Did Covid-19 help Rolls-Royce register record growth? CEO suggests so

A recent statement by Rolls-Royce’s CEO Torsten Müller-Otvos might raise some eyebrows as Otvos believes that the increasing number of deaths due to Covid-19 has helped the luxury brand to reach record sales figures in its 117-year history.

Otvos told Financial Times that many people have witnessed Covid-related deaths in their community making them think that life can be short and it is better to live it now than to postpone it for a later date. “That also has helped (Rolls-Royce sales) quite massively," he was quoted as saying in the report.

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Rolls-Royce sold 5,586 vehicles around the globe last year registering a growth of 49 per cent compared to 2020. The rise in the demand was mostly observed in markets such as China, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. This shows that many around the world who have the capacity to afford a Rolls-Royce are going for it believing that life can be short to not indulge.

Models such as Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the new-generation Ghost specifically were in demand worldwide. It is being suggested that these vehicles might dominate the sales figure of the brand this year as well as the company's Goodwood factory is working nearly at its full capacity.

Rolls-Royce was not entirely immune to the challenges that 2021 brought such as the semiconductor shortage. To that Otvos said, "I don't think anyone would disagree with me that 2021 was the most volatile, unpredictable and challenging year for businesses across the board." However, he also added that if one wants to order a Rolls-Royce, he or she can expect the delivery of the car from a year from now.

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