They prefer two-door Continental coupes and convertibles in bold, bright colours
Ronnie Lim 09 November 2013
Reflecting perhaps old money and the establishment, most four-door Bentleys - such as the Mulsanne and Flying Spur - on Singapore roads are in understated white, greyish-white or black. But the recent influx of foreign tycoons here, plus younger buyers, has spiced this up with purchases of two-door Continental coupes and convertibles in bolder “burned orange, St James red and Silverlake (a bluish-silver)” finishes.
Younger, below-40 buyers accounted for 15 per cent of the 110 Bentleys sold here in the first nine months of this year, with those aged 40 and above (including middle-aged businessmen) making up the remainder. The luxury marque has seen a steady sales creep - from 49 units sold in 2010, to 60 in 2011 and 93 cars last year.
The relatively subtle colour schemes preferred here are generally reflective of the South-east Asian market, Robin Peel, Bentley’s head of marketing and communications for the Asia-Pacific, told BT.
“Our Middle Eastern customers are more adventurous,” he said, preferring bright blues, sunburst oranges and reds and yellows - recounting a Saudi princess who ordered a Mulsanne in bright metallic “sequin blue” to match a dress for a special function.
While Bentley has also come up with customised colours such as “dragon red and pearl pink” for young, rich Chinese female buyers, it however, draws a line at the outrageous, with Mr Peel saying that the company tries to politely steer customers away from such requests.
Colour preferences are just one aspect of the bespoke details to which Bentley pays careful attention.
Over and above the precision and zero tolerance on its assembly lines, what becomes evident during a visit to the British marque’s plant in Crewe, Cheshire, is its great pride in tradition and craftsmanship, not to mention luxe materials like the best leathers and wood, that go into its cars.
At its leather stitching section for example, various patterns for the head-rest of seats are on display, with these ranging from subtle variations of the Bentley logo to other options such as a red Chinese dragon, or a green palm tree framed by two khanjars (curved Arab daggers).
Asked whether the shift in spending power from the West to the East has led to changes in customer preferences, Mr Peel’s response was: “While the dollars may have moved, many Chinese customers for example, don’t want a made-for-China car per se but one that is Western and global as they think globally. China has a lot of customers who have a bizarre respect for British things, like the royal family.” And Bentleys too, apparently.
Paul Jones, Bentley’s head of product management, and in charge of product planning and strategy, stressed that “customer feedback will very much influence development of the group’s next product - whether a new model or next generation of products”.
“While our two-door coupes and convertibles were mainly the preserve of Western markets, the big drivers for the coming SUV was for instance its truly global market,” he said. The off-road technology for the SUV will be drawn from the VW Group, which owns Bentley, which is a great advantage, he added.
Mr Jones said that in Bentley’s case, “one of its great strengths is its breadth”, adding: “For example in 2003, what other brand can, on one hand, win the Le Mans - the most prestigious 24-hour sports car race - and also deliver a limousine to the Queen for her Golden Jubilee, and do both credibly. So Bentley has incredible breadth in luxury and performance.”
On the “green” front, the group - which kicked off its environmental programme in 2008 - has developed new engines including a high-performance four-litre V-8 which has helped to cut carbon emissions by some 40 per cent. “Here, we have made great steps forward without much trade-off in performance,” said Mr Jones.
Will an electric Bentley be next on the cards then?
“A plug-in hybrid has much to recommend it. It is high-torque, quiet and refined, so we are looking seriously at it,” he said, adding that Bentley can again access this technology in the VW group, which is already offering a number of “plug-ins” including those in the Porsche Panamera.
But diesel-powered Bentleys are a big no-no, said Mike Sayer, the group’s communications manager for product and motorsports, as customers, when surveyed, gave a resounding thumbs down to this as they want only petrol-powered cars.
Reviving its heritage, Bentley is about to go racing again soon in the GT-3 series in Europe, and will conduct its first “test” race in Abu Dhabi on Dec 13. The marque sees racing as a means to improve the road car technologically, and at the same time, boost car sales.
