Bentley celebrates manufacturing milestone of 200,000 cars

Luxury car manufacturer Bentley has celebrated the 200,000^th car produced in the company’s 100-year history.

The Bentayga Hybrid, destined for a Chinese customer, met the oldest surviving Bentley, EXP 2, and a number of long serving colleagues, as it rolled off the production line at the home of Bentley in Crewe this week.

This crowns a 20-year period in which the success driven by modern day models such as the Continental GT and Bentayga has changed the face of Bentley.

The manufacturing milestone is even more remarkable when considered that the 200,000^th car is the latest in 155,582 vehicles built at Crewe since 2003 – the breakthrough year the Continental GT was originally launched as the first model of the modern Bentley era.

Today, Bentley is building 85 cars per day, the same output in one month two decades ago.

A major investment programme at the Crewe factory since 2003 has gone hand-in-hand with the success of the Bentley Continental GT, the luxury grand tourer. The 80,000^th individual, made-to-order example was built in January this year.

Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, commented: “This production of the 200,000th car is just the latest landmark on the extraordinary journey that Bentley has been travelling since its foundation in 1919. In 2003 the introduction of the Continental GT represented a transformative moment for the brand, and this Bentley alone, has represented 80,000 sales of our total 200,000, and created both a new segment, and a contemporary image foundation for the Bentley business.

“The pace of progress has accelerated significantly since 2003 and we are now entering the next period of transformation as we pursue our Beyond100 strategy, with the aim of positioning Bentley as the global leader in sustainable luxury mobility.”

To witness the landmark moment, the Bentayga Hybrid and EXP 2, were joined by Bentley’s longest serving colleagues, including Steve Ward, who joined in 1977, and followed in his father’s footsteps, his own Bentley career beginning 42 years earlier.

In his role as whole vehicle analysis engineer, Steve has had an active involvement with every Bentley model since 1980 and has tested them throughout the world, witnessing first-hand the transformation in modern-day Bentley cars.

Looking to the future, the ambitious plans Bentley has for car production were outlined in November 2020 with its Beyond100 strategy. The company aims to be end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, with the Crewe factory climate positive thereafter.

Bentley will move to full electrification – PHEV or BEV only – by 2026, then switch the entire model range to battery electric vehicles by 2030. The Beyond100 Strategy will transform every aspect of the business as Bentley accelerates into its second century of luxury car production.

Bentley www.bentley.co.uk