Bronzecraft Limited — the specialist art and heritage foundry based in Attleborough, South Norfolk — is widely known for high‑quality casting made to clients’ designs and specifications. Alongside these commissions, however, we also research, design, model and produce our own original range of copyright‑protected products. Every stage is conceived, developed and manufactured entirely within our workshops, so designs, forms and finished works remain our intellectual property and are never available from any other foundry or supplier. The 2026 Cost for a WO Bentley Bronze Edition is £3995.00 inc VAT Ex Works Only From Bronzecraft Ltd
One of the finest examples in this exclusive collection is our W.O. Bentley bronze — slightly over‑life‑size head‑and‑shoulders portrait, weighing approximately 35 kilograms and finished in a deep, rich brown patina. Created with deep respect for history and craftsmanship, it is a truly fitting tribute — and an essential piece for every passionate pre‑war W.O. Bentley owner, enthusiast or collector. Available exclusively and only from Bronzecraft Limited. Unlike heavy‑industrial plants built purely for volume, our specialist foundry environment is perfectly suited to developing original works — where care, detail and consistency matter far more than speed or mass output.
Walter Owen Bentley – Life and Achievements
Walter Owen Bentley (1888 – 1971) — universally known simply as W.O. — was the visionary engineer and founder behind one of the world’s greatest prestige and performance marques. Born in Hampstead, London, he showed early talent for mechanics and engineering, serving an apprenticeship with the Great Northern Railway before turning first to motorcycles and then to high‑quality cars.
He established Bentley Motors Limited in 1919 at Cricklewood, North London, guided by a clear philosophy: “To build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class.” His engines became legendary — exceptionally strong, reliable and efficient — developed using advanced metallurgy and meticulous design, qualities still synonymous with the name today.
His defining achievements and legacy include:
- Designing the famous 3‑litre, 4½‑litre, 6½‑litre and 8‑litre power units — smooth, powerful and built to endure
- Securing five outright victories at Le Mans between 1924 and 1930, establishing Bentley as “The Greatest British Sports Car”
- Creating cars that combined effortless speed with robust construction and fine craftsmanship — the heart of the Pre‑War Bentley legend
- Introducing innovations such as aluminium‑alloy pistons and refined valve‑gear layouts, later adopted industry‑wide
- Setting lasting standards for engineering integrity and quality, influencing design practice for decades
Even after changes in ownership and direction, W.O.’s spirit and engineering principles remained central: precision, endurance and quality above mass‑production — values that mirror exactly how Bronzecraft Limited works today — specialist, careful, and built to last. It is this strength, vision and greatness that our bronze portrait was created to capture and preserve.
Research and Design: Built on Extensive Reference and Family Support
Development was thorough and authoritative — not based on just one photograph, but on around 120 different reference images and records, carefully studied and absorbed by Bronzecraft’s own in‑house sculptor. This broad body of material ensured no single view dominated; instead, the form and expression grew from understanding his features, posture and character across many years and occasions.
Crucially, this work was fully supported by W.O. Bentley’s godson, who also provided exclusive private family photographs to add further insight and authenticity to the project. This unique backing gave us deeper understanding of the man behind the public image.
Proportions were carefully set to be slightly over life‑size, giving commanding presence without exaggeration; the head‑and‑shoulders format balances dignity and detail, while ensuring a substantial, stable form ideal for display. From the very outset, we also consider casting practicalities — section thickness, flow paths and structural strength — so the finished piece is technically sound as well as artistically powerful: a benefit unique to working with a foundry that leads the design process.
Copyright: Creating and Protecting Original Works
From initial research and design, through modelling and pattern‑making, to casting and finishing — every stage is carried out or controlled directly by Bronzecraft Limited. Because concept, form and final appearance originate entirely with us — shaped from broad, original study and family‑enhanced insight — these works are protected under copyright law. No other party may copy, reproduce or manufacture them without permission.
This protection guarantees both authenticity and consistent quality. When you acquire one of our own‑produced works, you receive the genuine article — made exactly to the original design and standard, never an inferior copy or interpretation. Copyright also preserves the limited nature and lasting value for collectors and owners. We never use designs from unclear sources or reproduce works where rights are not fully secure — our own range is built entirely on original research and hands‑on creation here in Attleborough.
Modelling and Pattern‑Making: Hand‑Crafted Quality
Our master model was created using traditional hand‑skills alongside precise measurement — because at Bronzecraft, hand‑craft preserves subtle character and expression easily lost in rushed or automated production. From this original, durable patterns and moulds were built for lost‑wax ceramic‑shell casting, our chosen method for all fine‑quality and copyright‑protected works.
Multi‑layer shell construction faithfully reproduces every nuance — from soft transitions in facial form to finer details in hair, collar and fabric — something heavy‑industrial casting cannot achieve reliably.
Casting, Finishing and Patination
All work takes place in‑house. We use premium‑grade bronze alloy, durable and stable for generations. Melting and pouring are carefully controlled to suit this specific form — our craft‑scale operation adapts process to piece, rather than forcing the piece into a rigid production line. At approximately 35 kilograms, the finished portrait feels solid and substantial yet perfectly balanced.
After casting, shells and sprues are removed carefully. Chasing restores and sharpens definition, supported by our close partnership with Hannam Polishing Services Ltd alongside us — preparing surfaces evenly and thoroughly before patination.
Our signature rich, deep‑brown patina is developed gradually as a chemical reaction into the bronze itself — not simply painted on — creating warm depth, subtle variation and light‑play typical of fine historic bronzes, consistent across every piece. This finish enhances form, shadow and detail perfectly.
Why Essential for Pre‑War Bentley Owners and Enthusiasts
For anyone devoted to the history, engineering and spirit of W.O. Bentley and the great pre‑war cars, this bronze portrait is far more than decoration — it is a fitting tribute, shaped from wide‑ranging research and created with genuine family backing.
- Slightly over life‑size, commanding but true to proportion
- Solid bronze, approx 35 kg, substantial and built to endure
- Rich deep‑brown patina — classic, refined and durable
- Developed from about 120 references absorbed by our own sculptor — not just one single image
- Project fully supported and enhanced by W.O. Bentley’s godson
- Made entirely in‑house from research to final seal
- Copyright‑protected original — never produced elsewhere
Perfect for display in collections, club rooms, workshops, offices or entrances — wherever Bentley heritage is celebrated.
Exclusive Availability: Only from Bronzecraft Limited
Because this is our own copyright‑protected product, we hold sole rights to manufacture and supply it. You will not find this exact W.O. Bentley bronze produced or sold by any other foundry, retailer or agent.
Exclusivity ensures every piece matches the original quality, detail and finish — produced to the same standards applied to all our own‑range works, as well as commissions for artists, Cambridge colleges, public bodies and projects such as demonstration castings previously supplied to the BBC. Pricing is transparent and built logically from skilled labour, materials and care — no mass‑volume compromise.
Bronzecraft Limited: Where Originality and Craft Combine
Our ability to conceive, design, protect and produce our own copyright‑protected works — like the W.O. Bentley bronze — sets us apart from foundries that only execute what others design. It proves we remain fully independent, craft‑focused and capable from concept to final hand‑finish: specialist art and heritage foundry