Bentley Motors, one of the world’s most exclusive carmakers, is cutting production by about 15 per cent in response to an accelerating fall in global sales of its high-end cars.

Bentley will reduce shifts and hours worked for some of its slower-selling models at its plant in Crewe, north-west England. It will also discontinue the contracts of up to 50 agency workers, Franz-Josef Paefgen, the brand’s chief executive, told the Financial Times.