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Bentley celebrates manufacturing milestone of 200,000th luxury car

2021-03-30T08:40:12+01:00

Bentley Motors has celebrated the 200,000^th luxury car built in the company’s illustrious 100-year-plus history. The Bentayga Hybrid, destined for a Chinese customer, met the oldest surviving Bentley, EXP 2, and a number of long serving colleagues, as it rolled off the production line at the home of Bentley in Crewe, in Staffordshire. This crowns an extraordinary 20-year period in which the success driven by modern day models such as the Continental GT and Bentayga has truly changed the face of Bentley Motors.

The manufacturing milestone is even more remarkable when considered that the 200,000^th car is the latest in 155,582 vehicles built at Crewe since 2003 – the breakthrough year the Continental GT was originally launched as the first model of the modern Bentley era. Today, Bentley is building 85 cars per day, the same output in one month two decades ago.

In comparison to Bentley’s modern era, in the year of Bentley’s first existence, 1919, through to 2002, the company built 44,418 luxury cars – 38,933 of them in Crewe. Among that total were many iconic models of their time, including the Bentley Blower, the R-Type Continental, Mulsanne, Arnage and Azure. Incredibly, records show that 84 per cent of all cars built for the UK market are still on the road today.

A major investment programme at the Crewe factory since 2003 has gone hand-in-hand with the success of the Bentley Continental GT, the definitive luxury Grand Tourer. The 80,000^th individual, made-to-order example was built in January this year. Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, comments: “This production of the 200,000^th car is just the latest landmark on the extraordinary journey that Bentley has been travelling since its foundation in 1919. In 2003 the introduction of the Continental GT represented a transformative moment for the brand, and this Bentley alone, has represented 80,000 sales of our total 200,000, and created both a new segment, and a contemporary image foundation for the Bentley business.

“The pace of progress has accelerated significantly since 2003 and we are now entering the next period of transformation as we pursue our Beyond100 strategy, with the aim of positioning Bentley as the global leader in sustainable luxury mobility.” To witness the landmark moment, the Bentayga Hybrid and EXP 2, were joined by Bentley’s longest serving colleagues, including Steve Ward, who joined in 1977, and followed in his father’s footsteps, his own Bentley career beginning 42 years earlier.

In his role as Whole Vehicle Analysis Engineer, Steve has had an active involvement with every Bentley model since 1980 and has tested them throughout the world, witnessing first-hand the transformation in modern-day Bentley cars. The Continental GT is the ultimate in high-speed luxury and remains the benchmark in its sector. This week (March 23) also saw a new Continental GT revealed – the most capable, performance-focused Bentley yet, the Continental GT Speed offers no compromise to comfort or luxury.

The success of the Continental GT has been mirrored by the Bentayga, offering a true Bentley driving experience and unparalleled luxury. Launched in 2015, when it established the luxury SUV sector, the fastest SUV in the world has reached its 25,000 production landmark. It is expected that the Bentayga could surpass total sales of the Continental GT within a decade and become the biggest selling Bentley model in history.

Since 2005, the company has also built 40,000 examples of the Flying Spur, the most successful luxury sports saloon in the world. Looking to the future, the ambitious plans Bentley Motors has for car production were outlined in November 2020, with its ground-breaking Beyond100 strategy. The company aims to be end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, with the Crewe factory climate positive thereafter.

Bentley will move to full electrification – PHEV or BEV only – by 2026, then switch the entire model range to battery electric vehicles by 2030. The industry-leading Beyond100 Strategy will transform every aspect of the business as Bentley accelerates into its second century of luxury car production.

Law firm welcomes employment legal director

2023-10-27T07:15:06+01:00

Leading full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau has welcomed legal director Helen Dyke to its Birmingham employment team.

The Commonwealth cost of buying a high-end home around the world

2020-10-12T01:32:26+01:00

The latest research by the world's leading high-net-worth mortgage broker, Enness Global, has revealed the cost of buying at the top-end of the market across each Commonwealth nation and how it differs both globally and with or without the Queen as head of state.

Enness analysed available house price data across 54 Commonwealth nations and found that on average, a high-end home will set you back £1.587m.

Commonwealth nations located in Asia commanded the highest high-end price tag with an average of £2.358m, followed by Europe (£2.255m) and the Pacific nations (£2.058m).

16 remaining realms within the Commonwealth still recognise the Queen as their head of state, although this could soon be 15 with Barbados stating its intent to become a republic next year.

However, the nation may want to think twice from a property point of view. The average high-end house price in nations with the Queen still at the helm is currently £2.086m; 49% higher than those without (£1.402m).

That said, Singapore ranks top of the Commonwealth house price table despite the Queen not heading the state. The average cost of a high-end home is currently £11,657,759, by far the highest of all Commonwealth nations.

The Queen remains head of state for the following five most prestigious Commonwealth property markets though. Australia (£3.348m) is home to the next highest house price for a prime Commonwealth property, followed by the UK (£3.208m), New Zealand (£2.896m), Canada (£2.630m) and Antigua and Barbuda (£2.318m).

