Portrait of Bentley
Back to overviewBentley Motors can look back on a rich history but also has a clear road map for the future: Bentley aims to become a completely climate-neutral brand for luxury vehicles by 2030. The British company, based in Crewe, United Kingdom, has been part of Volkswagen AG since 1998 and part of the Audi Group since January 2022.
Bentley stands for customized luxury, perfect craftsmanship, and powerful performance. Since 1919, the brand has been manufacturing unmistakable icons in England. In addition to Ducati and Lamborghini, Bentley Motors is part of the Brand Group Progressive. Audi took over the steering function for Bentley on March 1, 2021.
Since Bentley Motors has operated under the umbrella of AUDI AG, joint teams of Audi and Bentley employees have identified and launched numerous synergy projects and collaborated on research and development. The next joint project is electrification. By 2030, Bentley aims to become a completely climate-neutral brand for luxury vehicles.
Traditional craftsmanship forms the basis of the finest Bentleys
In addition to the Bentayga, the current model series includes the Continental and the Flying Spur. The Bacalar, Batur and Blower models are also produced in exclusive small-scale series. There were also special models from Mulliner; the coachbuilder has cooperated with Bentley since 1923. Mulliner builds vehicles for Bentley to this day – partially on a small-unit basis – and sometimes with interior cladding made of 5,000-year-old wood. A single leather seat in a Mulliner Bacalar has exactly 148,199 stitches. By hand, of course. These flagships shape the brand’s DNA – and attract prominent buyers.
Bentley customers personalize their cars more than ever
In 2023, Bentley Motors achieved global sales of 13,241 luxury cars: its third-best result. Although an 11 percent decrease from 2022 - Bentley’s best-ever sales, interest in luxury personalization reached higher levels than before. Around three-quarters of customers went beyond the 46 billion configurations available from the standard options range to add bespoke content from Bentley’s Mulliner division, representing a 43 percent rise over 2022, indicating the desire for genuinely unique exclusivity in the luxury industry.
Customers were also increasingly attracted to higher revenue models such as Azure, S, and Speed, the mix of which reached 70 percent, up from 30 percent in 2022. The Bentayga Extended Wheelbase exceeded expectations reaching over a third of the company’s SUV orders in its first full year on sale.
Britain’s Most Admired Automotive Manufacturer
In March 2023, Bentley Motors was named Britain’s Most Admired Automotive Manufacturer in the UK’s longest-running corporate reputational survey. The annual Most Admired Companies Study dates back over 30 years and honors the best businesses throughout the country. The award reflects Bentley’s extraordinary lineup of cars, its business success, and its future-looking Beyond100 strategy, enabling Bentley to revolutionize itself from the world’s biggest 12-cylinder engine producer to an all-electric car company within a decade.