Last year was good was a good one for British super luxury brands. In fact, that’s an understatement, as both Rolls-Royce and Bentley announced their best-ever annual sales results in 2013.
Rolls-Royce said it delivered 3,630 cars in 2013, the fourth consecutive record year and the highest in the brand’s history. The result makes Rolls-Royce the world’s leading super-luxury brand, which is a term coined by the BMW Group company to designate makers of luxury vehicles selling above €200,000 ($272,180) net.
The biggest growth was reported in the Middle East (+17 percent), as well as in China (+11 percent), with other countries including Germany, Japan, Qatar and Canada seeing strong sales too. In terms of volume, China and the United States remained Rolls-Royce’s largest individual markets, followed by the Middle East.
Rolls-Royce said 2013 was a good year for its Bespoke personalization program as well, with nearly every Phantom family model, and three out of every four Ghosts leaving the factory in customized form. Launched in March 2013, Wraith has a strong order book.
Rolls-Royce’s archrival Bentley also had a record year in 2013, delivering 10,120 cars, an increase of 19 percent over 2012, when it sold 8,510 cars. The No. 1 market for the brand was The Americas region (3,140 units/+28 percent), while Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe (particularly Germany and the UK), posted significant gains over 2012.
The new Bentley Flying Spur had a big contribution to the success, with 2,005 units being delivered in the final four months of 2013. That’s an impressive achievement, considering the average yearly sales of 2,700 cars of its predecessor, the Continental Flying Spur, during its seven-year career.
By Dan Mihalascu
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