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Bentley was founded in 1919. What do entertainers and blue-blooded aristocrats have in common? They both have a passion for expensive luxury automobiles. And cars don't get much more extravagant than Bentley. Bentley Motors Inc. is the US marketing and sales division of Volkswagen's Bentley Motors Limited subsidiary. The extremely expensive and extravagant Bentley models include the Arnage, Continental GT, and Continental Flying Spur, as well as the Mulsanne, the company's new flagship sedan, which debuts in the fall of 2010 (starting price is $285,000). The company prides itself on craftsmanship and the fact that it takes some 150 hours to hand-build a single Continental GT and 400 for the Arnage.

The plant, built in 1994, averages daily output of some 600 vehicles, 80% of which are customized for buyers. BMW Manufacturing serves up German engineering with a little Southern hospitality on the side. The South Carolina-based company is the exclusive manufacturer of the X3 and X5 SUV, and xDrive35d (diesel), as well as the X6 Sports Activity Coupe and ActiveHybrid. The 4 million-plus sq.-ft. factory, BMW's first full manufacturing facility outside Germany and its only US plant, delivers its cars throughout the US and worldwide. One of the greenest car manufacturing facilities anywhere, BMW Manufacturing uses water-based (rather than solvent) paints and powers the plant with recycled landfill methane gas.

Charged to oversee the group's largest single market -- the US -- BMW of North America was established in 1975. A subsidiary of BMW, BMW of North America provides marketing, sales, and financial services through almost 900 dealerships and motorcycle retailers. The company imports and manufactures BMW brands, such as the 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 Series; the X5, X6, and 24M models; and the MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. Styles include coupes, convertibles, sedans, roadsters, sports activity, and luxury vehicles. Divisions include BMW Manufacturing (South Carolina), industrial-design firm DesignworksUSA, a parts distribution center, a technology office, a technical training center, and other operations in the US.

Brilliance China Automotive has a lot of get-up-and-go. Through its flagship subsidiary, Shenyang Automotive, the holding company manufactures and markets minivans in China. Its minibus brands JinBei and Granse have maintained the company's growth. The company also makes the Zhonghua brand sedan. With BMW, Brilliance China has introduced a series of premium Chinese-built sedans. The company partners, as well, with Toyota, Mitsubishi, and other car makers. Automotive components are made through multiple subsidiaries; Brilliance China's auto supplier business includes holdings in Mianyang Xinchen (gasoline engines for a range of vehicles) and Ningbo Yuming (car window molding and stripping).

Battery manufacturer BYD has seen its sales go vroom after it entered the automobile business. BYD was once the second-largest rechargeable battery producer in the world, after Energizer. But now the company gets juiced from selling its line of midsize gas and hybrid vehicles in China. BYD manufactures about a dozen models, including a handful of sedans, a couple of minivans, an SUV, and a convertible coupe. With its background in batteries, BYD is also on track to produce its first plug-in, all-electric car, the E6. The company still manufactures electronic components for mobile phones, nickel batteries, and lithium- ion batteries. Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary MidAmerican Energy Holdings owns a 10% stake in BYD.

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