Rolls-Royce and Bentley sales skyrocketed in 2021
Pandemic convincing buyers that 'life can be short'
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos details the new 'Spectre' electric car set to release in two years.
Ultra luxury car brands Rolls-Royce and Bentley had a better year than most in 2021.
Rolls-Royce set records in several markets including the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. (WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)
Both automakers set global sales records for the calendar year, which was beset by supply chain issues that hampered the industry.
Rolls-Royce delivered 5,586 vehicles, which was a 49% increase over 2020, and Bentley was up 31% with 14,659 sales in a year when the overall market increased just 5.5%, according to GlobalData estimates.
Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said bespoke models like the Boat Tail, which is equipped with a picnic set, were part of the brand's strong performance. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Each benefited by being part of a larger auto group that prioritized in-demand parts, like semiconductors, for its highest-margin vehicles. Rolls-Royce is a subsidiary of BMW and Bentley a member of the VW Group.
Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Otvös told The Financial Times the strong performance was due in part to the reaction of some customers to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Quite a lot of people witnessed people in their community dying from Covid, that makes them think life can be short, and you’d better live now than postpone it to a later date. That also has helped [Rolls-Royce sales] quite massively," Müller-Otvös said.
Bentley sales were led by the Bentayga SUV. (Phil Inglis/Getty Images)
His sentiment echoes that of Andrea Baldi, North American CEO of VW-owned Lamborghini, which is also coming off of a record year.
"People are just excited to be out in the world again and to be able to buy these cars and drive them there," Baldi told FOX Business.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Rolls-Royce is already sold out into the third quarter of 2022, with many of those being one-off bespoke vehicles from its coachbild department, like the $10 million Boat Tail it revealed last year.