Bentley gains from China's 'astonishing' virus rebound

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark says China's rebound from coronavirus-induced lockdowns has been "astonishing," resulting in a surge in demand for ultraluxury models from the automaker

“In one week in April the order intake for us was greater than any individual month in the six months leading up to it," Hallmark told BBC Radio 4 on Monday. "It’s fair to say the rebound in China is quite astonishing.”

The Volkswagen Group subsidiary restarted production at its factory in Crewe, England, on May 11. It is building cars at half the rate prior to the plant's shutdown in March as it tries to balance protecting the health of its workers against keeping pace with demand.

Like most automakers Bentley temporarily halted output in Europe in March to help slow an outbreak of the virus.