Cat Who Got the Cream

Torsten Müller-Ötvös: The man who has clearly got the cream supported by a Cullinan.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös: The man who has clearly got the cream supported by a Cullinan.

HAVE you ever wondered what a man who is said to have ‘got the cream’ actually looks like? I have. Its a very old adage or saying and in full is ‘the cat who got the cream’ meaning successful and knowing it, but let’s not argue about details when we have such an amazing human example to look at.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls Royce Motor Cars seen here alongside a Rolls Royce Cullinan, the super-luxury SUV, has clearly been at a whole jug of cream recently.

He is enjoying to the full the results of a spectacular year of sales of the several varieties of Rolls Royce motor cars. A total of 5,152 cars delivered during 2019 to customers in over 50 countries, representing a 25 per cent increase on the previous high set in 2018.

“This performance is of an altogether different magnitude to any previous year’s sales success. While we celebrate these remarkable results we are conscious of our key promise to our customers, to keep our brand rare and exclusive.

We are pleased and proud to have delivered growth of 25 per cent in 2019. Worldwide demand last year for our Cullinan SUV has driven this success and is expected to stabilise in 2020.

“It is a ringing testament to the quality and integrity of our products, the faith and passion of our customers and, above all, the skill, dedication and determination of our exceptional team at the home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and around the world and our dedicated global dealer network.”

A restrained comment I think from Torsten Müller-Ötvös in the circumstances. When most other motor manufacturers are pondering falling sales and the transition from diesel and petrol to electric powerplants arguably Rolls Royce could be said to be ‘Effortless Everywhere,’ a Rolls Royce aphorism or perhaps a promise of performance.

As the year drew to a close Rolls Royce completed its Black Badge family. A somewhat sinister looking variation of the Cullinan joined Black Badge variants of the Ghost, Dawn and Wraith.

The enthusiasm that greeted the launch of the Cullinan itself earlier in the year was matched by the enthusiasm that greeted the ‘King of the Night’ in November. The Cullinan was the fastest selling new Rolls Royce in its history.

In mid 2020 the successor to Ghost the biggest selling car of the Goodwood Era of the Rolls Royce marque will be revealed. The commercial success of the Ghost is said to have made it possible for Rolls Royce to scale up its production and commit to the immense investments that have led to the brand’s current success and lay the foundations for what is probably a glorious future at Goodwood, its manufacturing base.

Let us give the last word to Torsten Müller-Ötvös, “There is no other company like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: we are all conscious of what a privilege it is to design, build and deliver the best car in the world for our customers.

“PersonalIy, I continue to feel honoured and humbled to have led this great company for the past decade.”

Nick Horne, London, England

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Nick Horne

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