Rolls-Royce car sales hit new record

or "What global recession?"
LINK TO ARTICLE


Here is the kicker:

Rolls-Royce's strong performance last year was more than matched by rival ultra-luxury car company Bentley, which sold 7,003 cars during 2011, marking a 37% rise that returned it to pre-recession levels.

Well folks, I guess the recession is over... unless this whole thing about wealth inequality really is true!?!

No wait,

Rolls-Royce's £165,000 Ghost model, which is smaller and less ostentatious than the £235,000 Phantom models, has been the main driving force for sales.

Phew! No worries then, at a petty sum of $255 000 US, we can all get a Rolls-Royce.

OK, sarcasm off.

If this isn't a perfect example of how wealth is increasingly being syphoned upward, and austerity is the only thing that ever trickles down, I don't know what is.

the Billmeister

reply to post by Billmeister


Wow, thanks for bringing this to our attention. I suspected as much but hadn't seen anything like this yet. Even as the majority of us can barely afford an old beater any more...

As far as I am aware the increased sales of both Rolls and Bentleys have been due to higher exports to China... hmmm, if that's true then that'll going go down really well with the locals if the bubble pops over there.

Yes some of us haven’t been affected by this recession as most. I have a neighbor who bought one of these beautiful cars last May. He bought the Rolls-Royce Drophead (convertible) coupe. I must admit that it’s quite stunning, but not stunning enough to spend the $500k he paid for it. I’ll stick with my 2003 GMC Sierra and spend the rest more wisely.

reply to post by topdog30


I know what you mean... but we (my partner and I) wouldn't be looking at a new car if fuel wasn't so expensive here in the UK.. The ford we're looking does 78 miles to the gallon and to be honest that move will save us money, especially as fuel is bound to increase (here in the UK)..

I have no idea how anyone affords to drive any of the larger cars like the Rolls.. but I guess if anything nasty kicks off then we'll all probably be walking or riding push bikes

I live fairly close to a Rolls Royce plant and they have just built a new £20 million extension to the site purely to deal with the increased demand for bespoke customisations !!

I'm happy at the local job creation / expansion, but it is quite a good indicator of exactly what happens when a recession hits us minions.

You didn't provide the link to the original article but I bet that most were sold to Asia. I have lived in both Vietnam and Cambodia and I have seen many rolls!

reply to post by deessell


LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Your observations are correct... in order of importance, the market for luxury cars appears to be:
1) U.S.A / China
2) Germany/ Russia
3) the Asia Pacific region
4) UK
5) the Middle East

The market for Rolls-Royce models grew particularly fast in Germany and Russia, where sales more than doubled last year.

Sales in the Asia Pacific region rose 47%. In the UK they were up 30%, while in the Middle East they rose 23%.

The US and Chinese markets are the most important ones for the company, though it has not released detailed figures about how many cars it sold in individual markets.

Again, sorry for the omission, I have added it to the OP... and thanks for the heads up.

the Billmeister

Don't see anything wrong with it. Not all people are poor, not all people can't afford anything and if the people, who actually have money, spend it to buy such cars, in the end it creates more jobs. Which means that at least a few of the poor losers will get a bit out of the dump they're in.

I still don't understand all the crying about money and recession and being poor. Everybody could make money, if they wouldn't sit on their fat asses, thinking their 9 to 5 job is enough and crying about it on ATS is more fun than using their creative minds to make something out of their lives.
There are so many possibilities to make money, not even the Internet has reached it's full potential and you just need a stupid idea like Facebook to get rich.
Besides i still think that the recession thing gets a bit overblown. If the people were that poor, how come that for example Wikipedia made a #load of money through donations in the past couple of weeks? Even their "We still need 100.000$!!!" cry was heard and after a few days said banner was gone, so people obviously have enough money to donate it to a crappy website. If people were really that poor, how are they still able to afford PCs and Internet connections, cars and other luxuries? I think some of those cryers should visit a real poor country, meet really poor people and see how they live (and even though we think they're poor and have a miserable life, some of them are actually quite happy with what they have)

reply to post by ShadowAngel85


That was exactly one of the discussion points I raised in the OP. (First sentence, actually.)

That perhaps the mainstream media is exaggerating the "global recession". This is a pretty concrete indicator that, for some, at least, there is no recession.

Only the very radical have a problem with people making money, most of those speaking out have a problem with those who make money illegally, immorally, or through loopholing it away from honest taxpayers.

The greatest increase in sales went to China, supposedly a communist country. I have been to China and have literally seen human-powered rickshaws full of coal pellets waiting alongside Ferraris at a traffic light... obviously, the communist wealth sharing only applies to some of its citizens!

the Billmeister

This post sure validates my thoughts about how desire for goods is paramount to crisis. I truly believe that given the opportunity the so called useless eaters of the world would have no problem insuring a neighbors slavery for the completion of their dreams.

You can buy a REALLY nice car for $40k. Why won't they do that, and donate the rest in food and supplies for the needy or homeless etc. Some people just have no concience.

reply to post by ShadowAngel85


Oh here we go, another idiotic post. Well your from Germany so I care less what you think about the recession. FYI many who are crying about the recession are retailers and business owners. Why? Because people are not spending themselves into massive amounts of debt to buy their useless products and services. And I have posted previously about the rich markets enjoying more discretionary spending since the onset of the GFC in 2008.

reply to post by ShadowAngel85


You actually make a good point at the end about being happy with what you have. I didn't mean to sound like I am destitute or anything. I am an engineer and am one of the last of the real middle class. I make 6 figures, but I'm not one of those that gets million dollar bonuses. I could buy a Rolls, but I would have to live in it. And yes, I am happy with what I have.

Im not sure there is a recession where I live.....
Everytime im out and about, I see restaurants packed - lunch, dinner....doesnt matter.
I see the malls packed and people walking around with lots of packages....not just around Christmas....
I also see no old cars on the road...seems everyone has a new one, or relatively new one....

Must be regional, because it is not a recession where I live....

reply to post by greeneyedleo


When I read your reply the first thing that came to my mind was " why doesn't that suprise me". Take it for what its worth.

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Just curious, what Ford is it that you were talking about that got 78 mpg.??? Because that seems like a lot compared to what I'm familiar with. In the U.S.A. that is...

...Meanwhile in africa....

Originally posted by ShadowAngel85
Don't see anything wrong with it. Not all people are poor, not all people can't afford anything and if the people, who actually have money, spend it to buy such cars, in the end it creates more jobs. Which means that at least a few of the poor losers will get a bit out of the dump they're in.

I still don't understand all the crying about money and recession and being poor. Everybody could make money, if they wouldn't sit on their fat asses, thinking their 9 to 5 job is enough and crying about it on ATS is more fun than using their creative minds to make something out of their lives.

I think some of those cryers should visit a real poor country, meet really poor people and see how they live (and even though we think they're poor and have a miserable life, some of them are actually quite happy with what they have)

It also depends on how one defines poor. Having a happy fruitful life and some simple items that make me happy, is rich to me. And working one job provides me with plenty. I work to live, not live to work. Now if some folks want to work 7 days a week to have such luxuries, they are more than welcome to. They just need to remember that they can't take it all with them to an early grave.