As demonstrated by luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bugatti, the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic largely stem from perceptions. The affluent have managed to sidestep these struggles, as evidenced by Bentley’s remarkable success—posting its best financial quarter in a century. Following a record-breaking year in 2020, during which it sold more vehicles than ever before, Bentley is poised to surpass that achievement in 2021, reporting a 40 percent increase in global sales compared to the same time last year, according to Autocar.
A significant contributor to this success has been the Bentayga SUV, which has proven to be the brand’s most popular model, making up 40 percent of sales. Regionally, Bentley has seen growth in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with sales rising 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively, compared to last year. However, the Chinese market has shown the most impressive growth, with sales skyrocketing by 187 percent in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
Despite this success, Bentley’s operations have not returned to pre-pandemic norms; the ultra-luxury market has had to adapt to new COVID-related practices. A Bentley spokesperson shared with Autocar that CEO Adrian Hallmark has engaged in multiple Zoom calls with customers to discuss customizations for models like the Blower and Bacalar, with many buyers opting to skip trips to Crewe.
It seems that even the wealthy have their share of challenges—imagine navigating a $2 million bespoke Bentley specification only to realize you’ve been muted the whole time. The struggles of the rich are truly relatable.
Additionally, the report indicates that Bentley’s order volume has surged by 50 percent since the previous quarter, resulting in the largest backlog of orders the company has ever experienced. Notably, 75 percent of these orders are from first-time Bentley buyers, which appears to have influenced the rise in popularity of certain customization options. For instance, piano black has overtaken burr walnut as the favored choice for dashboard trim.
It makes one wonder if the newly affluent are aware of how quickly piano black can accumulate dust and fingerprints—a little hasty in their decision-making, perhaps.
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