mascot, Here's What You Didn't Know About It

Symbols matter. They help us understand and navigate our world, even when we do not comprehend what is being said in writing. Whatever fitting scenario you may think about right now, universally adopted shapes and figures enable us to work out things easier. This is one of the reasons companies invest in their public image. Ultimately, this struggle to find the right recipe for a good reputation leads to the establishment of a brand – an intangible asset that can bring in more customers or diminish profits slowly until bankruptcy. It matters to be perceived in a good way by clients, partners, suppliers, and any other entity you or your business may interact with.

This tells us one thing – automakers need branding. To convince people that you are who you say you are as a company, the need for a symbol that can be easily recognized anywhere and instantly associated with the right characteristics is very important. For Bentley, this is what “the Flying B” does. You may not know many things about the manufacturer, but you will get the right ideas about its products once you spot that letter with wings that adorns the hood of a generously sized four-door sedan. Subconsciously, terms like luxury, power, beauty, or/and opulence are immediately attributed to that car.

It is fascinating. This is why we decided to look into what makes Bentley’s logo such an intriguing item. There are a couple of things worth knowing, so buckle up for a quick journey into the world of British elegance empowered by German engineering.

Going meticulously through time

The “Flying B” is almost 100 years old. It appeared around the middle of the 1920s. During this period, it went through six noticeable changes. However, it has never lost its core meaning, and the redesigns did not convert everything at once. It went through a gradual evolution, one that gracefully kept the balance between identity and novelty at bay. Now, it features illuminated acrylic wings which play a delicate welcoming show together with the headlights every time the owner or the driver unlocks the car.

Unsurprisingly, Bentley says almost all Flying Spur models are either equipped as standard with the “Flying B” on Mulliner versions of the sedan or customers choose to have it by paying extra for it. At the time of writing, adding the illuminated radiator mascot on a V8-powered Flying Spur costs $4,960.

The logo’s current appearance has been selected by the marque’s Board after an in-house contest for a redesign that took place in 2019. The winning idea belonged to Hoe Young Hwang and every executive agreed it was the best.

But making this symbol is another story altogether. The production process is as fascinating as its final look, so let’s dive in.

Creating a masterpiece

To make the “Flying B,” Bentley first needs a piece of stainless steel, more precisely a grade 316 one. That’s because it contains a higher percentage of molybdenum which makes it more durable. It’s also capable of not deforming when met with extreme temperatures. To put things better into perspective, the most common type of stainless steel used across various industries is grade 304.

That piece of stainless steel is then processed through the time-consuming investment casting process. Known also as the cire-perdue process, this is a method of metal casting that takes the molten metal and pours it into a mold that contains a sacrificial wax model. After the molten metal is added to the mold, the wax model is melted and reveals a cavity. This space is slowly filled by the molten metal, and this is how an intricate piece like the “Flying B” can be created. During the entire process, temperatures of up to 1,600 degrees Celsius (2,912 degrees Fahrenheit) are recorded.

This whole endeavor takes around 77 days. Afterward, the wiring for LEDs and the crystal acrylic wings are added. Then they’re sent to Crewe, where the British automaker will install them on a complex mechanism that allows for automatic retraction in case of a crash.

Finally, even though the first Bentleys did not have a hood mascot, the symbol became a unique identification point for the marque. If someone spots a vehicle that has a letter with wings on its front end, they will most likely think of it as an extraordinary car. Like Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Ecstasy, the hood ornament sculpture adds that little amount of flamboyance which concludes the sedan’s entire exterior identity.