Even more affluent patrons
This will be the factory’s first significant extension since it was constructed in 2003 after BMW acquired the brand in 1998. Prior to that, Rolls-Royce automobiles were produced at a plant in Crewe, UK, alongside Bentley vehicles. Rolls-Royce had purchased Bentley in 1931.
Volkswagen currently owns Bentley, which continues to produce automobiles in Crewe and offers a separate personalization option. A 43% increase from the previous year saw nearly three-quarters of Bentley clients request unique extras above and beyond the brand’s already extensive choices list.
Increased interest in customizing programs has also been observed by Italian supercar makers Lamborghini and Ferrari.
In a recent interview with CNN, Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini, stated, “We are limited in terms of market size and [market] segments.” Thus, we must maximize the potential of every vehicle.
A major contributing factor to the rise of highly customized cars worldwide is the rising levels of extraordinary wealth. Simply put, there are more extremely wealthy individuals in the world than ever before, and they can afford to spend more on things like cars painted with diamond dust and cargo areas equipped with picnic tables.
“The client is wealthy, but he is not a moron. According to Javier González Lastra, an investment partner at Tema ETFs, an organization that manages an investment fund focused on luxury products, “you have to earn your price increase.”
Although consumers can choose paint colors, being bespoke goes beyond that. Some Rolls-Royce purchasers even request that their cars match the color of their neckties or nail paint. However, clients also demand integrated cabinets, unique fabric patterns, and wood inlay designs in their autos. According to Fritsches, these are the kinds of requests that are becoming more frequent and sophisticated.
