BWI: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Appoints Authorised Dealer in Chandigarh

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 05:20 PM IST (11:50 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Lifestyle, People; Business: Automotives, Business services, Retailers; Automotive
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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Appoints Authorised Dealer in Chandigarh


Chandigarh, Punjab, India, Wednesday, February 15, 2012 -- (Business Wire India) -- -- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars appoints Select Cars Private Limited to operate fourth new dealership in India
-- Ghost Extended Wheelbase makes Chandigarh debut


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to announce the appointment of a fourth dealership in India. A new showroom in Chandigarh, due to open in the second quarter of 2012 will be operated by Select Cars Private Limited, the group behind Rolls-Royce Motor Cars New Delhi.

The opening of a dedicated showroom in Chandigarh demonstrates Rolls-Royce Motor Car's commitment to sustainable growth in India. This is underpinned by the appointment of a dedicated Head of Business Development for the sub-continent and the recent announcement of a new dealership in Hyderabad. The Chandigarh dealership will join Mumbai, New Delhi and Hyderabad as representatives for the revered British automotive marque in India.

Paul Harris, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Regional Director, Asia Pacific said: "We have made no secret of our ambitions in India, a market with a century-old association with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Strategically we have identified Chandigarh as the perfect place to enter the next phase of expansion in India. We have already seen a healthy amount of interest from Chandigarh based customers and I have every confidence in the potential of this highly important territory."
He added: "The Rolls-Royce experience is one without peer. The existing New Delhi team have demonstrated they are able to deliver the exceptional purchasing and after sales standards our highly discerning customers expect."

Strategically, Chandigarh is the next logical step in Rolls-Royce's growth plans for India. Sustainable growth seen across a diverse mix of sectors, advanced infrastructure and position as capital for both the states of Punjab and Haryana make it an ideal choice for the fourth Rolls-Royce Motor Cars dealership in India.

Yadur Kapur, CEO, Select Cars Private Limited: "Expansion into this important new territory represents the next rational step for our Rolls-Royce business. The investment we are putting into this venture is a testament to the confidence we have in the brand and its potential in the greater Chandigarh area."

Herfried Hasenoehrl, Head of Business Development, India, Sri-Lanka and Bangladesh added: "India is something of a second spiritual home for the brand. The Indian business elite has embraced the marque as the Maharajas famously did in the early Twentieth Century. In pressing on with our programme of expansion we are adding a remarkable new chapter to the already extraordinary story of Rolls-Royce in India."

Ghost Extended Wheelbase makes Chandigarh Debut

The announcement ceremony coincided with the Chandigarh debut of the sixth new Rolls-Royce model, Ghost Extended Wheelbase.

Building on the enormous success of Ghost in India, the car combines segment-leading cabin space with the driver dynamic that has endeared so many to Ghost. Rear-cabin passengers will have 170mm more room than the already ample space Ghost owners enjoy. A panoramic sunroof as standard bathes the cabin in natural light contributing to an ambience that exudes lavish comfort and serenity. Sumptuous lambs-wool carpets and multimedia theatre-configuration, both as standard enhance the super-luxurious feel of the car. Beautiful Malabar wood, indigenous to Kerala in the South of India, is one of an array of ethically sourced, hand built wood packages available.

The award-winning Ghost has seen exceptional demand since its 2010 launch in India. Designed as a more informal Rolls-Royce, it has introduced a new generation of customers to the brand, endeared by its combination of drivability and hallmark Rolls-Royce exuberant luxury. With the Indian customer at the forefront of the design team's thinking, Ghost Extended Wheelbase simply takes the principle even further. Customers who require slightly more rear-cabin space to transport families in uncompromising comfort are able to do so whilst still enjoying the peerless Ghost driving experience; in essence it is the perfect car for all occasions.

Editors' Notes:

The City Beautiful, the fourth home for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in India

Whether a testament to the longevity of the marque's relationship with India or the speed in which the region progressed following independence in 1947. Rolls-Royce's presence in the sub-continent outdates the existence of Chandigarh by almost 50 years.

Dubbed 'The City Beautiful', Chandigarh's open gardens and array of buildings by famed architect La Corbusier create the perfect atmosphere and aesthetic for the world's finest super-luxury motor cars.

Strategically a move to Chandigarh in partnership with Select Motorcars New Delhi represents the next logical step in Rolls-Royce Motor Car's plans for growth in India.

The highest city on the Human Development Index (HDI) in India also boasts one of the finest infrastructure and road networks and the highest car ownership per capita.

Its position as a centre for academic and business excellence, especially in the fields of Science, Commerce and Engineering are the hallmarks of a city that will continue to grow and prosper sustainably.

Historical Context....

When Rolls-Royce Motor Cars re-entered the Indian market in 2005 after a 50 year absence the feeling was more akin to a homecoming than the reintroduction of a brand.

India has left an indelible print on the character of the company. The grand conveyances of the Maharajas, customized to meet their every desire proving an inspiration for the peerless work of today's Bespoke department at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England.

In the 40 years from 1907 to independence in 1947 it is believed that India was the final destination for as many as 1,000 Rolls-Royce motor cars. Many survive to this day, standing as monuments to the unrelenting strive for perfection and quality that informs everything the company aims to achieve as set out by founders Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce.

This special relationship extends to the very essence of what a Rolls-Royce is with the challenging Indian terrain acting as the perfect proving ground for the early 40/50hp models.

Some historians even go so far as to credit the famous trial embarked upon by what would become 'The Pearl of the East', a gruelling 620 mile trial spread over six mountain passes, as the solidification of the burgeoning marque's reputation for reliability.


A myth debunked?

The legendary excesses of the Maharajas play an enormous role in contemporary interpretations of Rolls-Royce's history in India. Many have since been dismissed as hyperbole or half-truths distorted as the years have gone by. However, one story, attributed to the enigmatic Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja of Patiala seems to hold more staying power than most.

Though tales of forty-four custom built Rolls-Royces once adorning his garage may not be too far from the mark. The famous story that following 'unfavourable' treatment from a salesperson at the Rolls-Royce showroom in London, the Maharaja ordered several motor cars for use as garbage trucks has never been proven and is almost certainly untrue.

To view the photograph,please click on the link below:
(L-R)- Herfried Hasenoehrl- Head of Business Development- India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, Radhe Kapur- Chairman of Select Cars
For picture(s)/data to illustrate this release click below:

http://www.BusinessWireIndia.com/attachments/Image 1(1).jpg
Image 1(1).jpg


CONTACT DETAILS
Hal Serudin, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, +65 6838 9675, hal.serudin@rolls-roycemotorcars.com
James Warren, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, +65 6838 9681 , james.jw.warren@rolls-roycemotorcars.com
Arneeta Vasudeva, IPAN Hill & Knowlton, +91 (124) 4967316, avasudeva@ipanhillandknowlton.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, LIFESTYLE, PEOPLE, AUTOMOTIVE, BUSINESS SERVICES, RETAIL, AUTOMOTIVE

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