HISTORIC SALES RECORD COMPLETES LANDMARK YEAR FOR ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS
January, 9th 2023
“2022 has been a momentous year for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Not only did we reveal Rolls‑Royce Spectre, our marque’s first ever fully-electric series model to the world, it was also the first year we ever delivered more than 6,000 cars in a single 12-month period, with strong demand across our entire product portfolio. But as a true House of Luxury, sales are not our sole measure of success: we are not and never will be a volume manufacturer. Bespoke IS Rolls-Royce, and commissions were also at record levels last year, with our clients’ requests becoming ever more imaginative and technically demanding – a challenge we enthusiastically embrace. The unrivalled Bespoke creativity and quality achieved by our team here in Goodwood means that on average, our clients are now happy to pay around half a million Euros for their unique motor car.
"Of course, this success has not been achieved overnight. In 2023, we mark the 20th anniversary of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, during which time we've transformed our business through a long-term strategy based on continuous and sustainable growth, careful management and planning, an unwavering focus on profit and a respectful but forward‑thinking reinvention of the Rolls-Royce brand. We’ve succeeded because we listen and consistently evolve our products in line with our clients’ tastes and requirements, consciously rejuvenating our brand while retaining our innate exclusivity and rarity. Our product portfolio has expanded significantly and later this year we will launch the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé: Rolls-Royce Spectre. Two and a half thousand people are now employed at Goodwood, with over 150 new jobs created in 2022 alone. But perhaps most importantly, we have never put style above substance. In terms of technology, quality and luxury, Rolls-Royce still stands, as it has always done, for the very best of the best.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
NEWS SUMMARY
Rolls-Royce has achieved its highest-ever annual sales in 2022, delivering a total of 6,021 motor cars, up 8% on 2021, to clients in around 50 countries worldwide. This is the first time in the company's 118-year history that its sales have exceeded 6,000 in a single 12‑month period. The value of Bespoke commissions also reached record levels, while demand for all Rolls‑Royce models remains exceptionally strong, with advance orders secured far into 2023.
In 2022, Rolls-Royce achieved sales growth in almost all regions, with particularly strong year-on-year growth seen in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the USA and Europe. More importantly than volume alone, the value of clients’ Bespoke commissions was higher than ever before. The almost endless possibilities for Bespoke personalisation resulted in clients being willing to pay an average of around half a million Euros for their unique Rolls-Royce. Thanks to the high value of Rolls-Royce’s unrivalled Bespoke offering and the company’s consistent focus on profitability, the marque will make a significant contribution to its principal shareholder.
The Middle East is the marque’s leading region for Bespoke commissions, with many unique creations of particularly extensive and individual personalisation. In 2022, Rolls-Royce opened an invitation-only Private Office in Dubai, the first outside Goodwood, bringing the Home of Rolls-Royce closer to the marque’s local clients. Further Private Offices will be introduced around the world in the coming months and years.
The Americas saw significant growth in 2022 and remains the largest single region for Rolls‑Royce, with almost all markets achieving higher sales than the previous year. Greater China is of vital strategic importance to Rolls-Royce and is the marque’s second largest sales region. Ongoing headwinds there led to a single-digit drop in sales compared with 2021’s record results, however this was successfully counterbalanced by increased sales in other markets.
Despite the serious geopolitical challenges affecting Europe, the region grew overall in 2022 with record sales in several markets, including the UK and Germany. The Asia-Pacific region also achieved higher sales than ever before.
Rolls-Royce’s unprecedented success comes as, in January 2023, the company marks the 20th anniversary of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Its transformation – from offering a single model, Phantom, and building just one motor car a day – to today's record figures is the result of a long-term strategy based on sustainable growth, careful management and planning, and the successful reinvention of the brand. The past decade, in particular, has seen Rolls‑Royce consciously refine and rejuvenate its brand and product portfolio to reflect its clients’ changing requirements, tastes and demographics, while retaining its innate exclusivity and rarity. As both a true luxury house and an innovative, engineering-led company, Rolls‑Royce represents, as it always has, the very highest levels of craftsmanship, technology, luxury and creativity.
FULL PRESS RELEASE
A FUTURE BUILT ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS
In 2022, the year it revealed Rolls-Royce Spectre, the marque’s first ever all-electric model, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars also achieved a global sales performance unequalled in the company’s 118-year history. In total, 6,021 motor cars were delivered to clients around the world, an increase of 8% on the previous record of 5,586 set in 2021. This unprecedented success comes as, in January 2023, the company marks the 20th anniversary of the Home of Rolls‑Royce at Goodwood.
