It turns out there's an upside to being a super-exclusive, limited volume hyperluxury carmaker beyond the chest-high stacks of cash. When a recall happens, it affects only a handful of vehicles. Bentley's latest recall, for a problem with the hood ornament failing to retract, applies to just 596 vehicles in the U.S.

That's a tiny, insignificant number in mass-market terms, though it represents a solid chunk of Bentley's annual sales tally. The recall, issued this week, affects 2007-2009 Arnage, Azure, and Brooklands models. The repair is simple: dealers will replace the retractable hood ornament for free.

The problem with the mechanism failing to retract  when the vehicle is in motion (as it is intended to do) is that it poses an increased risk of injury in the event of a pedestrian impact, according to the NHTSA. Nevertheless, there have been no reports of accidents or injuries due to the malfunctioning Bentley "B." The recall is simply being taken as a precaution.

[NHTSA, Bloomberg]