Rolls-Royce has steadily narrowed the sales gap with Bentley, thanks in large part to its move further upmarket and the runaway success of the Cullinan.
If Ferrari is the benchmark for supercars, then Rolls-Royce is the ultimate symbol of luxury automobiles—and that didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of years of careful brand-building and, perhaps more importantly, remarkable consistency. Even as technology has changed and competition from China has grown, Rolls-Royce has managed to maintain its position at the very top of the market.
BMW’s acquisition of Rolls-Royce in 2003 only strengthened that position, giving the British marque access to the resources of one of the world’s largest automakers. Bentley took a different path. Five years earlier, in 1998, Volkswagen Group acquired Rolls-Royce’s former partner, giving Bentley the resources to become a truly global luxury automaker in its own right.
More than two decades later, the two brands still share plenty of history. But they’ve ended up in very different places. (This story originally appeared on Motor1 Italy)
Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale
One of the biggest factors shaping the future of the two brands is that Rolls-Royce and Bentley are no longer true rivals. While both are luxury automakers and some of their models compete in the same broad segments, Rolls-Royce has increasingly positioned itself a step above Bentley in terms of exclusivity and price. The Cullinan and Phantom are perhaps the clearest examples.
That positioning also helps explain the difference in sales volumes.
In 2003, Bentley sold 1,017 cars worldwide, about 3.4 times as many as Rolls-Royce. At the time, the ultra-luxury market was still a relatively small niche, particularly in Europe, and was dominated by large sedans.
Both brands, however, began growing rapidly as they turned more of their attention toward the US market.
Bentley And Rolls-Royce Global Sales
By 2007, both companies had set new sales records. Rolls-Royce surpassed 1,000 deliveries for the first time, while Bentley broke the 10,000-unit mark.
The growth continued through the end of the decade. In 2010, Rolls-Royce sold nearly nine times as many cars worldwide as it had in 2003. Bentley, meanwhile, had grown its sales by roughly five times over the same period.
The difference in scale remained significant, though. In 2011, Bentley sold 7,003 cars worldwide, roughly twice the 3,538 Rolls-Royces delivered that year.
That was hardly a surprise. Bentley’s lineup was broader and generally more accessible, while Rolls-Royce remained focused on the very top end of the luxury market.
Bentley Vs Rolls-Royce Global Sales Ratio
The next major shift came as both brands expanded beyond traditional luxury sedans.
Bentley had an early advantage with the Continental family, while Rolls-Royce brought the Ghost into its lineup as a somewhat more accessible alternative to the Phantom. Those models helped both brands attract new customers without abandoning their luxury positioning.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Black Badge
Bentley Bentayga
Then came the SUV boom. Bentley launched the Bentayga in 2015, while Rolls-Royce followed with the Cullinan in 2018. Both proved to be hugely important, but the Cullinan had an especially dramatic impact on Rolls-Royce’s business.
By 2019, just before the pandemic disrupted the global auto industry, Bentley sold 2.3 cars for every Rolls-Royce. Both brands also ended the year with record sales. But the gap would continue to close.
Last year, the ratio fell to an all-time low of just 1.8 Bentleys for every Rolls-Royce.
That’s a remarkable change from where the two brands stood in 2003. Bentley still sells more cars overall, but Rolls-Royce has grown considerably faster over the past decade.
The Cullinan deserves much of the credit. Luxury buyers have embraced high-end SUVs, and Rolls-Royce was able to turn that demand into one of the most successful models in its history.
The Spectre has also played a role. As Rolls-Royce’s first fully electric model, it gives the brand a way to move into the EV era without compromising its ultra-luxury positioning.
Bentley Continental GTC 80th Anniversary Special
Bentley, meanwhile, faces a challenge that has little to do with the strength of its products.
The brand is part of Volkswagen Group, which means it has to navigate the same financial pressures, electrification costs, regulatory changes, and broader market challenges affecting its parent company.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Bentley is in trouble. But its position within the Volkswagen empire gives it a very different set of priorities from Rolls-Royce, which operates under BMW.
And that may be the biggest reason the two brands have continued to move apart despite sharing so much history.
Bentley has become a successful global luxury automaker, selling significantly more cars than Rolls-Royce. But Rolls-Royce has gone even further upmarket, turning scarcity and exclusivity into the core of its business.
For now, that strategy appears to be working. The fact that Rolls-Royce is steadily closing the sales gap with Bentley despite selling substantially more expensive cars may be the clearest indication yet that the two British marques are no longer playing quite the same game.
The author of this article, Felipe Munoz, is an automotive industry analyst and content creator for Car Industry Analysis on social media.
More From Rolls-Royce And Bentley
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motor1.com?
– The Motor1.com Team