Currently reading: Rolls-Royce celebrates sales record with new Ghost
A special edition of the Rolls-Royce Ghost has been launched to celebrate the firm's record-breaking sales in 2013

Rolls-Royce acheived its highest-ever annual sales of 3650 cars during 2013.

Rolls-Royce's latest sales record is its fourth in succession results from strong expansion in its biggest markets, the US and China. Middle Eastern sales also surged by 17 per cent. The performance was boosted by early deliveries of the new Rolls-Royce Wraith two-door coupe, the fastest-ever Rolls, which began in the fourth quarter. Bespoke modification of new cars also hit record levels. 

The Goodwood-based company now sells in 40 markets across the world, and opened 15 new dealerships in 2013, pushing its total of worldwide outlets to 120, including Istanbul, Beiruit, Lagos, Hanoi, Taichung and Manila. Plans are afoot to push the number to about 140 over the next couple of years. 

Chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos brands the expansion as "long-term sustainable development" and expects it to continue through 2014 and beyond, boosted in particular by a full year's sales of Wraiths, for which the company has a "very strong" order bank. "We have maintained our position at the pinnacle of the super-luxury market," says Muller-Otvos. "Rolls-Royce is a British manufacturing success story with a dedicated workforce second to none."

Marking the company's 110th anniversary, Muller-Otvos announced that the company will recruit 100 more employees at Goodwood this year, having created a similar number of new jobs during 2013.  

The company has marked the acheivement by launching a limited edition of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, the V-Specification.

The limited-edition model is powered by 30bhp more powerful version of the model's 6.6-litre V12 that cuts its 0-60mph acceleration time to just just 4.7 seconds. It will have special coachlines, optional part-chrome 21-inch alloys and exhaust tailpipes plus unique interior touches.

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.

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fadyady 9 January 2014

Classless

Seven years ago I worked for a London-based firm. It's boss owned a Rolls-Royce. I can safely say that there's nothing quite like it and I've been in some plush cars.
Lanehogger 9 January 2014

Credit to BMW, they have a

Credit to BMW, they have a done a sterling job with Rolls Royce and Mini, particularly with the former which is once again a bygone name for desirable, contemporary cars which not only ooze a sense of occasion, class and coolness (something you couldn't really say about many past Rolls').
ordinary bloke 9 January 2014

So, Rolls-Royce celebrate .....

....... best annual sales by building a special edition of the worlds most exclusive car and thus making it that little bit less exclusive. Very clever.

Having said that I would happily accept one as a gift so as to celebrate along with them, It looks great and I love the colour.