Dubai: Details matter. Rolls-Royce and its Dubai importer AGMC certainly subscribe to this view as they work on a new bespoke collection exclusively for this market. Though nothing has been finalised, it could borrow well-defined Asian heritage themes.
"Designers and engineers are working on a main theme that we are sure will be a success in the region," Mohammad Al Arishi, brand manager for Rolls at AGMC, said. "The details will be kept secret at the moment, but it's a project that is relying on some of our customers' direct input as well as our marque's heritage."
To varying degrees, importers of other luxury and sporty marques are engaged in their own customisation drives. "It helps fetch a much higher margin. It ties in the buyer more firmly with the brand and the dealership and for the buyer it means the sheer pleasure of driving something totally in sync with his personality," a senior official at a dealership for a leading German brand said. "At a later date, customisation does help immensely in the resale pricing."
As it works on the new one, bespoking — and the more elaborate the better — has worked handsomely for Rolls and its Dubai dealership in the past. The UAE easily found a place among Rolls-Royce's top markets last year, a period that also coincided with the marque recording its best performance ever, selling 3,538 cars worldwide.
Extensive detailing
In the case of AGMC, which has been a Rolls dealership for nine years, the bespoke work does not necessarily start with a client walking into the showroom and saying he wants this and that added. Instead, the imported vehicles — as many as 70 per cent — come in with an extensive array of detailing already done to them. But isn't that ratcheting up the dealership's risks?
"There is a risk; sometimes the personalisation — which could be anywhere from $100,000 and up — adds a considerable amount of premium over the listed price of a model," Al Arishi said. "But we are confident our specific knowledge of what our clients want mitigates the risk to negligible levels — and Dubai is always at the top when it comes to Rolls bespoke.
Risky strategy
"Mind you, other dealers in a much larger market do not use this discipline as it is considered quite risky."
Have there been instances when the extensive personalisation ahead of an actual sale might have put off a buyer? "Some cannot spend that much time worrying about getting the details right and then waiting a further few months," Al Arishi said. "They see our bespoke cars and make a decision on the spot, with no need to tie in their investment for a period of time with nothing to show for it.
"Another reason is some clients can be a bit hesitant to take the risk themselves and end up with a car that doesn't match because they can't really see it. This is where we step in, absorb the risk and deliver their vision in an actual production piece they can experience and make a decision."
Demand for Ghost model
After the record run of last year, the local dealership remains "cautiously optimistic" about the current one. What has helped is the higher demand for the Ghost model, which is priced at Dh1.2 million and thereabouts but considerably lower than the flagship Phantom range. By introducing a slightly more accessible model price-wise, it helped bring in first-time buyers to the Rolls fold.
"At the moment, almost 80 per cent of our sales belong to Ghost, which was introduced two years ago," Al Arishi said. "Rolls-Royce was somewhat immune to the crash thanks to the introduction of the Ghost in late 2009, early 2010. It was the right car at the right time which meant that our sales actually grew instead of contracting like the rest of the market.
"However, with the arrival of the Phantom Series II, that will change as existing customers — and a few looking to upgrade from the Ghost — will be interested to see what it will offer."
Summer arrival: Phantom series II
The first deliveries of the Phantom Series II — starting with the Chicane Coupe — are expected during late summer. Prices start at Dh1.7 million and go up to Dh2.2 million for the extended wheelbase version.
"The Phantom is still the car where you could go further in the amount of bespoke features," Mohammad Al Arishi of AGMC said. "The Chicane, inspired by the most intricate and demanding type of corners in racing, is the most driver-oriented and dynamic of the Phantom family.
"The Chicane — recently launched in Geneva — will be our first bespoke offering based on the Phantom Series II."
AGMC had rolled out 22 models as part of the ‘Dubai Bespoke' collection until the downturn put a halt to it.
