SINGAPORE RECENTLY PLAYED host to the Bentley Continental Flying Spur’s first appearance in the Asia-Pacific region. Driven by CarBuyer in our previous issue, the Flying Spur breaks new ground for the British luxury carmaker as it’s the first four-door Bentley to be priced under the $1million mark.

This sees the marque entering a segment currently occupied by range-topping Mercedes-Benz and BMW models such as the S 65 AMG and 760Li respectively.

At the Flying Spur’s launch, CarBuyer caught up with Barry Kan, general manager of Malayan Motors, Singapore’s official Bentley importer, and we asked him about Malayan’s expectations for Bentley and the impact the Flying Spur will have on the local luxury car market.

CarBuyer (CB): We’ve heard about the Flying Spur’s benchmark rivals, but here in Singapore, cars like the Mercedes S 65 AMG and BMW 760Li are extremely rare.In the local context, where are the customers for this Bentley coming from?

Barry Kan (BK): Currently, the gap between ultra-luxury cars like the Bentley Arnage and Rolls-Royce and the German sedans you’ve mentioned are typically filled with two-door models built by carmakers like Ferrari and Porsche. This means that this is a very exclusive, emotional and high performance-oriented segment. Bentley has now come in with a sedan that offers supercar-like performance, the luxury of a handcrafted interior and exclusivity.

With the Flying Spur, you still have the emotional qualities that these two-door cars have always offered but it should also appeal on a rational level for those looking to use this car as a business tool for example.

There will of course, be those who will buy the Flying Spur because it is the fastest four-door car in the world, but we also want to reach out to the group of customers that have always bought our competitors’ cars based on rational reasons.

These customers look for a car that reflects their standing in society, they also want the best in the four-door segment.

CB: What does Malayan Motors expect of the Flying Spur?

BK: In the Singapore context, this is a new segment for Bentley, to a certain extent, you can say it is a gamble. But with its pedigree, pricing and the fact that this car is an extension of the Continental GT, which has been very well received here, we have reason to believe that the Flying Spur will continue this success

CB: How many Flying Spurs do you expect to sell a year? And does bringing in a more affordable model compromise Bentley’s exclusivity?

BK: In previous years, we sold well over 20 cars across the range. Now, with the Flying Spur and Continental GT, we expect this figure to range between 30 and 40 cars. That’s almost double the volume because the Flying Spur’s target market has also doubled in size. Still, even in these numbers, Bentleys will be exclusive as the Flying Spur’s competitors sell in the hundreds or even thousands every year.

CB: Speaking of success, the Wearnes Group, the parent company of Malayan Motors, has been selling Bentleys since 1931 making it the world’s oldest Bentley dealership outside the UK. What do you think is the secret of your success?

BK: The Wearnes Group will celebrate its 100th year in the automotive business as of April 1st next year and we are proud of our long partnerships with all our brands.

Maintaining good relationships with our existing customers has always been one of our strengths and in doing so, most of them buy their next cars from us. Many of these customers have been with us for decades.

The dealer must believe in the brand because it is a partnership through thick and thin. If a manufacturer does not have a suitable product for the local market, the importer can’t just drop the brand only to show interest again in a few years when the right car comes along. It just doesn’t work that way.

Car companies like Bentley understand and appreciate that in the automotive business, there will be up and down cycles.

When times are good, both importer and manufacturer are entitled to their fair share of business. But in a downturn, everybody needs to chip in and ensure that the business will carry on until the right product comes back again.