Post by privateinvestors on Jul 2, 2011 18:44:55 GMT 4
Strong sales in China help Bentley return to near 2008 levels
Bentley sales are up 20 percent for a total of 2,978 vehicles in the first half of 2011 due in large part to strong sales in China. Bentley sold 680 cars in China, an increase of 57 percent or 433 units. It also means China surpassed the U.K. as the brand’s second largest market for the second quarter in a row. In the U.K., Bentley sold 533 vehicles or an increase of 30 autos from the same period a year ago. If taken by itself, China sales account for 87 percent of the increase in the first half of 2011. Bentley also performed strongly in Europe and America, selling 99 more cars in Europe for 494 units and 170 more autos in America for a sum of 907 vehicles.
The Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets are down but Bentley didn’t specify exactly how much. Taking into consideration the growth in the other markets, those areas must have sold 239 fewer cars than in the same period last year. Bentley attributes the drop in sales on the tsunami in Japan and political unrest in the Middle East.
Bentley says the 2012 Bentley Continental GT, introduced in late 2010, drove most of its sales increase.
If Bentley is able to sell the same amount of vehicles in the second half of 2011, it will be Bentley’s best year since 2008, when it sold 7,685 units. Bentley’s best year ever was in 2006 when it sold 9,742 automobiles.
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