A Bentley is a big, very expensive British car. It is the kind of car people picture when they say someone is rich: a long, heavy body, a quiet ride, thick seats, and a door that shuts with a deep sound. You often hear it next to Rolls-Royce — another old British name for a grand car — and in ordinary talk the two stand for the same idea: luxury, not a small family car. Though actually they are not the same maker, and people who care about cars will tell you they do not feel quite the same on the road; still, if someone says “he drives a Bentley,” they mean wealth and comfort, not a brand quiz. The name began as an English family name, from a place: a meadow of bent-grass. The cars are named after W. O. Bentley, who built them. Write it with a capital B; it is a name.