19 January 2024 , 08:57
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Bentley, the luxury car maker, has announced a drop in global sales by 11% last year due to "challenging market conditions".
The company, based in Crewe, delivered 13,560 cars in 2023, compared with 15,174 during the previous 12 months. Sales to both the UK and China saw an 18% decrease. Despite this, 2023 was still the manufacturer's third best year for sales. Bentley, owned by the Volkswagen Group, also noted that customers were "increasingly attracted to higher revenue models" such as the Azure, S and Speed, which made up a combined 70% of total sales, compared with 30% in 2022.
The company has previously stated it is focusing on the profit it makes from each sale rather than chasing volume. Bentley chief executive Adrian Hallmark 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. "We remain cautiously optimistic for the year ahead, with a continued robust global demand by market and model, high levels of interest in our hybrid models and with more to follow this year."
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EMBARGOD TO 0001 FRIDAY JANUARY 19 Undated file photo of a Bentley badge. Bentley's global sales fell by 11% last year due to "challenging market conditions", the luxury car maker announced. The Crewe-based company said it delivered 13,560 cars in 2023, compared with 15,174 during the previous 12 months. The decline was driven by 18% decreases in sales to both the UK and China. Issue date: Friday January 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story TRANSPORT Bentley. Photo credit should read: Tim Goode/PA Wire (2024 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)