But as a true House of Luxury, sales are not the marque's primary measure of success: Rolls‑Royce is not and never will be a volume manufacturer. Bespoke IS Rolls-Royce and the value of the marque’s unrivalled Bespoke commissions was higher than ever. Clients’ requests for exquisite, often personalised features are becoming ever more imaginative and technically demanding – a challenge the Bespoke Collective of specialist designers, engineers and craftspeople based at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood enthusiastically embrace.
As well as some incredible individual Bespoke commissions and Collection cars, Rolls-Royce unveiled the next chapter of the Boat Tail coachbuilt commission – one of just three that have been, and ever will be made. Coachbuild represents the apex of the marque’s craft and is a key element in the company’s long-term strategy; the next projects are already in development.
The ever-expanding, almost endless possibilities offered by Bespoke also support the marque’s record profitability achievement in 2022, with clients now willing to pay around half a million Euros for their unique Rolls-Royce motor car. As befits a House of Luxury, Rolls‑Royce is steered by profit contribution, not by volume, with scarcity and rarity essential to further build and maintain the marque’s exceptional brand strength.
GLOBAL DYNAMICS
The USA was once again the marque’s largest overall market as a new generation of younger American entrepreneurs, wealth generators and job creators were drawn to Rolls-Royce for the first time.
Greater China remains of crucial strategic importance to the marque, as its second-largest market globally. Significant success in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as in ‘New Tier One’ cities such as Hangzhou and Shenzhen, supported a balanced sales picture across the region. Ongoing headwinds resulted in a single-digit drop in sales overall, compared with the record result achieved in 2021, however, this could be counterbalanced by increased sales in other regions.
Sales of Rolls-Royce motor cars in Europe reached new heights in 2022, despite the serious geopolitical challenges affecting the region. This included record sales in several individual markets including the UK and Germany.
The Middle East is the marque’s leading region for Bespoke commissions, with many unique creations of particularly extensive and individual personalisation. In 2022, Rolls-Royce opened an invitation-only Private Office in Dubai, the first outside Goodwood, bringing the Home of Rolls-Royce closer to the marque’s local clients. Further Private Offices will be introduced around the world in the coming months and years.
Asia-Pacific plays an important role in Rolls-Royce’s global success, with strong sales growth in 2022. In Japan, a new class of successful entrepreneurs is increasingly investing in Rolls-Royce motor cars, while the highly dynamic market of Korea, has shown significant growth over the last two years, with the potential to become Rolls‑Royce's leading market in the region in the near future.
STRONG DEMAND FOR ALL MODELS
Following its triumphant debut in October, the pre-order bank for Rolls-Royce Spectre, the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé, has exceeded the company’s most ambitious expectations. First client deliveries will take place in the fourth quarter of 2023 – the marque’s first step towards building only fully-electric cars by the end of 2030. Demand for all current Rolls‑Royce models remains exceptionally strong, with advance orders secured far into 2023.
In 2022 Cullinan consolidated its position as the most in-demand Rolls-Royce, while Ghost was the marque’s best-selling model in the Asia-Pacific region. Black Badge, Rolls‑Royce’s more rebellious alter ego, has witnessed extraordinary growth.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a great British success story, making a vital contribution to the local and wider UK economies.
With over 150 new jobs created during 2022, 2,500 people, representing over 50 nationalities, are now employed at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. The marque’s headquarters is a nationally important centre for training and developing highly skilled craftspeople, engineers and creatives. Rolls-Royce also supports over 100 apprentices and graduate trainees, plus a similar number of internships every year.
The Home of Rolls-Royce, which marks its 20th anniversary in 2023, remains the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are designed and built, every one of them to order and each including Bespoke features specified by the client. Rolls-Royce has acquired land to the east of the existing site to expand, modernise and upgrade its facilities, primarily to further increase its Bespoke capacity and capabilities.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, concludes, “As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, these results confirm Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars as a great British success story. Our business is built on extremely strong foundations, and we have secured advance orders stretching far into 2023. And while we are not immune to global challenges and economic headwinds, thanks to our balanced worldwide sales strategy, we are cautiously optimistic that 2023 will be a strong year for Rolls‑Royce.
“But none of this would be possible without our extraordinary team at Goodwood, and in our regional offices around the world – our global Rolls-Royce family. Their contribution extends beyond their exceptional skills, talents, knowledge and experience; it is their individual personalities and perspectives that give the marque its strength and character. Everyone shares the same extraordinary commitment to excellence and attention to detail, and a remarkable ability to rise to a challenge and turn ideas into reality. Above all, they are people who constantly strive for perfection, because they will not settle for anything less. I know that our founders would be proud to work alongside them – because I am, every day.”