LONDON -- Bentley said that its operating profit for the first nine months of 2022 more than doubled to a company record, as global economic uncertainty did not dent customer interest for niche models and increased car customization.
The Volkswagen Group luxury unit posted a record operating profit for the first three quarters of 2022 of $568 million, more than the $272 million in the same period of last year.
Bentley said global sales through nine months were up 3 percent at 11,316 units, while revenue jumped 28 percent to 2.49 billion euros from 1.95 billion a year earlier.
"While Bentley continues to tackle the challenges it faces in the global market, this latest set of financial figures shows strong results in most regions," CEO Adrian Hallmark said in a statement on Wednesday.
Bentley said sales were up 18 percent in Europe in the first nine months of the year, and were up 17 percent in the Asia Pacific region. Sales in the Americas, Bentley's biggest region by sales, were up 7 percent.
Key models included the Continental GT Mulliner and the new S range of performance variants. A new extended-wheelbase version of the Bentayga SUV, Bentley’s best-selling model, is expected to give the brand a boost through the end of this year, the automaker said. It carries a $15,800 premium over the base Bentayga.
