Bentley Motors has announced it is creating 140 new jobs at its headquarters in Crewe as the company gears up to launch its first ever sports utility vehicle.
The iconic luxury car-maker, which his owned by Volkswagen, said it was looking to hire 90 new skilled engineers as part of the £800m investment promised over three years. The recruitment drive also includes 51 apprenticeships – the biggest intake at the company for ten years.
The hiring spree will be welcomed by the Chancellor who has declared that he wants the economic recovery to be built on the “march of the makers”. Since then, manufacturing levels have rebounded and employment levels have risen too.
Bentley has said the engineers are required to work on a range of disciplines from chassis, powertrain and electrical. Around 40 engineers are expected to be deployed specifically to work on the new Bentley SUV which is promised for 2016.
Wolfgang Schreiber, chief executive of Bentley, has said the highly-anticipated SUV will be “the first hybrid” in the company’s 100 year history and will contain plug-in technology.
In January, Bentley said it had delivered a record 10,120 cars in 2013 – the highest number since the onslaught of the financial crisis in 2007. Meanwhile, the luxury car market declined by 6pc from 2012, according to its latest estimates, due particularly to a slow down in China.
Mr Schreiber credited Bentley’s newly-launched Flying Spur model, the global economic recovery and even the Royal Family for company’s success.
Last year’s success was driven by a 28pc jump in sales in America, which is still Bentley’s biggest market. The demand off-set a slight slow-down in growth in China, from 2,191 cars delivered last year, compared to 2,253 in 2012. But China remained the second biggest market.