The Gentleman Magazine Issue 10 | August 2018 | Page 29
ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS ANNOUNCES STRONG
HALF-YEAR SALES AND INVESTMENT BOOST
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has enjoyed a strong start to 2018,
with the marque seeing a significant boost to global sales.
Worldwide sales were up 13 per cent compared with the
same period in 2017, with demand for all Rolls-Royce models
holding firm in Europe, the US and other key regions. There are
encouraging signs of recovery in the Chinese market; like all
luxury brands, however, the marque faces continued economic
headwinds in the Middle East.
Deliveries of the company’s pinnacle product, the eighth-
generation Phantom, began in January, with the new Cullinan
super-luxury SUV causing a global media and public sensation
on its launch in May. The first customer deliveries for Cullinan
are due early next year; order books for both models are
exceptionally strong. Global demand for Wraith, Ghost and
Dawn also remains keen, driven in part by their Black Badge
variants, which are bringing the RollsRoyce brand to new
audiences.
Bespoke is the jewel in the Rolls-Royce crown, with almost
all cars commissioned from the Home of Rolls-Royce now
incorporating individual elements designed and created to
the owner’s precise specification. The first six months of 2018
saw some truly exceptional examples of Bespoke artistry and
craftsmanship, including ‘Wraith Luminary’, Dawn ‘Inspired
by Music’ and the Wraith and Dawn Adamas Collection,
together with a number of exceptional customer commissions.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has created more than 50 new
permanent jobs, primarily in skilled manufacturing roles.
The Goodwood plant now employs over 1800 people, with
the cosmopolitan workforce comprising almost 50 different
nationalities. The company is also demonstrating its long-
term commitment to future talent, with a record intake on its
industry-leading Apprenticeship Programme. In August, 23
new recruits will join the scheme, adding to almost 50 men
and women currently training and studying in departments
across the business.
The company is also investing in the Home of Rolls-Royce,
with a new gated parking area providing 500 new spaces
under construction, on land adjacent to the plant. The site also
includes a dedicated car park for the neighbouring March CE
Primary School, with a new road crossing, provided by Rolls-
Royce Motor Cars in the absence of local authority funding.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer for Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars, said, “This is a very encouraging half-year result;
it is a testament to our incredibly skilled and dedicated team
at Goodwood, and underlines the trust and loyalty of our
customers worldwide. Across all models, customers can see
how our innovation and engineering excellence are continually
redefining super-luxury motoring. They can also be assured of
our long-term vision and commitment to sustainable growth
through investments in our people and the Home of Rolls-
Royce.”
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