Nearly a century after Bentley Motors was originally established, the company is doing better than ever, on track for their best sales year in the history of the company. Coming hot off their previous record set last year, the luxury car maker has thrived in the recovering economy.
Nobody seems to have told Bentley about the recession, because the past few years have in fact been some of the company's best, as far as sales are concerned. Perhaps the wealthy saw little downside to the economic downturn, because they're buying more Bentleys than ever before.
Across the world, Bentley is selling more and more cars. The Americas account for their largest market, followed closely by the booming economy of China. In the first nine months of the year, Bentley sold over 1,900 cars in China, an increase of over 700 cars during the same period the year before. Other growing markets include Germany, the United Kingdom, and various Asian regions. The Middle East has seemed to develop a taste for the British luxury cars, with sales more than doubling in the last three years.
"We said at the start of the year that 2014 would be a record breaking year for Bentley and we are firmly on track to deliver on our promise," said Keven Rose, Member of the Board for Sales at Bentley Motors. "Certain markets are tough, as other luxury car brands can testify, but with our three model lines delivering a perfect blend of luxury and performance, alongside the international appeal that we have as a brand, it will ensure 2014 will go down as our best ever year."
Bentley contributes much of their success to their growing model lineup. Many of their sales have included the new Continental GT V8 S (coupe and convertible), and the Flying Spur V8. The two cars ditch the large W12 engines for smaller V8s, lowering the price without sacrificing any comfort or performance. Of course, the company also makes the Mulsanne, the large luxobarge with an equally hefty price tag. With the development of a Bentley SUV officially underway, it looks like this is only the beginning of a new era of Bentley.
So far this year, Bentley has sold 7,786 vehicles around the world, an increase of 19 percent compared to the same period the year before. The cars might not have the same exacting levels of bespoke coachbuilding that they used to, but the company and its customers sure seem happy with the end products.
