ROLLS-ROYCE, the ultimate symbol of capitalism, is about to move into the last bastion of socialism, albeit with its own characteristics - China.
Ian Skeggs, Inchcape Motors' regional director for the Middle East and Asia and Rolls-Royce distributor, said: ''We expect to have a distributorship in China in the near future.'' So far this year Inchcape Motors had sold 30 of the luxury cars worth about $49 million on the mainland and the market was booming, according to Mr Skeggs.
Of the 30 cars sold so far this year three were the luxury stretch Rolls-Royce limousines priced at $2.95 million each, 25 Silver Spurs at $1.48 million each and two Silver Spirits at $1.35 million each.
Mr Skeggs believed that by the end of the year Rolls-Royce sales in China would have reached 40 units, not bad considering only 10 were sold last year.
This year Rolls-Royce will make 1,400 cars for worldwide distribution with 110, or roughly eight per cent of the production line, earmarked for Hong Kong and China.
''The Rolls-Royce is the ultimate status symbol. It is a statement more than anything else,'' Mr Skeggs said.''And the Chinese love them.'' He said there were three types of buyers in China: companies, individuals and hotels.