Skip advert
Advertisement

Bentley resumes production at Crewe headquarters

Bentley begins phased return to production with up to 1,700 employees returning to work

Bentley has resumed production in a limited capacity at its headquarters in Crewe. More than 1,700 employees have returned to the factory – all of whom will now have to follow the company’s list of 250 hygiene and social distancing guidelines. They will be joined by the brand’s remaining 500 manufacturing workers by the middle of June.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Production is currently at 50 per cent capacity, to allow Bentley’s employees time to adjust to the factory’s new working policy – although the company will steadily ramp-up production over the coming months. The Bentayga and resurrected Mulsanne lines have restarted under this reduced output policy, with the Continental GT and Flying Spur following next week. 

As part of its new coronavirus-avoidance working policies, Bentley has redesigned its production line cells, to allow workers to maintain at least a two-metre distance between each other. Each manufacturing stage now takes twice as long, while the plant’s two-way supply lines and movement paths have been switched for one-way systems.

The site’s washrooms have been reconfigured to reduce the number of people being able to use them, while every employee is required to wear personal protective equipment at all times – which includes facemasks, gloves and goggles. Each worker will also be subject to regular temperature checks.

In areas where social distancing is harder to enforce – such as office spaces and catering facilities – there are new plastic partitions. Bentley has also implemented a more rigorous cleaning programme for the factory’s communal areas, in an effort to tackle the spread of the disease.

Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, commented on the factory’s reopening, stating: “Now is the right time for the business to come back stronger. We have introduced extensive new working measures to protect our colleagues, our families and our customers and we are confident, following the work of so many people, that being at Bentley will be as safe for our colleagues as being anywhere else.

“We have a strong order bank, around eight months of customer orders to manufacture, established parts supply routes and patient customers who are looking to receive their extraordinary cars as soon as possible. We will ramp up in a controlled, measured way to ensure we manage this continued demand, and look ahead and in spite of this interruption continue on our journey to lead sustainable luxury mobility in the future.”

Check out the latest new cars due in 2020 below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Rétromobile 2025: inside France’s giant classic car show
Rétromobile 2025

Rétromobile 2025: inside France’s giant classic car show

Classic car shows can draw in massive crowds but Rétromobile is on a different scale…
News
5 Feb 2025
Bentley ‘Urban SUV’ to headline revised Beyond100+ product strategy
Bentley teaser

Bentley ‘Urban SUV’ to headline revised Beyond100+ product strategy

Sleek new SUV to be under five metres long and will be built right here in Britain under the revised product strategy
News
20 Nov 2024
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024: new cars and highlights
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024 - MG sculpture

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024: new cars and highlights

2024’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was a celebration of over 130 years of engine tech, but it also looked well into the future
News
17 Jul 2024
Bentley W12 engine is dead: long live the ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ powertrain
New Bentley 'Ultra Performance Hybrid' engine

Bentley W12 engine is dead: long live the ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ powertrain

The iconic 12-cylinder Bentley engine bids farewell after 21 years of service
News
8 May 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month
Jaguar I-Pace - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month

The I-Pace shows how good an electric Jag can be. It’s our Deal of the Day for 7 February
News
7 Feb 2025
Best car insurance comparison sites 2025
Person browsing on a laptop

Best car insurance comparison sites 2025

It’s always a wise policy to shop around for car insurance cover, so which websites make it easiest?
Product group tests
6 Feb 2025
Controversial new Jaguar GT caught prowling in the snow
Jaguar Type 00 (camouflaged) - front 3/4 tracking

Controversial new Jaguar GT caught prowling in the snow

The latest spy shots provide more insight into what we can expect from this eagerly awaited EV
News
7 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts