Bentley has unveiled a simplified version of its familiar Winged B emblem, marking only the fourth rebrand since the carmaker was founded more than a century ago.

Created by Bentley's in-house design team, led by director of design Robin Page, the logo is the first reveal of a "new era of Bentley design language. The logo will feature on a concept car set to be revealed next week.

The company's original logo was designed by illustrator F Gordon Crosby in 1919 and has only been updated three times since – in 1931, during the 1990s and in 2002.

According to Bentley, the latest iteration, which was based on a concept by interior design team member Young Nam, is "the biggest change to the instantly recognisable mark in more than a century of history".

The core elements of the winged B emblem remain, but the wings have been simplified and stylised with a diamond pattern, while the feathers below the central B have been removed entirely for the first time.

According to the design team, the sharper shape is "reminiscent of the angled wings of a Peregrine Falcon".

At the centre of the emblem, the B was given the appearance of being surrounded by a chamfered metal ring with a bevelled glass edge, so that it can be used as a graphic without the wings.

"If a luxury brand is the product of the stories it has created, then its emblem is its signature," said Bentley director of design Robin Page.

"In an era of ever-increasing complexity and fidelity from digitalisation, an exercise of simplification and refinement is a modern necessity – and so the new emblem is cleaner, sharper and more impactful than its predecessor."

"The new Winged B – and the concept car that introduces it – both symbolise a powerful, exciting future for this company and its exceptional, handcrafted products."

The company also revealed a flat, line-drawn version of the logo, which is expected to be used as part of the branding, in an announcement video.

Bentley is the latest car brand to unveil a simplified logo, with Audi creating flat version of its distinctive four-ringed logo and Peter Saville creating a "subtle but necessary" update to Aston Martin's logo.

Last year, car brand Jaguar made waves with its "unique and fearless" rebrand, which was met with backlash online.