Bentley blazes a trail of success

Bentley, one of the most famous names in the UK's automotive history, has just announced its highest ever sales and highest ever profits. The future for the Cheshire-based car maker has rarely looked brighter.

For the calendar year 2007, Bentley increased its net revenue by €36m to set a new record of €1.37bn. Operating profit increased by €18m to a new operating profit record of €155m.

With its rich heritage, high production values and luxury price tag, it's not hard to see why the Bentley brand is one of the most coveted in the industry. Prices for a Bentley start at £117,500 for the Continental GT, known as the 'baby Bentley and the most successful model ever produced, and rise to over £220,000 for the convertible version of the Azure, so these aren't cars for the masses. But with sales in 2007 reaching 10,014, the highest in its 89 year history, the famous 'flying B' has never been more popular.

The company achieved sales increases in almost all its major markets: seven per cent in the UK, four per cent in North America (despite the credit crunch), seven per cent in Europe, 18 per cent in the Asia Pacific region, and a whopping 93 per cent in China alone.

Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, Bentley Chairman and CEO, says that, "2007 was a milestone in the history of Bentley as we passed the 10,000 units for the first time. Five years ago we were selling only 1,000 units but the development of a strong product line has seen the company attract new customers in greater numbers. 2007 saw strong growth both in mature markets, such as Germany, the UK and the US, as well as in emerging markets, such as China and Russia."

Bentley was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen (known as W.O.) Bentley and has been producing hand-assembled cars at Crewe since 1946. The company was a fading star, though, until a change of ownership heralded a transformation of its fortunes.

Volkswagen bought the company in 1998. For four years, it shared the Crewe site with German rivals BMW, which bought Rolls-Royce at the same time. Rolls-Royce eventually moved production to West Sussex. Bentley chose to invest in the Northwest. Over £500 million has been invested in new technology, new infrastructure and new models, turning the one-time Spitfire engine plant into a world-leader car manufacturing facility, and increasing the workforce by 40 per cent in the process. The company now employees close to 4,000 people at Crewe, and impacts on the lives of tens of thousands of others through its network of suppliers.

The company's hallmarks of quality are its superb precision engineering, powerful performance, sumptuous leather interiors and fine wood veneers. The launch of the Continental GT coupe in 2003, with its combination of luxurious heritage and sporty, modern styling, caught the attention of a new generation of Bentley buyers. Since then, such is the international allure of the Bentley brand that production at the quarter-mile-long assembly line has been at full capacity for several years in order to keep up with demand. Production has grown ten-fold in the past four years alone.

The company is planning to launch a new model in 2011/2012, to the delight of lovers of automobile luxury all over the world. Even with its global appeal, however, Bentley remains committed to its Northwest roots, a true champion of engineering excellence.

Says Stuart McCullough, Bentley's member of the board, sales and marketing, "Bentley is proud to be a leading British vehicle manufacturer. With all of its production based in Crewe, a workforce of almost 4,000 and a 500 strong engineering team, it is a significant employer in the Northwest. Through our combination of modern technology, craftsmanship and bespoke capabilities, Bentley occupies a leading position in the luxury vehicle market, and expects to maintain that position into the future."