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Bentley Motors Limited is a top-tier British luxury car brand, founded in London in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley. The company released its first mass-produced car—the 3-liter model—in 1921. Bentley is renowned for its outstanding performance, purely handcrafted luxurious cabins, and British aristocratic heritage, as well as its deep ties with the British Royal Family, celebrities, politicians, and motorsports. At its founding in 1919, Bentley set the goal "to build a fast car, a good car, the best of its kind," a creed that remains with the brand to this day. In 1998, Bentley was acquired by the German Volkswagen Group, becoming part of an ultra-luxury brand matrix that includes Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche under the Volkswagen Group.
Bentley's brand emblem is a winged "B" logo, with full wings on both sides, symbolizing the brand's driving spirit of soaring into the sky and its pursuit of dynamism. Throughout its long history, Bentley has had deep ties with Rolls-Royce. In 1931, Bentley was acquired by Rolls-Royce, and for 67 years the two brands shared technical platforms and manufacturing resources, until 1998 when the Volkswagen Group outbid for it. Bentley's association with racing culture is even closer than that of Rolls-Royce, and Bentley's legendary five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1930 are deeply embedded in the brand's DNA.
Bentley's development history can be roughly divided into three chapters: the founder's racing spirit during the startup period, the luxurious aristocratic period coexisting with Rolls-Royce, and the brand revival and global expansion in the Volkswagen Group era.
Founding and Le Mans Glory
Mr. Bentley was originally a racer and engineer, and from the brand's founding, it focused on manufacturing sports-style, high-performance luxury coupes. In 1924, the Bentley 3-liter sports car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans championship for the first time, and between then and 1930, Bentley won the Le Mans crown five times in total, forging the brand's racing bloodline as the "Master of Le Mans." However, during the Great Depression in 1931, Bentley's financial situation fell into difficulty, and it was acquired by its competitor, Rolls-Royce.
Coexistence with Rolls-Royce (1931–1998)
Under the Rolls-Royce umbrella, Bentley and Rolls-Royce shared production lines, and the brand once became Rolls-Royce's "sporty sister car." Representative models from this era include the Bentley Continental R, among others.
Volkswagen Era and SUV Transition (1998–Present)
In 1998, the Volkswagen Group successfully acquired Bentley for £430 million in an auction, defeating BMW, and Bentley entered the Volkswagen Group system. In the early 2000s, Bentley introduced the Continental GT mass-produced version, rebranding itself as a younger, clearer-image top-level grand tourer. In 2015, Bentley released its first luxury SUV, the Bentayga, ushering in the era of global ultra-luxury brands developing high-performance SUVs—a model that remains Bentley's best-seller to this day. In 2020, Bentley released its "Beyond 100" strategy, committing the brand to full electrification by 2030. Entering 2025, Bentley made important updates to its "Beyond 100+" strategy, abandoning the previous absolute goal of "fully electric by 2035" and announcing that it will retain plug-in hybrid and pure fuel vehicles at least through 2035.
Bentley's product line covers luxury coupes, four-door sedans, ultra-luxury SUVs, and the highly personalized Mulliner exclusive custom series. With the successive launch of the fourth-generation Continental GT and Flying Spur, the brand's powertrain now offers V8 hybrid and "Ultra Performance Hybrid" versions, among others.
Continental GT: The brand's undisputed appearance and technology flagship. The fourth-generation Continental GT product matrix has further expanded, covering Coupe and GTC versions, and introduces a V8 hybrid powertrain system that achieves a balance between extreme power and zero emissions. In 2025, Continental GT sales reached 4,567 units, a year-on-year increase of 22.1%, serving as the core driver of Bentley's annual sales growth. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Bentley released even more hardcore track-focused versions, providing non-electrified pure internal combustion engine options for VIP customers seeking extreme mechanical intensity.
Continental GT Speed: As the high-performance sports branch of the Continental GT family, it is equipped with the brand's highest-specification V8 hybrid system. Speed models offer more extreme suspension tuning and chassis dynamics than the standard version, without sacrificing luxury quality. The popularity of the Speed versions is an important factor supporting the brand's profits.
Flying Spur: The flagship product of Bentley's four-door luxury sports sedans. The fourth-generation Flying Spur also introduced a plug-in hybrid powertrain solution, continuing to win large orders in ultra-luxury markets such as China and the Middle East, where larger sedans with more spacious interiors are preferred.
Bentayga: A revolutionary ultra-luxury SUV in the brand's history. The Bentayga pioneered the trend of ultra-luxury car manufacturers launching SUVs and remains Bentley's best-selling single model globally to this day. In 2025, Bentley launched the extreme performance version—the Bentayga Speed—which demonstrated strong performance throughout the year and made a significant contribution to the brand's revenue.
