Rolls-Royce. The adjective.
Rolls-Royce is the Rolls-Royce of cars, the most universally understood shorthand for quality in the English language. A car brand that became an adjective may be worth more than every car it has ever sold.
THE GIST ON ROLLS-ROYCE: "The Adjective"
How few cars do they sell?
Fewer than 6,000 a year. Toyota does that before lunch. Every car is hand-built by 60 people over six months. They just posted record profits and have zero interest in increasing output.
Why not grow?
Luxury brands that grow normally dilute. Gucci makes trainers, Burberry sells in outlets, Mercedes makes hatchbacks for 25 grand. Rolls-Royce never did.
They are spending 300 million pounds expanding the factory, not to make more cars but to make fewer, more complex ones. Deeper, not wider.
Where does the value sit?
Gold, diamonds, Rolls-Royce. The things we use as benchmarks for quality are always things most people can't have. Accessibility kills aspiration.
Rolls-Royce's most valuable customers will never buy one. Millions use its name every day as shorthand for the best, and that only works because it has stayed inaccessible. The name is worth much more than the cars.
Should a luxury brand grow?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
How many cars does Rolls-Royce sell?
Fewer than 6,000 a year.
How are they built?
By hand, by 60 people, over six months each.
Why isn't it growing volume?
Growth dilutes luxury brands, so it is spending 300 million pounds to make fewer, more complex cars.
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