13-Dec-2007 10:07 AM

sagar_kumar_in@... Joined on 21-Oct-2007 5:19 PM Total Posts: 366 Total Points: 4,195

Rolls Royce: Phantom of an Indian opera Reply Colin Kelly Regional director (APAC) Rolls Royce Motor Cars As a brand, Rolls Royce has had a close India connection thanks to the local royals’ affinity for the brand. Indeed Rolls models are among the most coveted vintage cars in India and some of the particularly exclusive ones (including the famed Phantom Silver Ghost which recently celebrated its centenary) graced royal stables in India in significant numbers. Rolls Royce officials themselves are full of anecdotes about quirky maharajas and their love for the Rolls badge. Now, five decades on, Rolls is looking to tap quite another breed of royalty. In a chat with ET AutoMania, Colin Kelly, regional director, APAC, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars discusses who his new breed of customers are and how they are different from their compatriots across the world. A comeback after five decades, has Rolls Royce’s expectations from the Indian market changed? Our expectations are for steady growth and we continue to expand our model range. Rolls Royce has enjoyed a close relationship with India for much of the last century, so the brand’s heritage is well-known. What is exciting is that we are attracting new buyers to the brand – people who have never considered a Rolls-Royce motorcar before. Recently we launched our second new model in India, the Phantom Drophead Coupé, to a country which has a deep appreciation for Rolls Royce. India’s surge in economic growth, stoked by strong investment and capital inflows, will see more Rolls Royce models on the road. What’s the profile of a potential Roll Royce buyer and how will the Phantom Drophead Coupe benefit in terms of sales numbers from such a customer profile? Our potential buyers are categorised as ultra high net worth people who have $30 million and above in liquidity. These are likely to be highly successful entrepreneurs who have five or more luxury cars in their garage, own properties, a yacht or a private jet perhaps. According to current wealth data, this band of potential buyers has increased in 2006 by 10% to just over 850 individuals. Yet, we have seen nearly a doubling of sales in India over the same period, one of the highest growth rates in the Asia-Pacific region. We have already exceeded our sales expectations this year and are optimistic about our future growth in India. We are not in the volume segment of the market, so we do not expect these numbers to be large. What is the waiting period for a Rolls Royce car? Also to what extent are Rolls Royce cars customised to individual preferences? Customers in India have embraced the bespoke programme that Rolls-Royce motorcars offer enabling them to order features that go far beyond the options list. In India, these can include a gold or solid silver Spirit of Ecstasy, a choice of some 44,000 exterior paint colours, unique mix of veneers and leathers, personalisation of tread plates, headrests or other parts of the car with an owner’s or a family’s initials. The waiting period for a Phantom is normally three months plus delivery or shipment time after an order is placed. Infact for the Phantom Drophead Coupé, the order bank is full through Q3, 2008; therefore this waiting period could be about six months or more. Are any components sourced from India for the Rolls Royce range? None. We also do not retrofit any equipment locally when the car arrives in India. How is Asia different from Europe and the US in terms of the Rolls Royce Motor Car experience, and what does the future look like for technology in China, Japan as well as Korea? While customers all over the world tend to be very successful individuals, Asian customers are more likely to demand higher specification or highly bespoke cars. The majority of Asian customers prefer to be chauffeur-driven. As a result, the extended wheelbase Phantom is much more popular than in Europe or the United States. This can be seen in the strong growth in Rolls Royce Motor Cars’ bespoke business, which increased by 40% between 2005 /2006 within the Asia-Pacific region. China (including Hong Kong), Japan and Australia are key markets for this growth. At the Rolls Royce level, technology is seen as a given – the Phantom family of cars is already built with an advanced level of engineering and electronics. These include the largest and most sophisticated aluminium space frames in the industry, no less than 71 onboard control units per car and a 15-speaker studio-grade entertainment system.   "Every Weapon needs a Master' Cheers !! Sagar