Rolls-Royce announced at Auto Shanghai that the company’s 80th showroom in the world has just been opened in Chengdu. The opening of the fifth Rolls-Royce showroom in Greater China signifies the company’s confidence in the region’s continued growth.
The appointed Rolls-Royce Motor Cars dealer is Chengdu Sanhe Automobile Technique Co., Ltd which will operate a new 400 sq.m. showroom at the Singapore Industrial Park located in the Hi-tech District in Chengdu. The other Rolls-Royce showrooms in Greater China are located in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Ian Robertson, Chairman and CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “We are delighted to announce the opening of our new showroom in Chengdu. China is a very important market for Rolls-Royce, with sales in 2006 growing by more than 60 per cent, making the region our third largest market in the world behind the USA and the UK. We anticipate further growth in China and expect to open further showrooms later this year.â€
Mr Robertson unveiled the new Phantom Drophead Coupé at Auto Shanghai, the first time the new convertible has been seen in the Asia Pacific region. Production of the new model will begin at the company’s UK manufacturing plant at Goodwood, England in the summer.
The two-door, four-seat convertible is a less formal interpretation of classic Rolls-Royce design than its four-door stable mate, the Phantom. Using the lightweight rigidity of an all-aluminium spaceframe, it marries modern technology to a sleek, streamlined convertible body.
Some of the special design features of the Phantom Drophead Coupé are:
An optional brushed steel bonnet and rear teak deck. The bonnet is machine brushed before being hand finished to ensure a uniform grain throughout;
An advanced aluminium spaceframe. Lightweight and exceptionally strong, it requires over 120 metres of hand-welding;
A picnic boot with a split tail compartment which opens in two parts, giving easy access to 315 litres of space. The lower tailgate provides a comfortable seating platform for two adults when lowered;
A fabric hood which is the largest of any modern convertible car and uses five layers of material to insulate the interior;
Power supplied by a 6.75 litre naturally aspirated V12 engine giving brisk performance and a 0-60mph time of 5.7 seconds.
Hand-built using the finest quality materials to the exacting standards of Rolls-Royce, the new Phantom Drophead Coupé is exciting customers around the world and attracting large numbers of new buyers to the brand. More than half the orders placed for the car are from customers who have never owned a Rolls-Royce before.
As clues go, it was a big one. Revealed with much pomp and ceremony at the Geneva motor show in 2004, Rolls-Royce’s spectacular 100EX concept car was created to celebrate the famed British car maker’s centenary. That was the official line, at least. When probed, the only thing officials would reveal was that there were considerations to building the big convertible—with the quick caveat that nothing was certain. 
At a private function at the Paris Motor Show yesterday evening, Ian Robertson, Chairman and Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, confirmed that work has begun on a new model series. It will be launched within the next four years. The new car will be smaller than the Phantom (pictured) and cost between 200,000 Euros and 300,000 Euros before tax. Planning permission has been granted to expand business operations at Goodwood. Further details will be announced in the near future.