Gasgoo.com (Shanghai January 10) - Bill Cheng, general manager of Bentley China, passed away yesterday morning, China Business News reported today.
Although Mr. Cheng (pictured) suffered from lung cancer, his sudden passing away was still surprising, an official from Bentley China said. During his time leading the company, China became Bentley's most profitable market after the US. Bentley's Chinese sales have increased from only 41 vehicles in 2002, when it first began selling cars in the mainland, to over 1,700 vehicles in 2011.
Bentley China, a subsidiary of Dah Chong Hong (DCH) Holdings, signed a five year agreement with Bentley to sell the manufacturer's models in China in June 2009. However, an anonymous source was quoted as saying that Bentley was looking to terminate its contract with DCH early so that it could sell its models directly via its Volkswagen import businesses.
DCH Holdings is estimated to see a ten percent profit on every model, with its dealerships gaining an additional ten percent profit. If those estimates are accurate, DCH would be making at least 350,000 yuan ($55,415) on every car sold.
It remains to be seen who will lead Bentley China now, with an official from the company saying they were no standout contenders.
