Business 334
BMW drops the i from 320 as new 3 Series sedan keeps four-cylinder engine
Rolls-Royce average buyer age falls to 40 as brand attracts younger clients
Rolls-Royce says its typical customer is now 40, down from 56 before 2010, as Black Badge, the Cullinan SUV and bespoke commissions draw a younger ultrawealthy audience.
By Edward Beaumont · 2 min read
The typical Rolls-Royce customer is now 40 years old, a sharp drop from the brand's long-standing image of a much older clientele. Sales director Julian Jenkins gave the figure, and said buyers in China are reportedly in their mid-to-late 20s, a sign that the marque's appeal is spreading well beyond its traditional base.
The shift has been building for more than a decade. Before 2010, when the Phantom was the only model in the range, the average buyer was 56. The average age fell to 43 by 2020, a period that coincided with the arrival of the Cullinan SUV in 2018, which the company credits with broadening the brand's reach. Black Badge, launched roughly ten years ago, was designed specifically to attract younger ultrawealthy buyers, and its darker, more distinctive styling has been part of that effort.
The Spectre electric coupé is also drawing new customers. The average first-time Spectre buyer in North America is 35, and about 40 per cent of Spectre buyers are new to Rolls-Royce altogether. Bespoke one-off commissions and special editions add further revenue, as wealthy clients spend beyond the base price on personalised work.
Sales, however, have softened after a strong period. Deliveries peaked at 6,032 units in 2023, then fell to 5,712 in 2024 and 5,664 in 2025. Deliveries through September 2026 were down 12.4 per cent year on year, a decline the company faces as it manages the transition in its line-up.
That transition includes an electric crossover, a prototype of which has been spotted testing in camouflage. The vehicle is expected to debut around 2027, with its full sales impact likely not felt until about 2028. It will sit alongside the V12-powered Cullinan rather than replace it. The company has also abandoned an earlier goal of an all-electric line-up by 2030, and the V12 engine is set to continue beyond that date.
The report on the changing buyer profile was first published by Automotive News and republished by BMWBlog.
Source: bmwblog.com
7
