Rolls-Royce Motor Cars achieved its best sales performance in its 118-year history by selling a total of 6,021 vehicles across 50 countries last year. This marks an 8% increase from the previous year, and it is the first time annual global sales have exceeded 6,000 units.
The luxury carmaker experienced sales increases in most global markets, with the U.S. and China leading the overall performance. The Asia-Pacific region, including South Korea, Singapore, and Japan, showed significant growth. South Korea has established itself as one of the most dynamic markets over the past two years. Domestic sales of Rolls-Royce vehicles soared from 171 units in 2020 to 225 units in 2021, representing a 31.5% increase, with sales reaching 234 units in 2022, proving its high potential in the Asia-Pacific region.
In terms of models, the Cullinan ranked as the best-selling Rolls-Royce of 2022, achieving record sales figures. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Ghost became the best-selling model, while the Black Badge, representing the brand’s new design philosophy and robust driving performance, also showed consistent popularity with a high growth rate in sales.
Last October, the brand’s first fully electric model, Spectre, recorded pre-order numbers that significantly exceeded expectations. Additionally, all Rolls-Royce models demonstrated uniformly high demand, and currently, orders for vehicles are backed up until the end of the year.
Moreover, Rolls-Royce’s bespoke program, a symbol of the brand, achieved its highest-ever order volume, showcasing its status as a true luxury house. The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, composed of specialized designers, engineers, and artisans from Goodwood, not only perfectly fulfilled a variety of unique personal requests but also introduced new Boat Tail creations born from their bespoke collections and the brand’s top-tier custom-build program, ‘Coachbuild.’
There has been notably high demand for bespoke models requiring advanced technology in the Middle East. In response to this demand, Rolls-Royce opened the world’s first ‘Private Office’ in Dubai this past July. The Private Office features a bespoke lead designer and a customer experience manager dispatched directly from Goodwood and is designed to provide customers with a more luxury and specialized experience. Rolls-Royce plans to establish Private Offices in various locations around the world starting from Dubai.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, expressed, “I am delighted to announce such a historical success in January 2023, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Goodwood Home of Rolls-Royce. The journey from producing one Phantom a day to today’s record performance was made possible by our long-term strategic vision. Rolls-Royce will continue to listen to the preferences and needs of customers while relentlessly pursuing perfection, reaffirming its status as the brand synonymous with excellence in terms of technology, quality, and luxury.”
Rolls-Royce greatly contributes to both local and the UK national economy. Over 2,500 employees in 50 countries work at the Goodwood Home of Rolls-Royce and created 150 new jobs last year alone. Goodwood serves as a training and development center where highly skilled artisans, engineers, and designers nurture over 100 apprentices and new hires, while internship programs continue to operate at similar levels each year.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr