Why Are Bentleys Rarely Seen on the Road?
2 Answers
There are several reasons why Bentleys are rarely seen on the road: High Price and Limited Production: Ultra-luxury cars like Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Maybach are extremely expensive and produced in limited quantities. In China, the number of people who can afford such vehicles is already very small. Among this group, even fewer are willing to drive their luxury cars on highways. In fact, these cars are not commonly seen even on urban roads, let alone highways. Low Proportion of Highways: China has a vast land area, and highways make up a relatively small portion of the total road network. Therefore, the probability of encountering ultra-luxury cars on highways is even lower. Even in many second-tier cities, such vehicles are rare, with most concentrated in first-tier cities. So, it's not just on highways where they're hard to spot—opportunities to see them in daily life are also scarce. Different Usage Purposes: These ultra-luxury cars are not primarily used for daily commuting but rather for business and administrative purposes. Most Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Maybach owners in China are business tycoons. For them, the main purpose of purchasing such vehicles is for business receptions and enhancing their image to generate greater profits. As a result, these cars rarely have the opportunity to be driven on highways.
To be honest, the rarity of Bentleys mainly comes down to money. A friend of mine fancied a Flying Spur last year, and the base price alone was over 3 million yuan—that’s not even including optional extras like leather seats and wood trim, which could push the total close to 4 million. There just aren’t many people who can afford that. On top of that, the annual upkeep is astronomical: insurance runs over 100,000 yuan, a single service costs 20,000–30,000 yuan, replacing tires sets you back tens of thousands, and fuel consumption easily hits 20+ liters per 100 km. I’ve seen plenty of owners who buy one just to park it at their company as a status symbol or store it in a garage, rarely daring to drive it on the road. Plus, Bentley sells only a little over 1,000 units annually across all of China, so spread out across cities, they’re bound to be rare. You might spot them at luxury car shows, but on the streets? Hardly any.