Rolls-Royce celebrates sales record with new Ghost

Rolls-Royce acheived its highest-ever annual sales of 3650 cars during 2013.

Rolls-Royce's latest sales record is its fourth in succession results from strong expansion in its biggest markets, the US and China. Middle Eastern sales also surged by 17 per cent. The performance was boosted by early deliveries of the new Rolls-Royce Wraith two-door coupe, the fastest-ever Rolls, which began in the fourth quarter. Bespoke modification of new cars also hit record levels. 

The Goodwood-based company now sells in 40 markets across the world, and opened 15 new dealerships in 2013, pushing its total of worldwide outlets to 120, including Istanbul, Beiruit, Lagos, Hanoi, Taichung and Manila. Plans are afoot to push the number to about 140 over the next couple of years. 

Chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos brands the expansion as "long-term sustainable development" and expects it to continue through 2014 and beyond, boosted in particular by a full year's sales of Wraiths, for which the company has a "very strong" order bank. "We have maintained our position at the pinnacle of the super-luxury market," says Muller-Otvos. "Rolls-Royce is a British manufacturing success story with a dedicated workforce second to none."

Marking the company's 110th anniversary, Muller-Otvos announced that the company will recruit 100 more employees at Goodwood this year, having created a similar number of new jobs during 2013.  

The company has marked the acheivement by launching a limited edition of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, the V-Specification.

The limited-edition model is powered by 30bhp more powerful version of the model's 6.6-litre V12 that cuts its 0-60mph acceleration time to just just 4.7 seconds. It will have special coachlines, optional part-chrome 21-inch alloys and exhaust tailpipes plus unique interior touches.