Mulliner Custom Series: Bentley's personalized high-end custom department. Mulliner is Bentley's ace for achieving "extreme luxury"—it can turn any client's imagination into reality, bringing the finest materials and craftsmanship from various luxury supply chains around the world to the Bentley Crewe factory in England, creating unique masterpiece models. In 2025, as many as 70% of owners chose Mulliner custom options, making it a key driver of the brand's profit elasticity.
In 2025, Bentley demonstrated excellent financial resilience amidst an overall decline in the global ultra-luxury car market. According to official financial reports published in March 2026, annual global deliveries were 10,131 units, a 4.81% decrease from 10,600 units in 2024. Operating revenue was €2.615 billion (approximately RMB 20.77 billion), a slight decrease of 1.25% year-on-year. The revenue decline was significantly smaller than the sales decline, benefiting from the fact that 70% of owners chose Mulliner exclusive custom services, while deliveries of high-profit models continued to rise, effectively offsetting the negative impact of lower sales.
However, the profit side faced significant pressure. Annual operating profit was €216 million, a 42% drop from €373 million in 2024, and the operating profit margin fell from 14.1% to 8.3%. The sharp profit decline was mainly affected by three factors: first, approximately €42 million in additional costs from U.S. import tariffs on cars; second, non-recurring accounting fees from the Volkswagen Group's phase-out of the D-segment (large car) platform; and third, exchange rate fluctuations and continued shrinking demand in the Chinese market.
In terms of regional structure, the Americas and Europe remained Bentley's largest regional markets, each accounting for 30% of global sales. In 2025, Bentley's sales in mainland China and the Hong Kong market accounted for 19% of its global total, a significant decrease from 23% in 2024. According to Chinese market terminal retail data, Bentley's sales in China in 2025 were 2,030 units, a year-on-year decline of approximately 13% from 2,706 units in 2024. The market contraction is closely related to weak demand for ultra-luxury car consumption in China, compounded by the continuous emergence of local million-level new energy high-end models, with competition in price and product experience steadily squeezing the market space for traditional ultra-luxury imported brands.
From a powertrain perspective, in 2025, Bentley's plug-in hybrid model sales reached 5,519 units, a huge leap from 1,447 units in 2024, reflecting a significant improvement in the acceptance of the brand's hybrid products among ultra-luxury customers. Traditional pure fuel models still rely on high-performance versions such as the Bentayga Speed, Continental GT Speed, and Flying Spur Speed as their main market supply. Against the backdrop of overall pressure in the ultra-luxury car market, Porsche's 2025 annual profit dropped by 92.7%, and Aston Martin's adjusted EBITDA for the 2025 fiscal year posted a loss of £190 million. Bentley still achieved profit for the seventh consecutive year, with €2.6 billion in revenue and an 8.3% profit margin, demonstrating stronger operational resilience than its peers.
Bentley's core technology system covers high-performance hybrid systems, a flagship pure electric platform, and forward-looking intelligent driving capabilities.
High-Performance Plug-in Hybrid System
Starting in 2025, Bentley began rolling out its fourth-generation V8 hybrid powertrain system across its entire model lineup, marking a key technological milestone in the brand's electrification transformation. This system integrates a high-performance V8 engine with an efficient electric motor—the V8 engine focuses on delivering powerful, direct thrust, while the motor enables zero-emission electric driving in low-speed and low-load cruising as well as urban congestion. The balance achieved between the plug-in hybrid system's total range and all-electric range, as well as between power and energy consumption, has been well received by high-end customers. In 2025, Bentley PHEV model sales rose from 1,447 units the previous year to 5,519 units, validating the commercial feasibility of the hybrid route in the ultra-luxury market.
First BEV Platform
Bentley's first pure electric luxury urban SUV entered the pre-production stage at the end of 2025, with a global premiere scheduled for the second half of 2026 and market deliveries in 2027. The new car measures no more than five meters in length and supports industry-leading ultra-fast charging—reaching 0 to 100 miles of range in approximately seven minutes—while retaining Bentley's signature luxury craftsmanship and driving feel. It is reported that this SUV will carry electric drive technology derived from the PPE platform, shared with Porsche, with peak power ranging from 604 hp for the standard version to as high as 1,139 hp for the sports version. The first pure electric model is also equipped with a hidden illuminated front grille and a giant curved OLED screen, seamlessly integrating the digital experience with traditional handcraftsmanship.
Mulliner Personalized Custom System
This is not an independent proprietary technology per se, but rather Bentley's deep accumulation in advanced manufacturing and all-handcrafted craftsmanship. Under the Mulliner ethos, Bentley can develop globally unique paints, leathers, and detailed materials for any component of the vehicle, with customer needs being met almost without limitation. In 2025, as many as 70% of customers chose Mulliner custom options, providing substantial premium support for the brand's average revenue per vehicle and effectively offsetting the pressure from declining global deliveries.
Intelligent Driving
Bentley maintains close collaborative development with CARIAD, the software company under the Volkswagen Group, leveraging the group's underlying domain control electronic and electrical architecture and intelligent resource sharing. This partnership continuously improves the integration and luxury scenario adaptability of mainstream functions such as advanced driver assistance and urban congestion autonomous driving.
