The Rolls Royce Phantom was the definitive car that welcomed the 100 year old brand into the 21st century. The RR Phantom, almost a by-word for ‘classy and cool’, is still the big daddy of super expensive Limos as the VW Group’s Bentley plays catch up.
However, as many accolades as the Phantom has won in the last 7 years, the fact remains that the car was launched in 2003 and an upgrade is overdue. The upgrade become nearly necessary when you know that Mercedes’s Maybach is officially dead and Bentley is trying its level best to hijack a couple of Maybach’s celebrity customers for publicity and brand building.
Luxury car firm Rolls Royce, bowled over by the reception to its renewed range in India, is planning to add two dealers, taking the total to five, its Business Development head told reporters recently in Hyderabad. The official had flown down to inaugurate Kun Motoren, the British super-luxury brand’s new dealership in Hyderabad that is fully operational by mid-2012.
It plans to appoint one dealer in north India and the second either in central or south India. Over 200 Rolls Royce cars have been sold to customers since 2005 and the company is struggling to meet demand of the recently launched Ghost model.
In a country where even cramped hatchbacks are chauffeur driven, long wheelbase versions are bound to succeed. Knowing the market so well, the biggest marquee in super luxury segment, Rolls Royce, has pulled the cover off the long wheel base version of their most successful model in India – the Ghost.
The Ghost is the entry level limousine that Rolls Royce offers to welcome new customers to the brand. It is the most successful product across the globe because a lot of people who were planning to buy a Mercedes S Class or the Audi A8 suddenly saw the spirit of ecstasy in their sight.
The reason why RR is able to offer the Ghost as a lower price is because it did not develop the Ghost platform.
The Ghost is not a bespoke Rolls Royce; it is in fact a BMW 7 Series underneath. However, the boffins at the Goodwood plant have made sure that the connection isn’t so evident. Powered by a 6.6 litre, V12 that that pokes 563 ponies and 780 Nm of torque, the Ghost can do a 0-100 run in 5 seconds.
The long wheelbase version of the Ghost will set you back by a whopping 3.05 crores. Don’t try to sell your organs, you still won’t be able to reach that figure even if your heart is made of gold 
After an absence of 50 years, the RR badge returned to India and boy were they surprised to know how popular they are over here. In fact, now they are facing another problem in this market. The demand is outstripping supply by miles and the company is struggling to meet its commitments. Torsten Muller Otvos, Global chief executive of Rolls Royce Motor Cars – We couldn’t keep up with the [ Read More ]
Right from the British Raj, India has always loved Rolls Royce, even more than Mercedes. Most of our Maharajas used to have one (or more than one in some cases) parked in their garages for special visits of their empire. Some even pimped them up with ivory, peacock feathers and diamonds (Yea! 50 Cents move over, we started it way back)
Well, the golden age has returned with India being the 3rd largest market for RR in the Asia Pacific region, after China and Japan. The company is projecting sales of up to 70 units in the coming year. That’s 7 times of what it sold last time!
The company has currently two dealerships in Delhi and Mumbai with a total 5 variants of the Ghost and Phantom on sale priced between 2 to 5 crore rupees. The company is banking on the 7 Series-based Ghost model to drive in majority of the sales.
Globally, the company has had a very successful year and has managed to double its sales with over 2000 units!
Even internationally, majority of the sales have been brought by the Ghost by contributing over three-quarters of Rolls total sales. The company has also plans to introduce long-wheelbase, Drophead coupe and coupe versions of the Ghost very soon.
The Ghost is an entry level Rolls Royce which is built on the BMW 7 series platform and is targeted towards the young buyers who are new to the marque.
There will be a lot of ghost on streets if Rolls Royce ambitions are anything to go by. The baby Roller is all set to have many cousin sisters in the future.
Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, the CEO of Rolls Royce said to Bloomberg -
I’m quite confident that we’re going to see a Ghost derivative to come. There’s still a lot of potential in the market.
The RR Ghost utilizes the BMW 7 Series platform and the company managed to sell the full consignment of 60 Ghosts in less than 2 weeks.
The major focus of the company will be on emerging markets like China, India and the Middle East. The CEO’s enthusiasm is buoyed by the recent increase in the sales. Rolls-Royce had a 17% drop in sales in 2009 due to recession. But as the economy is recovering so are the sales and the company has set an ambitious target of 2,000+ cars in 2010.
Although he didn’t give any hint as to how the product line up will expand, we are expecting a longer wheel base model for the emerging markets following it up with a Drophead.
The 2.5 crore RR Ghost is almost sold out in India
The Indian market’s thirst for exotic cars far from getting quenched despite recession or other intervening factors. Rolls Royce, which introduced the Ghost in Delhi a little over two weeks ago, has almost sold out the sixty allotted vehicles for the Indian market.
The RR Ghost costs Rs 2.5 crore rupees. If you choose to customize it, it can cost up to 4.5 crore depending on the level of individualization.
Rolls-Royce has two showrooms in India, one in Delhi and the other in Mumbai.
According to company officials, 80 percent of those who have booked the Ghost are new to the brand.
click through to view the RR Ghost Image Slideshow
The cheaper Rolls Royce isn’t cheap. The Ghost is now available in India
Press Release -
Rolls-Royce Ghost Debuts in India
Mumbai, India, Friday, December 4th, 2009 –
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Headquarters: Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom previewed its new four-door super-luxury saloon, Ghost, for the first time in India today.
Ghost is smaller and more dynamic than previous models and is instantly recognisable as a Rolls-Royce, achieving a new modernism but remaining true to its luxurious heritage. The car is the first in a new Rolls-Royce model series, separate from the Phantom family which comprises Phantom, Phantom Extended Wheelbase (four door saloons), Phantom Drophead Coupé (convertible) and Phantom Coupé (fixed roof).
At the preview, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Asia Pacific Regional Director Colin Kelly said: “Ghost is a more informal design that broadens the appeal of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, combining refinement, new technology and contemporary style. It bears all the hallmarks of other Rolls-Royce cars, using the finest wood and leather materials and employing manufacturing standards which are no different to Phantom. Ghost will be built-to-order.”
click through for Image Gallery
