Bentley posts best-ever sales in history

MANILA, Philippines—Bentley Motors posted a significant growth in profit and turnover for its strongest-ever performance as the company outlined its financial results for the year ending Dec. 31, 2013.

Operating profit improved to a record $167.7 million, up 66.9 percent on the 2012 figure of $100.5 million. Turnover grew by 15.5 percent to $1.68 billion, the highest in Bentley’s history. Profit margin increased from 7 percent to 10 percent.

Bentley’s continued success across the globe gathered pace, with exports contributing to 88 percent of total turnover, with a total export value of $1.48 billion.

This success has continued into 2014, with global deliveries to customers growing by 13 percent to 1,408 cars by the end of February.

Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, chair and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: “Customers all over the world continue to be very enthusiastic about Bentley. The luxury car market is not static. We will continue to make sure that Bentley will meet the changing needs of our discerning customers. Just two weeks ago we introduced the new Continental GT Speed and the new V8 Flying Spur. In 2016 we will offer the first SUV in the luxury sector, and one year later we will bring plug-in-hybrid technology into the luxury market. We are on the back of a record year and, given the start we have made to 2014, we are confident that Bentley will have another good year, with strong growth.”

Bentley delivered more cars than ever before in 2013, 10,120 cars, a global growth of 19 percent over the 2012 figure of 8,510 cars.

The United States remains Bentley’s largest market, with a share of 31 percent of global deliveries, followed by China with 22 percent, with Europe accounting for 15 percent.

Bentley’s home market, the United Kingdom, also performed extremely well, taking 14 percent of global deliveries, while the increasingly important Middle East region delivered 12 percent of the 10,120 cars.

To the end of 2013, Bentley had 193 dealerships, up by 20 over 2012, in 54 territories, and expects to increase this to 220 by the end of 2014.