Rolls-Royce enjoyed a very successful year in 2023, with 6,032 deliveries marking a new record in its 120-year history. More importantly, all of the delivered examples included “elements of Bespoke personalization”, showing the important role of exclusivity for Rolls-Royce customers.
Marginal Growth
The 6,032 deliveries in 2023 were only 11 more compared to 2022, the previous record-holding year in the carmaker’s history. Rolls-Royce reported growth in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Still, the US remains the single biggest market for the brand, followed by China.
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The best-selling model for 2023 was the Cullinan SUV, even though a facelift is already under development as proven by our spy shots. Predictably, the second most popular Rolls-Royce for 2023 was the Ghost sedan, which is a higher volume seller than the Phantom flagship.
Last year marked the end of production for the Wraith coupe and the Dawn convertible. However, it also signaled the start of deliveries for the fully electric Spectre, with orders for the ultra-luxurious coupe extending into 2025.
Bespoke Is The New Standard
Choosing the spec of your brand-new Rolls-Royce is already a memorable experience, but customers of ultra-luxurious brands are quite demanding when it comes to personalization. All Rolls-Royce models that were sold in 2023 had bespoke features, leading to new records for the brand’s dedicated Bespoke department both in terms of numbers and value.
Rolls-Royce says that the most “creatively ambitious and technically challenging” bespoke commissions came from the Middle East, which in some cases required technical innovations. A fitting example is the scent-release mechanism in the headrests of the Phantom Syntopia, which was originally developed for medical applications.
There were also plenty of special paints and interior finishes, with the company doing its best to fulfill its customer’s wildest requests. Among the highlights of 2023 were the mother-of-pearl inlays for The Pearl Cullinan, the hand-perforated leather seats for the Black Badge Cullinan Blue Shadow, the solar eclipse animations in the Starlight Headliners of the Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis, and the hand-painted artworks for the Phantom Inspired by Cinque Terre.
While bespoke features are indeed pretty cool, the highest level of personalization can be found in Rolls-Royce’s Coachbuild models. In 2023, the company unveiled the Droptail roadster which will be produced in four examples with a rumored price tag of around $25 million each. Two of them have already been delivered – namely the La Rose Noire and the Amethyst versions.
The next step for Rolls-Royce is a significant investment to upgrade its manufacturing facilities in Goodwood just in time for the EV-only era. The company will also further enhance the Bespoke and Coachbuild departments in a quest to keep up with the demand. According to an independent study commissioned by Rolls-Royce, its Goodwood plant has contributed over £4 billion to the UK economy in its 20 years of operation, adding over £500 million annually.
