Bentley Motors revealed that 2023 marked its third-best year on record, despite a notable 11 per cent dip in global sales compared to 2022. The luxury automaker reported the sale of 13,560 luxury cars worldwide. The company however revealed that approximately three-quarters of its customers opted for bespoke content from it’s Mulliner division - a 43 per cent increase over 2022.
Furthermore, Bentley also reported a shift in demand towards its higher revenue variants, such as the Azure, S, and Speed, which collectively constituted 70 per cent of total sales. The sales of these variants had only accounted for 30 per cent of all sales in 2022. The company also said that the introduction of the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase exceeded expectations, accounting for over a third of the company's SUV orders in its inaugural full year on the market.
The Bentayga remained Bentley's best seller accounting for 44 per cent of all global sales.
The Bentayga remained Bentley’s best-selling model accounting for 44 per cent of all units sold in the year. It was followed by the Continental GT and GT Convertible which accounted for about 31 per cent of all units sold. The Flying Spur accounted for the remaining 25 per cent.
Hybrid vehicles from Bentley's range also remained popular, particularly in the United Kingdom, where one in four Flying Spur and Bentayga customers opted for the hybrid option.
Commenting on the global sales results, Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said, “The luxury market was not immune from the challenging market conditions seen around the world in the second half of 2023 and despite this we were able to deliver our third highest retail position in history and enter 2024 with a strong order bank. Building on this, our quality of sales was much greater, with significant increases in our higher value derivatives, and a significant growth in demand for bespoke personalisation”.
The Continental GT and GT Convertible were the second best selling model line.
The Americas maintained its position as Bentley's largest-selling market though sales in the region were down 9 per cent to 3,848 units. It was followed by China where 3,006 units were delivered - down 18 per cent. Europe saw a 15 per cent decrease, with 2,376 units sold, and the Asia Pacific region experienced a positive growth of 5 per cent, contributing to 16 per cent of total sales. In Bentley's home market, the United Kingdom, there was an 18 per cent decline, representing 9 per cent of total sales. The Middle East, India, and Africa showed a 2 per cent increase, with 989 units sold, making up 7 per cent of total sales.
Written by: - RONIT AGARWAL
