Rolls-Royce posts record car sales on China, US demand

German-owned British luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce announced Monday that sales rocketed to an all-time high last year, smashing its 33-year-old record, driven by demand from China and the United States. The group, which is owned by German auto giant BMW, said in a statement that production leapt 31 percent to 3,538 cars in 2011. That compared with 2,711 in the previous year and was the highest-ever output in the 107-year history of Rolls-Royce. The 2011 performance beat the previous record of 3,347 cars set in 1978. Rolls-Royce, which is based at the Goodwood factory in West Sussex, southern England, also said China and the United States were now the "most significant individual markets" for the maker of ultra-luxurious vehicles. "We had an outstanding year in 2011 and we should take a moment to reflect on this great British success story," said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, chief executive officer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "Our business is in excellent shape. We are developing our dealer network, moving into new markets like South America, expanding our manufacturing operation in West Sussex to meet global demand and have plans to develop our product range. "At the core of this extraordinary success is a dedicated, committed and, above all, passionate workforce," he added. The company, purchased by BMW in 1998, said sales surged last year by 47 percent across the Asia Pacific region, by 17 percent in North America and by 23 percent in the Middle East. In September, Rolls-Royce unveiled plans to expand its Goodwood factory to meet strong global demand for the group's personalised range of 'Ghost' and 'Phantom' models. Expansion work will start in February and take nine months to complete.