Bentley to Launch New Models Sooner, New Continental GT Coupe in 2010

Although some companies are still crying out loud and screaming for government funds, other manufacturers claim that the automotive sector is already showing the first signs of recovery. One of these companies is Bentley, the luxury car maker who slightly adjusts its production schedule to meet the evolution of the market. In essence, Bentley will launch its new models six months sooner than initially planned to match the recovery in 2010, Stuart McCullough, Bentley's board member for sales and marketing, was quoted as saying by Autonews.

"We know that coming out of the dip is when new models will pay off," he said. "We have done enough work with our customers to understand what they are thinking and when they are likely to be back in the market."

Even though he avoided mentioning which are products to arrive sooner on the market, the aforementioned source writes that the Continental GT coupe, sold in the United States since 2004, may be the first to be refreshed, with a new model expected to be introduced in 2010. According to the initial plans, Bentley aimed to replace this particular model in 2011. At the same time, the manufacturer will also debut the second-generation Flying Spur sedan and Continental GTC convertible.

Speaking of the economic chaos, McCullough said the company coped pretty well with the recession as it adjusted its strategy since the first signs of decrease. Sales adopted a descending trend in the US in 2007, McCullough said, with Continental GTC one of the models unable to reach the projected sales figures.

"We were able to switch production to China, the Middle East and Russia, and we did that all through 2007," he said describing the way the company reacted to the recession. "That is what gave us a record year. In 2008, we could see it starting to unravel, and we progressively pegged back our volume expectations as we went through the year."