Bentley Sales.

[Balmoral Green]

Down 82% on last February. 18 cars only registered last month.

[Exoticaholic]

Balmoral Green said:

Down 82% on last February. 18 cars only registered last month.

I wonder how many warrantied/used Bentleys were sold during the same period?

[quattrophenia]

I was told that the sales figures for Bently in January were:-
Jan 2008 - 132 cars.
Jan 2009 - 52 cars.
(Only what I've heard 3rd party from a friend, so not official or confirmed.)
A very sad reflection of the times I'm afraid. I live in Crewe and the feelings in Bentley seem to reflect those of all other car manufacturers. Such a shame as these big companies usually provide so much reasonably well paid secure labour for the local/national economy, not to mention all the supply chain companies who rely on the motor industry.
The government recently released some figures which stated that around 10% of all jobs in the UK were connected to the motor industry in some way. And when we've got companies like Toyota making £Bn losses a year - Yikes look out.

If the government wants to give me £100k of its newly printed money, I'll place an order!

[marcusRX]

Balmoral Green said:

Down 82% on last February. 18 cars only registered last month.

Lotus only registererd 18 car in Feb but some how Hummer registered 15 !?!! Subaru has only registered 184 cars so far this year

Edited by marcusRX on Saturday 7th March 15:49

[Kickstart]

Just had a look at the SMMT website Feb 2008 - 105 sales and 18 this Feb...

[Trooper]

I guess it's not surprising. Even those with money don't want to make themselves look too wealthy right now.
This must have an effect on used values.

[2woody]

I can sympathise exactly. I came out of the end of my graduate training at Rolls Royce Motor Cars, just as the last recession hit in 1994 - as a result, there was no way I was going to get taken on permanently.

I think the worst month then was 8 cars, down from a couple of hundred in better times.
I guess the difference then was that we weren't all baled out with public money, so we didn't have to carry a huge national debt burden forward....

[Steve748]

Balmoral Green said:

Subaru has only registered 184 cars so far this year

most of those will be police cars

[cardigankid]

Exoticaholic said:

Balmoral Green said:

Down 82% on last February. 18 cars only registered last month.

I wonder how many warrantied/used Bentleys were sold during the same period?

Must be tough, but as you suggest I imagine that Bentley like most manufacturers will be preregistering through dealers and selling as low mileage used, because in the current climate that's what the buyers are expecting to get deals on. Let's face it, you would do that yourself, on any car, just now. Someone who commissions a new Bentley in the current climate is seriously rich and is prepared to burn big money to have it exactly as he wants, and there can be relativley few of those. Most of the rest of us are happy to accept a few compromises on their ideal spec in return for a whack off.

Anyhow, we need them, tough it out guys!

[stain]

cardigankid said:

Exoticaholic said:

Balmoral Green said:

Down 82% on last February. 18 cars only registered last month.

I wonder how many warrantied/used Bentleys were sold during the same period?

Must be tough, but as you suggest I imagine that Bentley like most manufacturers will be preregistering through dealers and selling as low mileage used, because in the current climate that's what the buyers are expecting to get deals on. Let's face it, you would do that yourself, on any car, just now. Someone who commissions a new Bentley in the current climate is seriously rich and is prepared to burn big money to have it exactly as he wants, and there can be relativley few of those. Most of the rest of us are happy to accept a few compromises on their ideal spec in return for a whack off.

Anyhow, we need them, tough it out guys!

Doesn't seem to make some of the dealers try any harder though!

[lambo_xx]

Balmoral Green said:

Down 82% on last February. 18 cars only registered last month.

God only 18, wow who would have though that only 18 footballers/WAGs had bought one this month

[williamp]

The results are out for april (from the smmt website) and show sales of 65 for april. Down from last years 170, but up on feb ruary nonetheless (now at 261 for the year, compared to 774 for 2008)

Aston sold 91 cars in the same month, and Lotus 41. Interestingly, Alfa sold 686 cars- up 76% on this time last year

[Exoticaholic]

williamp said:

Interestingly, Alfa sold 686 cars- up 76% on this time last year

That's when Mito became available on the British market - very distinctive looking car for MINI money.