South Africa, Malta, Guyana and the Maldives also rank within the top 10 for the highest property values for a prime property.

Group CEO of Enness Global Mortgages, Islay Robinson, commented: “Regardless of your views on the British monarchy, there’s no denying that the Commonwealth as a whole brings huge benefit to its member nations in terms of free trade and economic development, amongst other things.

As a result, these nations remain very attractive to other Commonwealth buyers looking to invest outside of their native county, and this is reflected in the robust price of bricks and mortar across these member states.

Of course, this isn’t to say that you can’t secure a prime Commonwealth property for a relative bargain. Still, many of the Asian, European, Pacific and Caribbean hubs will set you back at least a few million pounds for an impressive prime property.”

Prime property prices across each Commonwealth region
Commonwealth Region	Average price per square metre	Average price of a prime property*
Asia	£3,174	£2,358,015
Europe	£3,036	£2,255,746
Pacific	£2,770	£2,058,174
Caribbean and Americas	£2,077	£1,543,257
Africa	£1,083	£804,398
Sources	Global Property Guide	*Prime property price based on cost per square metre for a property of 743 square metres

Average price of prime property across all Commonwealth regions and those with and without the Queen as Head of State
Commonwealth Regions	Average price per square metre
All Commonwealth Regions	£1,587,174
Commonwealth regions with Queen as Head of State	£2,086,072
Commonwealth regions without Queen as Head of State	£1,402,397
Difference between those with and without Queen as Head of State	49%

Top 20 Commonwealth nations ranked by highest house price for a prime property.
Commonwealth Nation	Region	Average price per square metre	Average price of a prime property*	Queen as head of state
Singapore	Asia	£15,690	£11,657,759	N
Australia	Pacific	£4,505	£3,347,549	Y
United Kingdom	Europe	£4,317	£3,207,850	Y
New Zealand	Pacific	£3,898	£2,895,954	Y
Canada	Caribbean and Americas	£3,540	£2,630,510	Y
Antigua and Barbuda	Caribbean and Americas	£3,119	£2,317,647	Y
South Africa	Africa	£3,109	£2,309,987	N
Malta	Europe	£3,039	£2,257,910	N
Guyana	Caribbean and Americas	£2,557	£1,899,925	N
Maldives	Asia	£2,439	£1,812,028	N
Barbados	Caribbean and Americas	£2,418	£1,796,463	Y
Solomon Islands	Pacific	£2,405	£1,787,220	Y
Jamaica	Caribbean and Americas	£2,082	£1,547,231	Y
Sri Lanka	Asia	£2,039	£1,515,163	N
Fiji	Pacific	£1,874	£1,392,308	N
Cyprus	Europe	£1,752	£1,301,476	N
Malaysia	Asia	£1,669	£1,240,178	N
Ghana	Africa	£1,556	£1,155,855	N
United Republic of Tanzania	Africa	£1,541	£1,145,008	N
Kenya	Africa	£1,311	£974,370	N
Sourc

"Modernising saving regulations a necessity" - expert says on Autumn Statement

2023-11-24T08:05:29+00:00

Andy Mielczarek, Founder and CEO of SmartSave, a Chetwood Financial company, said: "It was good that the Chancellor’s statement included a focus on the savings market.

'Winter Economy Plan Is Bleak' states Business Leader

2020-10-05T01:13:52+01:00

The business community is in a state of shock, confusion and despair following a week of government announcements that leave as many questions as answers, according to Frank McKenna, the boss of private sector lobby group Downtown in Business.

Welcoming some of the measures Rishi Sunak announced in his ‘winter economy plan’, Mr. McKenna says that the Prime Minister’s further restrictions this week leave businesses feeling like they have been hung out to dry.

“If the hospitality sector is responsible for a 4.6% increase in infection rates, why is it taking 90% of the pain in terms of the new restrictions that Boris Johnson has introduced? If it is pubs and clubs where individuals are most likely to come into close contact, why adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and impose the same guidelines on restaurants and hotels? And having encouraged workers back into the office three short weeks ago, with companies investing millions in creating Covid-secure office space, why is he now telling us to work from home – hence sending our city and town centres into further crisis?

“Against this backdrop, it has obviously been difficult for the Chancellor to deliver a comprehensive business support package that can give us confidence that most jobs will be protected.

“Although his revised ‘furlough’ scheme will help some sectors, many will not be able to take advantage of the initiative because it does little to encourage retention or recruitment.

“A much simpler move would have been to cut employer National Insurance contributions for recruiting new staff or retaining them. We would have also liked the Chancellor to amend his Kickstart programme away from having to recruit at least 30 new starters, so that SMEs can take on just a few more young people.

“If you are an events business, you literally have no business, so this new wage subsidy is of little use. Many hospitality venues are now on the precipice and are telling me that they will either go to weekend opening only or close their doors completely.

“The failure to address the significant challenges experienced by the aviation industry – not least because of the Government’s ‘hokey-cokey’ approach to international travel – and the cultural, sports and arts sectors, is also hugely disappointing.

