Report: Rolls-Royce to expand Ghost line

It sounds like Rolls-Royce is looking to pull a few more Ghosts out of its hat. According to Bloomberg, the company has its eyes on doubling sales figures in a hurry, and part of that plan may involve more variants of the Baby Roller. As the second model line in the company’s stable, the Ghost has done plenty to generate growth for the company, primarily due to its smaller size and (slightly) more accessible price tag. The Ghost starts at $245,000, while the next step up, the Phantom, hits luxury buyers for a less manageable $380,000.

Rolls-Royce is currently producing around three Ghosts for every Phantom, thanks largely to increased interest in the brand from China. China has already moved up to become the company’s second biggest market after the U.S. – a slot formerly occupied by the UK.

Bloomberg didn’t offer much in the way of details as to what to expect from any upcoming Ghost variants, so full-line Rolls collectors will want to keep their Dom Perignon on ice for the moment. Stay tuned.

First Drive: 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost is smaller in size, still larger than life

Rich people are different from the rest of us. Their wants and needs involve parameters and details completely foreign to the proletariat. While we use our vehicles for transportation, utility and sport, the rich view their automobiles as a necessary accoutrement to their elevated lifestyles.

For the ultra-wealthy, an appropriate equivalent might be an original Remington bronze or Picasso painting. And just as they need art in their mansions, they need beautiful transportation. The 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghostlives up to those lofty requirements by simultaneously being a rolling work of art and a status symbol beyond reproach.

Like access to the Queen, our time with the Ghost was strictly limited, so comprehensive driving impressions will have to wait. But what we did get was a rare glimpse into what the world’s richest inhabitants will enjoy when the Ghost goes on sale this year. And as you’d expect, life is good on this side of the financial Bell Curve.

Rolls-Royce reportedly planning to expand Ghost family with coupe, cabrio, LWB sedan

The new Ghost has been a runaway success for Rolls-Royce, the (relatively) more accessible saloon more than doubling its sales figures and outselling the larger Phantom by order of magnitude. And as might beexpected, the BMW subsidiary has every intention of cashing in its success with a family of new models.

Much as it has with the Phantom, Rolls-Royce is reportedly planning on spinning the Ghost sedan into a full range, including a long-wheelbase version, a coupe and convertible. The stretched limousine is expected to come first, with about half a foot of extra length added between the B and C pillars for more rear-seat space. The coupe and convertible versions are expected to follow.

Reports also indicate that Rolls-Royce is planning a green push by implementing more environmentally-friendly drivetrain options, although it has not yet decided exactly what form they’ll take. With sister-brands BMW and Mini taking the pressure of carbon emissions regulations off its back, the Spirit of Ecstasy is more concerned with pinpointing just what its customers want, and delivering it in a finely-crafted, leather-lined burlwood box.

Rolls-Royce sales up 146 percent on popularity of Ghost

If there was any lingering doubt as to the business value of the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost, recent sales figures appear likely to put such concerns to an abrupt end. Over the course of the first five months of 2010, Rolls-Royce has sold a total of 678 automobiles. That doesn’t sound like a whole lot when judged against the world’s largest automakers, but that figure represents an impressive 146-percent increase over the previous year.

As you might have guessed, that sales uptick is being driven by orders for the new Ghost, which, with a price starting at around $250,000, is Rolls-Royce’s new entry-level model. Company head Torsten Müller-Ötvös expects the sales surge to continue throughout the 2010, suggesting that the automaker will post figures “at least double the volume of last year.” As we found during our recent First Drive, Ghost buyers are likely to be very pleased with their new saloons.