All businesses, regardless of what they offer in terms of products or services, are similar in that their success is directly linked to sales volumes and their capacity to increase those numbers in the future. All, that is, except a very few, such as Rolls Royce, whose success ironically relies in part on forfeitingvolume in favor of exclusivity.
“Our customers don’t want to see a Rolls Royce on every street corner,” Brett Soso, the car manufacturer’s regional director for the Middle East, Africa and South America, told The Daily Star at the recent launch of the Ghost Series II in Beirut.
“We need to be careful, we don’t chase volume. That’s not how we do things,” he explained.
But adhering to a policy that eschews the pursuit of volume does not mean Rolls Royce has been idle. The last half-decade has seen the marque record five straight years of growth, and last year the luxury car manufacturer broke through the 4,000-unit threshold for the first time in its history, selling 4,063 automobiles to customers around the world.
In fact, even with the increased turmoil gripping the Middle East in recent years, not only did the marque sell the second-highest number of cars in the region, but in 2014 sales in the Middle East saw a 20-percent growth over the previous year.
“We’re mindful of the situation,” Soso said, “but I think what we offer is something that nobody else can offer. We offer something unique, something personalized when you go into the bespoke part of our business. It’s something that will remain in demand.”
And as a further attestation of the region’s importance to the marque, the Rolls Royce agent that saw the single highest number of units sold in 2014 was in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, which also happened to be the country with the third-highest number of Rolls Royces sold.
Even Lebanon, with all its trials and tribulations, has been kind to the car manufacturer. “We had 14 percent growth in Lebanon last year,” Soso said.
And this growth came despite the hefty tax regime on cars in the country. It “does double the cost,” Soso acknowledged. “The standard Ghost Series II is about $540,000, and about 50 percent of that is made up of duties and taxes. But we understand that this is how the local market works.”
And that price hike only renders the automobiles more exclusive and places it within reach of a select few, who view a Rolls Royce not as a car but as a luxury item.
“We are seeing the captains of industry rewarding themselves by buying a Rolls Royce. These are the same people that create jobs,” the regional director explained.
Soso also noted that the client base was evolving to include younger customers, in part due to the way the Ghost with the Series II itself has evolved into a more driver-oriented car rather than a chauffeur-driven mode of conveyance.
“We’ve seen a new customer with Ghost,” Soso said. “It’s the businessman’s car for the week, and a car for the weekend which gives you a beautiful experience.
“Our model lineup is exceptional when we look at the Phantom, the Ghost, the Wraith that was launched two years back and which brought a whole new customer, a younger customer, to our brand.”
“I’ve had the privilege of driving these cars, and having driven Phantom, having driven Ghost and Wraith, Ghost is a car that you can drive on a day-to-day basis.
“It’s truly an oasis of a car. When you get inside, close the door and switch on the engine, the V-12, and you don’t hear anything, it’s truly something spectacular.
The engine Soso was referring to is a 6.6 liter V-12 twin-turbo power plant producing 563 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque and capable of achieving zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.9 sec. And with revised suspension and vastly improved handling, the Ghost Series II is as potent as it is luxurious.
“And with that we see people driving themselves, not so much chauffeur drive anymore, where the Phantom was a lot more chauffeur drive. That has been one of the main contributions of the sales of Ghost.”
But Rolls Royce’s recent growth goes beyond just the cars’ performance and luxurious design.
“I think it’s the careful management of our brand,” Soso says. “It’s desire – it’s the pinnacle of automotive luxury – and it’s something people desire and nobody else can offer and it’s what really led to our success over the last few years.”
The ability of Rolls Royce customers to customize their cars has also been a factor in the car’s desirability, Soso adds.
“The Middle East is the world’s best bespoke region,” he adds.
“Our customers are creative, they have great stories which they like to tell through their cars. And we have some magnificent creations that we’ve been able to do over the last few years with the bespoke project that we have.
“This region is unique in delivering bespoke products, truly amazing, two-tons, all the different things that customers request.
“The bespoke project really lets the customers individualize their cars, and nobody else can offer what we can offer.”
