Bentley Motors has announced the establishment of its new BEV assembly line at the Pyms Lane site’s oldest building, marking a key milestone as the company prepares to introduce its first BEV in 2027. This move comes alongside the company’s sixth consecutive year of profitability, driven by record levels of personalization and an increased focus on high-end bespoke options. These achievements have contributed to a record site investment, demonstrating Bentley’s long-term commitment to UK manufacturing.
The company saw a significant boost in revenue, with 70% of customers opting for Mulliner bespoke options, resulting in the highest-ever revenue per car—an increase of 10% over the past two years. This led to total revenue of €2.648 billion and an operating profit of €373 million, yielding a return on sales of 14.1%, one of the highest in the automotive industry. These results reflect Bentley’s investment in future products and anticipated reduced production volumes due to lifecycle effects.
Bentley’s strong financial performance underscores the company’s Beyond100+ strategy, which aims to become an all-electric brand by 2035, with a new hybrid or electric model launched every year for the next decade.
The year 2024 marked a significant transition for Bentley’s flagship Continental GT model, as it shifted from the third to the fourth generation, signifying the end of W12 engine production in Crewe. In its place, the company introduced an all-new ultra-performance V8 hybrid powertrain, which was also incorporated into the Flying Spur four-door sedan towards the end of the year. Both models debuted in high-performance Speed and Mulliner variants, with lower-powered derivatives expected in 2025. Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said: “Last year marked a milestone year in our transformation as we prepare for our electric future. We are investing at levels never seen before at Bentley, as we not only revolutionise our product cycle plan, but also transform an 85-year-old site for a new age of electrification. These are the critical foundations that will build our long-term sustainability and success. “Despite global challenges in 2024 and the run out and replacement of three of our four model lines, financial resilience measures introduced towards the end of the last decade ensured a sixth year of consistent profitability. “Looking forward to 2025, of course we continue to navigate difficult global market conditions and maintained volatile political and economic environments, however our strength of sales is strong. We have reached record levels of revenue per car, a well-balanced export strategy and a clear structure to maximise personalisation. This, added to a full year availability of our new plug-in hybrid Continental GT and Flying Spur models gives us a great deal of optimism and will have a significant, positive impact on our order bank and sales as we continue through the year.”
