Chichester (United Kingdom) (AFP)

The luxury car maker Rolls-Royce, after suffering at the start of the pandemic, regained shape and launched on Thursday a car intended for the ultra-rich, the "Boat Tail", whose rear evokes the lines of a yacht.

Only three units have so far been designed with an unparalleled level of tailor-made for the luxury brand, at a time when the high-end car market is doing well despite the pandemic.

- What defines the "Boat Tail"?

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"Customers come to us with an idea in mind, that's exactly what happened a hundred years ago (...). This homecoming dates back to the" Sweptail "in 2017 when we launched the first project. of the modern-day Coachbuild ("tailor-made", editor's note) unit. (...) It caught the attention of a few customers who wanted something similar but even more spectacular, the executive director told AFP Torsten Müller-Ötvös, from the BMW subsidiary headquarters in Goodwood, South England.

"We accepted this project four years ago and the result is the Boat Tail (or boat tail). For us it is the pinnacle of all our activity at Rolls-Royce", he says from new model to luxury insolent and sometimes unexpected.

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Example of finishes: the sides of the rear of the new car rise sideways to form a table sheltered by a parasol, in order to be able to have lunch or dinner in the open air from their vehicle, if the desire takes their very wealthy owners .

"We intend to continue and start over every two years," adds Muller-Otvos without specifying the price of this car.

“We never talk about pricing in deals with our customers. But the rumors that the Sweptail cost $ 13 million were pretty close to reality,” knowing that “the Boat Tail is much more refined” ... And therefore even more expensive.

- What was the impact of the pandemic on Rolls Royce?

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"We were hit very hard. We closed the plant, and in total lost 20 to 25% of sales volume last year. On the other hand, the BMW group has not been significantly affected so far by the semiconductor shortage in the world ", explains the leader.

Since the last quarter of 2020 the manufacturer has benefited from a rebound and "production for this year is already fully booked. The normal waiting period for a Rolls-Royce is around six months".

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“Demand remains very strong and not only from Asia, but also from the United States and Europe.

"It's a promising global context and I think it is the case for the entire luxury industry."

If the pandemic has increased inequalities everywhere, the boss of the manufacturer of these exclusive cars notes "that there is a lot of money ready to be spent".

- Energy transition and Brexit -

"We are heading towards a switch to all-electric at Rolls-Royce during this decade" and the group wants to "improve its durability even more".

In September, Mr. Müller-Ötvös was worried about Brexit but he welcomes the trade agreement reached in extremis between London and Brussels on Christmas Eve.

This agreement, which has been favorable to the automotive industry and allows for smooth exchanges and "to export our products easily while being able to import spare parts".

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Therefore, "we have not suffered any major disruption" resulting from the British exit from the European Union, he concludes.

© 2021 AFP