Friday, September 12, 2008
Used Project for Bentley Dealers
"It’s more a reassurance to customers who come into the brand on why they should choose between an official Bentley dealer and a non-official used car dealer. " - Stuart McCullough, Bentley’s board member for sales and marketing
Bentley is preparing a used car programme for its dealer network.
It is being put together after more than three years of significantly increased registrations through its first volume product, Continental GT and Flying Spur.
Encompassing warranty provision, forecourt preparation standards and provenance checks, the programme will include marketing and stocking support for dealers.
Stuart McCullough, Bentley’s board member for sales and marketing, said: “It’s more a reassurance to customers who come into the brand on why they should choose between an official Bentley dealer and a non-official used car dealer.”
Volume reduction
Subtle revisions to the Flying Spur for the 2009 model year, and the offering of a Speed variant, are expected to support dealers’ new car sales.
“We’ll always be concerned about an economic downturn but there’s a balance to be struck between the short term and the long term,” said McCullough.
“We had planned for a reduction in volume this year. One part of that is from seeing what’s happening in our markets and the other part is product lifecycle.”
Production at Crewe will still be 8,000-10,000 units annually. “That’s what our business model was based on,” added McCullough.
The UK represents 18% of Bentley’s global sales – its largest market outside the USA – but the Crewe-based manufacturer is enjoying growth in export markets such as China, Russia, India and the Middle East.
DATED: 12.09.08
FEED: AM
Bentley is preparing a used car programme for its dealer network.
It is being put together after more than three years of significantly increased registrations through its first volume product, Continental GT and Flying Spur.
Encompassing warranty provision, forecourt preparation standards and provenance checks, the programme will include marketing and stocking support for dealers.
Stuart McCullough, Bentley’s board member for sales and marketing, said: “It’s more a reassurance to customers who come into the brand on why they should choose between an official Bentley dealer and a non-official used car dealer.”
Volume reduction
Subtle revisions to the Flying Spur for the 2009 model year, and the offering of a Speed variant, are expected to support dealers’ new car sales.
“We’ll always be concerned about an economic downturn but there’s a balance to be struck between the short term and the long term,” said McCullough.
“We had planned for a reduction in volume this year. One part of that is from seeing what’s happening in our markets and the other part is product lifecycle.”
Production at Crewe will still be 8,000-10,000 units annually. “That’s what our business model was based on,” added McCullough.
The UK represents 18% of Bentley’s global sales – its largest market outside the USA – but the Crewe-based manufacturer is enjoying growth in export markets such as China, Russia, India and the Middle East.
DATED: 12.09.08
FEED: AM