“I appreciate the Chancellor must feel like he is operating with one hand tied behind his back, given his boss’s flip-flopping, but the reality is the ‘winter economy plan’ is bleak and last orders will be called on many businesses and millions of people’s jobs.”

Mr. McKenna concluded: “It is not too late for the Government to change course. They need to review their latest guidelines, be more flexible with closing times in the hospitality sector and stop its ‘work from home’ mantra, which not only kills cities, but creates a divide between blue and white collar workers.”

1 in 3 employers have not talked to staff about their mental health over the past year - say Acas

2022-02-07T08:45:34+00:00

New research by Acas has found that over a third (35%) of British employers have not spoken to their staff about their mental health and wellbeing over the past year during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask businesses in Britain about whether they had personally talked to their staff about their mental health in the last 12 months during the pandemic. The poll found that:

100 businesses sign West Midlands net zero pledge

2023-06-05T07:25:51+01:00

Over 100 businesses have now committed to taking steps to cut their emissions and help the West Midlands become net zero by 2041.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, The National Lottery, Severn Trent Water, and Black Country-based manufacturer AVACE are among the latest cohort to sign the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Net Zero Business Pledge, joining some of the highest profile employers across the region.

100 million bottles converted to reusable bags by Jutexpo

2022-11-11T08:40:20+00:00

Jutexpo have reached the 100 million bottle mark having been recycled and converted into reusable shopping bags.

With nearly 1 million plastic bottles being sold every minute across the globe, and the average time for them to biodegrade being 450 years, Jutexpo have taken action, by quite literally taking the bottles from our oceans and converting them into the shopping bags we all use on a daily basis.

13 Million Customers Trapped By Mobile and Broadband Bill Hikes

2021-03-26T08:25:48+00:00

Almost 13 million mobile phone and broadband customers will next week see their bills rise in the middle of their contract by 4.5%, reveals research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.

The mid-contract price rise will cost consumers an extra £11 million a month, but none of them will be able to walk away from these increases without paying a penalty. Ofcom rules say that customers must be given one month’s notice of any rise in the monthly fee, and allowed to exit the contract without penalty. However, telecoms companies use a loophole in this rule by writing yearly increases into contracts and communicating it to customers when they sign up.

BT, EE, Three and Vodafone now increase their prices every year for most customers by the rate of inflation (CPI) plus 3.9%, while others, such as O2 increase prices by the rate of inflation (RPI). Since this increase is written in their contracts, more than two fifths of mobile (43%) and almost one in ten (9%) broadband customers are unable to leave penalty-free.

Table: Broadband price rises

Provider	Price rise	Takes effect	Can you cancel penalty free?
BT	Up to 4.5%	31 March	No
Plusnet	Up to 4.5%	1st June	No
Sky	Capped at £6 a month	1st April	Yes
TalkTalk	Up to £36 per year	1st April	Yes
Virgin Media	Up to £54 per year	1st March	Yes

Source: Uswitch.com, data correct as at 23/3/21

Table: Mobile price rises

Provider	Price rise	Takes effect	Can you cancel penalty free?
BT	Up to 4.5%	31 March	No
EE	Up to 4.5%	31 March	No
O2	1.4%	April bill	No
Three	Up to 4.5%	April bill	No
Vodafone	Up to 4.5%	April bill	No

Inflation is currently low, with the December figure (CPI) used to calculate most of the spring price rises standing at 0.6%. However, if inflation rose to 3% — as it did as recently as 2018 — it would mean bills increasing by a massive 6.9%, equal to £16 extra a year for someone on a £20-a-month contract.

Uswitch.com experts question the need for mid-contract price rises, as there are none in the fixed tariffs offered by the energy and insurance markets. And while customers once had a choice to switch to providers that didn’t impose such increases, in recent years the main players in the market have all brought in similar policies.

Uswitch.com is calling for the industry watchdog Ofcom to act to give consumers the option of exiting their contract without penalty and avoid any price rises, establishing the principle that a fixed length contract comes with a fixed price.

Richard Neudegg, head of regulation at Uswitch.com, comments: “Millions of mobile phone and broadband customers are being hit by mid-contract price rises of 4.5% at a time when inflation is below 1%.

“Ofcom’s rules were supposed to allow consumers to leave their deal penalty-free if their bills go up, but providers have got around this by writing these increases into customers’ deals. Given the majority of telecoms providers are now using this tactic to prevent their customers from freely walking away from their contracts when prices go up, consumers have little choice but to accept this practice, taking a gamble on where future inflation rates will land.

“Now is the moment the regulator needs to step in and stamp out this loophole. What’s frustrating for customers is that in other sectors, such as energy and insurance, the price you sign up for doesn't increase until the deal ends - it’s a case of fixed price as well as fixed term. There really is no special case for this to be different in telecoms.”

250,000 UK & Ireland visitors in 2025 the new target, says Bartlett

2023-11-15T08:00:24+00:00

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has set a new target to welcome 250,000 visitors out of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland by 2025.