Motoring: Strong demand pushes Rolls-Royce sales to a record high in 2021 – Gulf Digital News

Motoring: Strong demand pushes Rolls-Royce sales to a record high in 2021 – Gulf Digital News

Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce, a unit of Germany's BMW , said on Monday its sales soared 49% to a record high in 2021 despite the global coronavirus pandemic, as demand worldwide for luxury vehicles surged.

In an online presentation, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the carmaker sold 5,586 vehicles to customers in more than 50 countries, the largest number in its 117-year history.

"I don't think anyone would disagree with me that 2021 was the most volatile, unpredictable and challenging year for businesses across the board," Müller-Ötvös said. "However, in the luxury sector as a whole, the struggle was not so much focused on attempting to find customers, but rather producing enough product to satisfy huge customer demand."

He said that sales hit all-time records in most regions, including China and the Americas.

Premium and luxury car sales have been growing more broadly in key global markets such as China and the United States as pandemic travel restrictions have left wealthy consumers with more disposable income.

Müller-Ötvös said that the carmaker's British plant in Goodwood was running at close to maximum capacity and its order books were full well into the third quarter of 2022.

"If you order a Rolls-Royce today, you will expect to take