British icon Rolls Royce increases worldwide sales by 33%

ROLLS-ROYCE fanatics describe the British brand as the Hermes of bags, the Vertu of cell phones, the Mount Everest of cars, the crème de la crème of all things with tires.

Rolls-Royce, once declared the best car in the world by The Times in London in 1908, recently announced its record half-year sales.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that the company has enjoyed a record half-year in 2014, with sales increasing by 33 percent worldwide compared with the same period in 2013.

Sales growth was seen in all regions, with a particularly strong performance in Europe, up by over 60 percent, Asia Pacific up by almost 40 percent and the Middle East up by over 30 percent. The United States and China also saw double-digit growth. In Europe, strong performance was seen in Germany, with sales doubling.

Strong demand

Rolls-Royce continues to see strong customer demand for the Wraith, significant orders for the recently announced Ghost Series II and good demand for the Phantom family of cars across the world. Bespoke production continues at record levels across all model families.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “This is an excellent half-year result and demonstrates the continued confidence that our customers have in our company and our fine cars. The new Rolls-Royce Wraith has been a stunning success in the superluxury segment, setting new modern-style and technology leadership benchmarks. Wraith complements the pinnacle performance of the incomparable Rolls-Royce Phantom and the new Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, the latter first arriving in markets in autumn this year.”

He added, “Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to deliver as the world’s foremost superluxury car manufacturer, and we are on target for another record year in 2014.”

Potential market

Rolls-Royce Manila CEO Willy Tee Ten told Inquirer Motoring that the iconic brand has been in the Philippines barely a year.

“It is very dependent on the growth of the ultrarich, high-net-worth individuals. If this segment will grow, the growth of Rolls-Royce will follow,” said Tee Ten.

“I would think that the new, younger set of high-net-worth individuals is the one with potential. From the forty- to sixty-something, they are the ones with real potential since they are more open to spending for themselves and enjoying the rewards of their work.”

Rolls-Royce successfully retains its position at the top of the superluxury market, maintaining segment leadership for motor cars selling above 200,000 euros (around P11.654 million). No other luxury brand sells as many cars in this segment as Rolls-Royce. Alvin Uy