Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reports highest sales in 118-year history

The firm - which manufactures its vehicles in Goodwood, UK - said it saw sales increase in almost all regions, with particularly strong year-on-year growth in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, the US and European markets.

It said the Americas saw significant growth and remains the largest single region for Rolls‑Royce that but there was also expanded interest in “bespoke commissions”.

A “single-digit” drop in sales was recorded in Greater China – which includes mainland China and areas such as Hong Kong – due to “ongoing headwinds”, but this was “successfully counterbalanced by increased sales in other markets”, according to the car maker.

The firm created more than 150 new jobs at its Goodwood plant in 2022 and it now employs a total of 2,500 people.

The firm unveiled the Rolls-Royce Spectre last year, its first-ever all-electric model, which serves a precursor to the whole Rolls-Royce range being electrified by 2030.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, said that 2022 had been “a momentous year” for the firm.

“As a true ‘House of Luxury’, sales are not our sole measure of success. We are not, and never will be, a volume manufacturer,” he added.

“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.”

The firm was owned by British engineering company Vickers until the decision was made to sell it to BMW in 1998.

The UK’s new car market grew towards the end of last year after dampened demand since the pandemic. However, electric vehicle sales fell below the overall market for the first time, amid high energy prices and concerns about a lack of public chargepoints.