Rolls-Royce set another new annual sales record in 2022 as 6021 cars left its Goodwood factory – an 8% improvement on the previous record of 5586 cars, set in 2021.
It was the first time the luxury marque’s sales exceeded 6000 cars in any one year, with the majority (around 35%) shipped to the Americas.
China remained Rolls-Royce’s second-largest market, with a 20% share of total sales, despite a single-digit drop in volume compared with 2021. This slump is "definitely not a concern at all", CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said in a press briefing, because it was offset by growth in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Exiting the Russian market due to sanctions (following the state's invasion of Ukraine) meant Rolls-Royce lost roughly 250 to 300 sales, added Müller-Ötvös, but this too was compensated for by volume increases elsewhere.
The company also set a new record for profitability thanks to customisation: commissions from its Bespoke programme reached their highest average value at more than €500,000 (£430,000) per car.
"Every car that leaves Goodwood now is bespoke", Müller-Ötvös said, adding that some examples of the Rolls-Royce Phantom went "beyond €2 million" (£1.8m).
The Middle East championed the growth in average values as the leading region for demand of Bespoke cars. It is for this reason that Dubai was chosen to host the first regional 'private office' for the Bespoke programme, said Müller-Ötvös.
A new location is planned to open in China later this year, to meet growing appetite from young Chinese clients for extensively customised cars.
Müller-Ötvös said the Bespoke and Coachbuild businesses – the latter of which is responsible for the £20 million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail – will be key tenets of the company's operations going forward.
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