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Younger buyers spice up Bentley’s cars
They prefer two-door Continental coupes and convertibles in bold, bright colours
Ronnie Lim
09 November 2013
Reflecting perhaps old money and the establishment, most four-door Bentleys - such as the Mulsanne and Flying Spur - on Singapore roads are in understated white, greyish-white or black. But the recent influx of foreign tycoons here, plus younger buyers, has spiced this up with purchases of two-door Continental coupes and convertibles in bolder “burned orange, St James red and Silverlake (a bluish-silver)” finishes.
Younger, below-40 buyers accounted for 15 per cent of the 110 Bentleys sold here in the first nine months of this year, with those aged 40 and above (including middle-aged businessmen) making up the remainder. The luxury marque has seen a steady sales creep - from 49 units sold in 2010, to 60 in 2011 and 93 cars last year.
The relatively subtle colour schemes preferred here are generally reflective of the South-east Asian market, Robin Peel, Bentley’s head of marketing and communications for the Asia-Pacific, told BT.
“Our Middle Eastern customers are more adventurous,” he said, preferring bright blues, sunburst oranges and reds and yellows - recounting a Saudi princess who ordered a Mulsanne in bright metallic “sequin blue” to match a dress for a special function.
While Bentley has also come up with customised colours such as “dragon red and pearl pink” for young, rich Chinese female buyers, it however, draws a line at the outrageous, with Mr Peel saying that the company tries to politely steer customers away from such requests.
Colour preferences are just one aspect of the bespoke details to which Bentley pays careful attention.
Over and above the precision and zero tolerance on its assembly lines, what becomes evident during a visit to the British marque’s plant in Crewe, Cheshire, is its great pride in tradition and craftsmanship, not to mention luxe materials like the best leathers and wood, that go into its cars.
At its leather stitching section for example, various patterns for the head-rest of seats are on display, with these ranging from subtle variations of the Bentley logo to other options such as a red Chinese dragon, or a green palm tree framed by two khanjars (curved Arab daggers).
Asked whether the shift in spending power from the West to the East has led to changes in customer preferences, Mr Peel’s response was: “While the dollars may have moved, many Chinese customers for example, don’t want a made-for-China car per se but one that is Western and global as they think globally. China has a lot of customers who have a bizarre respect for British things, like the royal family.” And Bentleys too, apparently.
Paul Jones, Bentley’s head of product management, and in charge of product planning and strategy, stressed that “customer feedback will very much influence development of the group’s next product - whether a new model or next generation of products”.
“While our two-door coupes and convertibles were mainly the preserve of Western markets, the big drivers for the coming SUV was for instance its truly global market,” he said. The off-road technology for the SUV will be drawn from the VW Group, which owns Bentley, which is a great advantage, he added.
Mr Jones said that in Bentley’s case, “one of its great strengths is its breadth”, adding: “For example in 2003, what other brand can, on one hand, win the Le Mans - the most prestigious 24-hour sports car race - and also deliver a limousine to the Queen for her Golden Jubilee, and do both credibly. So Bentley has incredible breadth in luxury and performance.”
On the “green” front, the group - which kicked off its environmental programme in 2008 - has developed new engines including a high-performance four-litre V-8 which has helped to cut carbon emissions by some 40 per cent. “Here, we have made great steps forward without much trade-off in performance,” said Mr Jones.
Will an electric Bentley be next on the cards then?
“A plug-in hybrid has much to recommend it. It is high-torque, quiet and refined, so we are looking seriously at it,” he said, adding that Bentley can again access this technology in the VW group, which is already offering a number of “plug-ins” including those in the Porsche Panamera.
But diesel-powered Bentleys are a big no-no, said Mike Sayer, the group’s communications manager for product and motorsports, as customers, when surveyed, gave a resounding thumbs down to this as they want only petrol-powered cars.
Reviving its heritage, Bentley is about to go racing again soon in the GT-3 series in Europe, and will conduct its first “test” race in Abu Dhabi on Dec 13. The marque sees racing as a means to improve the road car technologically, and at the same time, boost car sales.
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