Rolls-Royce Motor Cars heralds ‘extraordinary’ year as sales take off in North America and China

Global sales were led by North America and China, with year-on-year growth also achieved in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Chris Brownridge, who took on the role after Torsten Muller-Otvos stepped down at the end of November, said: “2023 was another extraordinary year for Rolls-Royce, with strong sales performances in all regions and across the full product portfolio.

“It’s especially encouraging to see the enormous interest in and demand for Spectre, supporting the decision to adopt a bold, all-electric strategy for future model development and production.

“The record level of bespoke commissions, both by volume and value, also underlines our position within the luxury sector, offering our clients opportunities for self-expression and personalisation they cannot find anywhere else.

“As incoming CEO, I’m in the extremely fortunate position of taking over responsibility for a business in robust good health, with strong foundations and a clear strategy for growth and development, formidable technical capabilities and a focused, dedicated team.

“I’m looking forward to working with the entire Rolls-Royce team to maintain this momentum and take this great company forward with confidence and conviction.”

Some 180 jobs were created at the BMW-owned company’s headquarters in Goodwood, West Sussex, in 2023, taking the site’s total workforce to more than 2,500.

The company can trace its roots back to 1904 when two entrepreneurs, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, met in Manchester and decided to establish a luxury car-maker. They came from very different backgrounds. Born in London’s Berkeley Square, Charles Stewart Rolls was the third son of Lord and Lady Llangattock. By contrast, Henry Royce sold newspapers and worked as a telegram boy in the early years of his working life.

While Rolls and Royce were busy building and selling cars, it was Rolls’ partner, Claude Johnson, who stepped into the role of managing director, and expanded the fledgling company. Mr Johnson was considered so integral to the success of the company that he became known as ‘the hyphen in Rolls-Royce’. Johnson’s decision to hold publicity stunts to promote the quietness and reliability of Rolls-Royce cars highlighted the quality of its engineering, which helped to secure its long term global success.