After Bentley, Rolls-Royce cars to ply Manila streets

MANILA, Philippines - British luxury vehicle brand Rolls-Royce would soon ply the streets of Manila through a dealership in the Philippines, the first ever in the country, industry players said over the weekend.

The dealership, to be announced in a grand launch tomorrow, at the Manila Peninsula Hotel, comes just after another high-end British carmaker, Bentley, also penetrated the Philippines.

The appointment is part of the company’s Asia Pacific expansion plans and signals the growing demand for Rolls-Royce cars in the Southeast Asian region.

The head of a luxury car distributor in the Philippines said the entry of Rolls-Royce and Bentley is a welcome competition even as the company executive noted that the Rolls-Royce brand would cater to a very specific high-end market.

“It would cater to a very high-end, specific market,” said the executive.

In April, Rolls-Royce regional director for Asia-Pacific Paul Harris was quoted as saying that the company would announce its official dealership soon and open showroom facilities by the fourth quarter of the year.

Harris will lead the appointment ceremony tomorrow.

Last week, British carmaker Bentley opened its very first showroom in the Philippines under a partnership with luxury car distributor PGAAutomobile Inc.

Bentley Manila is the British brand’s 52nd country and 183rd dealership worldwide.

Bentley Manila’s line-up includes the Mulsanne, Continental GT, the Continental GT Speed – the fastest Production Bentley, the ContinentalGTC and the Flying Spur.

The luxury market in the Philippines sells between 2,000 and 3,000 units a year.