While some automakers are asking for government bailouts amid the financial meltdown, Rolls-Royce, the BMW-owned British brand, is talking about its best sales in 18 years. With Rolls-Royce selling 1212 cars globally last year, we can say that the most affluent are still spending money like anything on lavish rides. For the current year, Rolls-Royce sales are already up and with the arrival of a new model, the company hopes to triple sales next year. The thing that proves the company’s might in the recession is the recently made announcement to increase its manufacturing workforce by 50 percent for the upcoming $700,000 Ghost sedan. More than 150 new jobs will be created to support the Ghost, which will go on sale early next year. The biggest challenge for Rolls-Royce is not the recession but other luxury items. Rolls-Royce chief executive Tom Purves, said…
There are so many competitors for RR that are not necessarily cars; a second car, a helicopter, replacing the yacht. In our customers’ minds those are all things that could prevail.
Rolls-Royce’s director of sales and marketing, Graeme Grieve, says the new car will attract new buyers and 85 percent of the prospects will be new to the brand. He further said…
[A car like this] is pocket change. Most of our customers will have something on their wrist that’s more expensive than this.
Tom Purves says that “2009 is fraught with challenges for everyone in the industry,” but they seem confident of a threefold increase in sales next year. I think they can do it since the brand is not selling a large number of luxury cars and moreover, the people who buy them have lots and pots of money to spend on, even in these tough times.
Via: WAtoday