Va Va Vroom! Bentley and Rolls-Royce rev up record profits
BRITAIN’S leading luxury car manufacturers Bentley and Rolls-Royce both achieved record profits last year as demand for classic car marques continues to grow.
Bentley, which accounts for one in every four luxury cars sold around the world, saw sales jump a fifth to £1.4billion to the year ending December 31, 2013. Profits rocketed from £108million to £181million as it sold a record 10,120 cars.
It is a remarkable performance for the company, which recorded a pre-tax loss of £293million on a £591million turnover just three years ago.
Since buying Bentley in 1998, owner Volkswagen has invested more than £1billion in improving production at its manufacturing plant in Crewe, Cheshire.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, owned by Germany’s BMW, sold a record 3,630 cars last year, all handmade to order at Goodwood, West Sussex. A spokesman said: ‘There is an appetite around the world for quality, luxury and Britishness.’