Bentley's global strategy is centered on "concentrated manufacturing in the UK and independent exports to global markets," with the three major regional markets of China, the Americas, and Europe playing distinct roles.
UK: The Crewe factory is Bentley's only global vehicle production base and the spiritual heart of the brand. Since Volkswagen acquired Bentley in 1998, the Volkswagen Group has continued to make substantial upgrade investments in the Crewe factory, transforming it into the most prestigious carbon-neutral luxury manufacturing center in the automotive industry. Under the Beyond100+ strategy, Bentley is driving the full electrification transformation of the Crewe factory. Factory A1 has been converted into a dedicated assembly workshop for the first pure electric model, a new paint shop will come online in 2026, and in July 2025, a newly designed center was completed and put into operation, greatly enhancing the unit output of the Mulliner custom business.
China: The Chinese market was once one of the fastest-growing regions for Bentley sales, but in 2025, sales fell back to 2,030 units, a 13% year-on-year decline, and the brand's share of global sales dropped to 19%. The market contraction is closely related to overall weak ultra-luxury car consumption in China, the continued rise of local high-end new energy brands, and economic uncertainty. In response, Bentley has accelerated adjustments to its marketing strategy in China—shifting from traditional "mass audience" auto show exposure to "wealthy private sharing" precision targeting, reaching potential customers through closed-door tasting events and one-on-one invitations. Bentley is also actively adding retail boutiques and regional service centers in select Chinese cities, aiming to maintain loyalty among high-net-worth users over a longer tail market.
Americas and Europe: The Americas and Europe are Bentley's two largest and most profitable markets, each accounting for 30% of global sales. The U.S. market was impacted by tariff policies, with tariffs alone generating approximately €42 million in additional costs in 2025. Nevertheless, the Americas still contributed the brand's most stable and high-profit customer groups, with particularly strong demand for high-performance versions such as the Continental GT, Flying Spur, and Bentayga Speed. The European market is more focused on guiding high-end customers toward plug-in hybrid versions in order to address increasingly stringent emissions regulations and the challenges posed by the new Battery Act.
2026 is a pivotal historical turning point for Bentley as it executes its "Dual Line Strategy" and debuts its first pure electric model. Under the Beyond100+ strategic framework, the brand has shifted to a flexible and pragmatic approach: prioritizing a parallel fuel-hybrid path rather than betting solely on pure electric.
Electrification: Bentley abandoned its previously announced "fully electrified by 2035" absolute timetable in 2023, instead committing to maintaining a three-line parallel powertrain combination of fuel, PHEV, and pure electric models at least through 2035, while continuing to launch limited non-electrified high-performance models in specific markets. This adjustment was officially unveiled and incorporated into the Beyond100+ roadmap update in November 2025 as a core strategic component, driven primarily by the overwhelmingly positive customer response to PHEV models and the fact that global pure electric demand growth has been slower than expected.
First Pure Electric SUV Global Launch: Bentley's new pure electric luxury urban SUV (the Luxury Urban SUV) will have its global premiere at the end of 2026, with deliveries in major markets beginning in 2027. The model will feature industry-leading charging technology, replenishing 100 miles of range in approximately seven minutes. The vehicle measures no more than five meters in length, uses exquisite handcrafted leather and polished metal materials, and is equipped with a pioneering giant curved OLED screen cockpit system. The new car will fill the ultra-luxury compact pure electric SUV sub-segment and is regarded as Bentley's core weapon for attracting a new generation of younger ultra-luxury consumers.
Continental GT Supersport Returns: At the end of 2025, Bentley released a historic model—the fourth-generation Continental GT Supersport. Based on the fourth-generation Continental GT, this car serves as the brand's final tribute to internal combustion engine performance enthusiasts.
Cost Control and Organizational Optimization: Facing the pressure of falling profits, Bentley announced an employee consultation and adjustment plan in March 2026, which may cut approximately 275 positions (about 6% of its total global workforce), primarily concentrated in management and logistics departments, with production positions unaffected. This move aims to optimize organizational efficiency, strike a balance between massive electrification investment and global market uncertainty, and ensure the continued development of financial resilience during the ten-year diversified powertrain transition period.
Million-Dollar New Car Plan: By the end of 2026, Bentley also plans to launch additional limited-edition high-performance pure fuel models globally to satisfy the irreplaceable emotional longing for large-displacement fuel engines in core markets such as the Middle East and North America. The brand continues to pursue harmonious coexistence between sustainable luxury and pure big-horsepower passion, while promising that all cars produced will be finished by hand at the carbon-neutral Crewe factory. Chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser emphasized in his summary of the 2026 strategy that the transition path—relying on hybrids, retaining fuel, and embracing pure electric—is the most suitable and steady course for Bentley at this time.
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