Hundreds of jobs at risk at Bentley in Crewe

More than 200 jobs at risk at carmaker Bentley

Up to 275 jobs could be lost at luxury carmaker Bentley, the firm said.

The news comes as the company announced its financial results for 2025 marking a seventh consecutive year of profitability.

But the company, which makes its cars in Crewe, said as investment continued at its Pyms Lane site for new electric models, 275 jobs were at risk as part of “overall efficiency activities”.

The cuts would affect management, agency and non-manufacturing employees, the firm said.

A spokeswoman from the GMB union said the news had “come out of the blue and the workforce is stunned”.

Bentley CEO and chairman Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser said: “We are investing at unprecedented levels in the Pyms Lane site, including the Design Centre, opened in July last year, the near completion of the A1 building for BEV production, and the upcoming opening of the new Paint Shop later this year.

“At the same time, we are making some difficult decisions to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the business, including an organisational adjustment potentially impacting approximately 275 positions.”

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to those affected – we are committed to supporting each individual with care, guidance and assistance throughout this transition,” Walliser added.

Its Design Centre, which opened last year, consolidated design and innovation work while work has continued on making the factory carbon neutral with a battery powered electric vehicle assembly line “nearing completion”, the firm said.

The company reported an operating profit of £186m (€216m) and revenue of £2.25bn (€2.6bn) while adding that customer deliveries declined by five per cent during the year, driven largely by continued market contraction, particularly in China.

Axel Dewitz, board member for finance and IT, added the firm showed strong underlying financial performance despite challenging external factors, including additional pressure from US tariffs.

“These results give us confidence that Bentley’s financial foundation is solid, [while] highlighting the need to continue to invest in our future product portfolio and site transformation.”

In a statement, Karen Lewis, regional officer for the GMB union, said: “Trump’s tariffs have hit Bentley hard and the company is still feeling the affects of the Covid lockdown.

“GMB will stand side by side with members in Bentley to ensure the minimum redundancies and the maximum pay outs.”