Aussies flock to Rolls-Royce 'Black' badge

Australia’s obsession with performance cars goes all the way to the top.

At least that’s the conclusion we’ve drawn from news almost half the Rolls-Royce models delivered Down Under since 2016 have been Black Badges.

Black Badge models are effectively the British marque’s performance offering. Available in Ghost, Wraith and now Dawn (see below), Black Badges feature modest power upgrades, some suspension and other tweaks – including six-outlet exhausts and carbon-fibre ‘composite’ wheels. Styling changes include the widespread use of black chrome.

Fresh from four days at the Australian F1 Grand Prix, Rolls-Royce global client sales manager Ian Grant told motoring.com.au that well over 40 per cent of the cars delivered locally last year were from the storied brand’s performance-oriented Black Badge models.

And the demand is accelerating.

“It’s not a limited build,” Grant explained of the Black Badge models.

“It’s a full series now, and it’s here to stay for Rolls-Royce. It’s attracting, actually, a very diverse clientele… a slightly younger, slightly more risk-taker market, if you like. But also [particularly with new Black Badge Dawn convertible] it’s helping us cross boundaries of permission or acceptance to own.”

Dawn is the latest Black Badge model offered by Rolls-Royce.

“Black Badge was launched on Wraith and Ghost in 2016, with great customer reviews and acceptance here in Australia, but throughout that [Dawn convertible] launch, and throughout 2017 there was continuous question: ‘can we please have it on a Dawn?’

“We’ve now delivered…. [And] the reviews and the feedback over the look and the posture of this Black Badge Dawn has been incredible. So, a lot of the work is under skin, but I think the styling has taken the car to a much different clientele,” Grant said.

Dawn Black Badge was the star of Rolls-Royce’s recent F1 installation. Grant said the reason for the brand’s presence at the event was two-fold.

“One was brand awareness and to make the reveal of Black Badge models, particularly Black Badge Dawn, a little bit more public: to people who are very keenly interested within that motoring environment,” he said.

“But also, what we’ve seen over the past few years, is particularly motorsport is attracting more of the higher-end luxury clients. So, it becomes a hospitality event much more than motorsports.

“That high net worth or that luxury clientele that we saw coming through this [F1 Australian Grand Prix] weekend, was very, very interesting for us. We had top-end architects coming to talk to us. We had fashionistas coming over. And, I mean, for me I felt Rolls-Royce is really relevant there,” Grant explained.

Grants expects Black Badge to grow Dawn’s volume but cautions Rolls-Royce is not about “mass sales”.

“There’s a brand for that. Rolls-Royce very much isn’t. Our customers are rare, and our cars are rare,” he opined.

In 2017 Rolls-Royce sold just 45 cars in Australia – this compares to 219 Bentleys and almost as many (210) Ferraris. The Dawn Black Badge we experienced (sat in, didn’t drive!) had a drive away price of almost $903,000.

The brand’s upcoming Cullinan crossover does however have the ability to significantly grow the Rolls-Royce footprint in markets like Australia. Although at this stage there’s no news on a Black Badge variant.