wanna-know-where-to-buy-your-next-rolls-royce

TopSpeed

By TPS Staff

Published Apr 8, 2008

We know that there is always a lot of relatively useless information on automotive blogs. You know: the latest rumor about an eleven cylinder hybrid electric BMW go kart. Stuff like that. It’s fun, but, at some point, we’ve all got to live our lives and sometimes it’s nice just to have some practical information. So, today, we offer some practical information: advice on where to buy that next Rolls-Royce. It turns out that it’s all about volume. In the Rolls-Royce world, being the “volume” dealer has its benefits. You’re got inventory. But, suppose a customer comes in the door and he wants a model so hot that you don’t have it in stock – and he wants it tomorrow. No problem. A call to the factory is all it takes. The car is on a charter jet direct from the factory. (more after the jump)

We’ve all heard about volume selling at car dealers. Those are the dealers that seem always to have the latest hot new model in stock, models that ordinary dealers seem never to have, can’t even order.

Well, seems that the nature of the car business isn’t much different even at its most lofty levels.

So, if you want the latest in a Rolls-Royce – or you just want it now – there is but one American dealer with whom to do business:

O’Gara Coach Company,

. . . in (where else?) ZIP code 90210. Beverly Hills, California.

The word “volume” has a somewhat different meaning when the car is a Rolls-Royce than it does for, say, a Chevy or even a Corvette. O’Gara sold 58 Phantoms and Drophead Coupes last year.

But, that makes them – by far – the biggest Rolls-Royce dealer in the United States. By itself, O’Gara accounted for 15% of United States Rolls-Royce new car sales. It was 6% of the total worldwide sales for the brand that year. No U.S. dealer approaches O’Gara’s sales of Rolls-Royce new cars. The next closest had sales for 2007 of less than ten vehicles.

That’s why the president of the company flew to Beverly Hills to personally present a sales trophy to O’Gara’s president. It’s why the dealership is consulted by the company when it plans new models.

All of this translates into that magic element for a high volume dealer, regardless of brand: inventory. O’Gara even has its own exclusive “Beverly Hills edition” Rolls-Royce. It’s not a dealer custom. It’s a factory special edition, with special illuminated door sills and mother-or-pearl inlays. It lists for $50,000 more than the base Phantom’s $345,000 sticker.

But, if it’s not in stock, no problem. That volume gives O’Gara access. “When you’re number one, the factory extends special opportunities,” according to the dealership’s president. “If there are certain favors you need to call in, they’ll do it.”

Like having the car the customer wants shipped by charter jet the next day.

Rolls-Royce has been very good to O’Gara in other ways, too. Not only do Rolls-Royce buyers tend to be repeat customers, when the Drophead Coupe was introduced, a number of O’Gara customers bought them outright, in addition to keeping the Phantom in their garage.

So, if you’re one of those people that shorted Bear Stearns stock at exactly the right moment, and you’re feeling like a new Rolls-Royce would be just the right reward for yourself – but, you want it to be done your way, something different, something special – or, maybe, you just want it tomorrow.

O’Gara’s the place to call.

What’s that?

You say this is not useful, practical information? You don’t want a Rolls-Royce? Too garish? Too slow?

OK, well – this is useful information, after all.

O’Gara is also the world’s – not the nations, the world’s – largest volume Bentley dealer. In the U.S., it has the highest sales of Bugatti and Aston-Martin. And, it sells Lamborghini, too.

So, there.