Chinese driving record Rolls-Royce sales in Oz

Sales of ultra-luxury Rolls-Royces in Australia are surging off the back of Asian migration.

As a growing number of high-net-worth individuals set up Down Under -- many with the $65 million that is the cashed-up trigger point for Rolls-Royce ownership -- the number of Australian orders going to the British brand’s factory at Goodwood is reaching new highs.

The all-new Phantom flagship has already contributed a dozen early orders and it's expected to be a similar story for the Cullinan SUV, which is set for previews in November and first local deliveries in the first quarter of 2019.

The first deposit-paid Cullinan orders have already been written, although the vehicle is not expected to be homologated for local sales until December.

A growing number of Rolls-Royces are being ordered by the new arrivals and company spokesman Hal Serudin told motoring.com.au that it’s a reflection of the quality of life in Australia.

“There is a reason why people are flocking here. It’s liveability,” Serudin says.

“We are already seeing it in Sydney and Melbourne. They are coming from all over the place, but obviously a strong majority are coming from China.

“It’s work, play, live. They also have investment properties and kids in school.”

There are solid numbers that reflect the Rolls-Royce’ sales surge, from the Knight Frank Wealth Report in 2017.

It says the number of millionaires in Australasia grew from 226,000 in 2006 to 379,000 in 2015, but then spiked to 420,700 in 2016.

However, it’s forecast to jump to 715,200 in 2026. That’s an 86 per cent rise over the past decade with another 70 per cent jump to come.

Breaking it down by city, the Knight Frank report lists Sydney and Melbourne in the top eight worldwide for inflow of high-net-worth individuals.

Sydney is number one with 4000 and Melbourne is next with 3000, followed by Tel Aviv, Dubai, San Francisco and Vancouver, each with 2000.

Rolls-Royce hit a sales record in Australia last year with 45 deliveries -- up by 22 per cent from 37 a year earlier. The previous high was 39 in 2014.

“Compared with the rest of the region, last year’s result was very strong,” Serudin says.

“This year we are on track, quietly confident, to break beat the record. There is heavy demand on Phantom. There is about a year’s waiting list at the moment.”

Rolls-Royce is also seeing a significant lift in the number of Black Badge models, the Wraith and Dawn, being ordered as the average age of its owners drops significantly.

“We are seeing a lot of younger buyers. And people who are new to Rolls-Royce,” says Serudin.

Some of those are the new arrivals from around Asia, not just from China but also places such as Singapore.

“It will be a centre for high-net-worth individuals in the future.”

And it’s not just cars, as Serudin reports from his latest visit to Australia from Rolls-Royce’s regional headquarters in Singapore.

“Melbourne has a Chinese Boat Club. There are 70 high-net-worth individuals. They want to enjoy their life.”

He is giving nothing away about the future model plan for Rolls-Royce, beyond confirming there will not be a replacement for the open-air Phantom Drophead Coupe despite the arrival of the new Phantom flagship.

“There are no plans to revive the Phantom Drophead Coupe. So it is now a collector’s item.”

On the Cullinan front, he highlights again that the car shares the aluminium architecture of the Phantom and that it is a scalable design -- similar to platforms used by Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover -- while hinting that it will used across the next full model change of all cars.

“The future of Rolls-Royce is going to be with this new architecture. It will underpin every new model.

“We’re reluctant to say what the new Ghost and Dawn will be like, because we don’t know yet,” Serudin said.