Nick Carey

LONDON (Reuters), – Rolls-Royce is a German luxury carmaker. It (OTC) said Monday that sales of its Rolls-Royce unit, a division of Germany’s BMW (Germany), soared by 49% in spite the pandemic. The rise in demand for high-end vehicles worldwide was reflected in an increase in coronavirus.

In an online presentation, Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the carmaker sold 5,586 vehicles to customers in more than 50 countries, the largest number in its 117-year history.

“I don’t think anyone would disagree with me that 2021 was the most volatile, unpredictable and challenging year for businesses across the board,” Müller-Ötvös said. The struggle in the luxury industry was more about producing sufficient product to fulfill huge customer demand than finding customers.

According to him, sales reached all-time highs in many regions including China and Americas.

Global pandemic restrictions in travel have led to a rise in luxury and premium car sales.

Müller-Ötvös said that the carmaker’s British plant in Goodwood was running at close to maximum capacity and its order books were full well into the third quarter of 2022.

He said, “If you place an order for a Rolls-Royce now, it will take you about one year to receive it.”

Bentley is a luxury British car manufacturer. It’s a Volkswagen AG unit (OTC:). Last week, Bentley announced that its sales rose 31% globally due to strong demand.

BMW reported last week it achieved record sales in 2021 of its BMW brand, surpassing 2019 sales despite an international shortage of semiconductor chips.

Rolls-Royce is committed to all-electric vehicles by 2030.