Last year proved to be very difficult for the car industry due to the semiconductor shortage and continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these hurdles, Bentley recorded the best year in its history.
Throughout 2021, the British car manufacturer sold a record 14,659 vehicles, which is a 31 per cent increase over the 11,206 vehicles it sold in 2020 – itself a record at the time.
While the car manufacturer hasn’t announced numbers for each of its models, it has revealed that the Bentayga SUV remains its best seller and sold more examples in 2021 than any other previous year, thanks in part to the addition of a hybrid powertrain to the range. Moreover, the Bentayga accounted for 40 percent of Bentley’s total sales.
Sales of the Continental GT also climbed and accounted for 33 per cent of brand sales, split 60/40 percent between the Coupe and Convertible models. The Flying Spur accounted for 27 percent of sales.
“2021 was yet another year of unpredictability though I am delighted to be able to confirm that we overcame significant headwinds, and deliver a breakthrough in our sales performance,” chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors Adrian Hallmark said. “This is our second record sales year in the successive years and is a positive sign of our brand strength, operational excellence, strong global demand and affirmation of our strategic priorities.”
The Americas was Bentley’s largest market, accounting for 4,212 sales, a 39 percent increase from 2020. Following closely behind was China with 4,033 sales, a 40 percent jump from the previous year. Europe accounted for 2,520 sales while 1,651 sales were recorded in Asia Pacific, 1,328 in the UK, and 915 in the Middle East.
