Rolls-Royce expects bullish sales in China

British luxury car brand Rolls-Royce expects that sales in China and India will account for three quarters of its total business in the Asia Pacific region, according to a senior official of the firm.

As the global auto markets are still feeling the impact of the global financial crisis, the Chinese government's stimulus measures have propelled the nation's economy to quickly drive out of the slowdown.

"The action of the Chinese government to put money into infrastructure during the recession helped things considerably," said Colin Kelly, director of Asia Pacific, yesterday in Shanghai. "People who buy our cars tend to be more entrepreneurial and when they start to feel good, they start to buy cars."

Rolls-Royce, now owned by Germany's BMW, sold about 106 cars in China last year, accounting for 50 percent of the sales in Asia Pacific. China, which overtook Japan to be Rolls-Royce's biggest market in Asia Pacific for the first time, contributes about 10 percent to Rolls-Royce's global sales with seven dealerships nationwide.

Compared with a 30 percent sales fall in the first half of this year, Kelly said sales were robust in the fourth quarter in Asia Pacific and pre-orders for its new model, Ghost, are also solid, particularly in China, although he didn't give any figures.