Rolls-Royce in China: selling fewer cars, with more bespoke, in a tougher ultra-luxury market

Updated on 21 July 2026

China is one of Rolls-Royce’s two largest markets, and the brand is answering a wider luxury car tax and new Chinese rivals with local bespoke work rather than volume.

By Daxue Consulting

Rolls-Royce delivered 5,664 cars worldwide in 2025, down 0.8% YoY and its fourth-best year (BMWBlog, March 2026). China ranked second among its markets after the United States in its record year 2023 (Carz, January 2024). The brand does not publish sales by country.

The Chinese context has become harder for ultra-luxury cars. Since 20 July 2025, a 10% consumption tax applies to cars from RMB 900,000 before VAT, including electric cars. A Chinese sedan, the Maextro S800 (尊界) developed by Huawei and JAC, now competes for the same entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has invested in a bespoke centre in Shanghai and cut the price of its electric Spectre. This analysis of Rolls-Royce in China examines how the brand sells in China and what its approach implies for other ultra-luxury brands.

Rolls-Royce in China: key figures

Exhibit 1: The Cullinan carries global volume while the electric Spectre slows

Source: compiled by Daxue Consulting.

Bespoke has become the brand’s main lever in China

Rolls-Royce opened a bespoke centre in Shanghai in August 2023, its second in the world after Goodwood, according to NBD (March 2026). Client projects range from personal motifs in the starlight headliner to family references in the interior. Sales and brand director Julian Jenkins told NBD that luxury is defined by scarcity, which explains why the brand measures success by the value of each order rather than by units.

In July 2025, the brand launched its “Heartbeat” (搏动之心) project with Chinese artisans, including a master class at Goodwood with a Chinese team (NBD). The project moves the brand from selling a British car unchanged to integrating Chinese craftsmanship into its design work.

Matthieu David-Experton’s view. Matthieu David-Experton, founder and CEO of Daxue Consulting, observes that “Every luxury brand in Shanghai now has a café,” and that experience alone no longer sets a brand apart (brand education in China, July 2026). Writing about the academies that luxury houses open for their clients, he adds: “Most of these academies are less a way to reach the masses than a moat around the top clients.” Rolls-Royce’s bespoke centre and its artisan programme follow the same logic: they deepen the relationship with existing and prospective owners rather than widen the audience.

A wider luxury tax and a cheaper Spectre change the price ladder

Since 20 July 2025, China’s 10% retail consumption tax on “super luxury” cars applies from RMB 900,000 before VAT instead of RMB 1.3 million, and covers electric cars for the first time. Every Rolls-Royce was already above the old threshold. The change matters more for cars just below it, and removes the advantage some buyers saw in electric models.

In June 2026, Rolls-Royce launched the Spectre Series II in China and cut its starting price by RMB 300,000 to 600,000, with options now included as standard (Internet Info Agency). The move follows a sharp fall in global Spectre deliveries in 2025, which suggests that electric ultra-luxury demand has not yet matched the brand’s expectations.

Chinese ultra-luxury sedans compete for the same image

The Maextro S800, developed by Huawei and JAC, has a top edition priced at RMB 1.388 million. It does not compete with a Rolls-Royce on price. It does compete for the same role: the car a Chinese entrepreneur buys to signal success, with technology and national pride as arguments.

Exhibit 2: Rolls-Royce and its main competitors in China

Source: compiled by Daxue Consulting.

See also the analyses of Bentley in China and the Chinese luxury car market.

Owners and car creators carry the brand on social media

Rolls-Royce sells to a small number of clients, so its social media in China serves image and access rather than reach. The WeChat account and mini-program are used to book viewings and bespoke appointments, while launches appear on Weibo. On Douyin and Xiaohongshu, the brand is discussed far more by owners and car creators than by the brand itself: bespoke interiors and starlight headliners are the content that spreads.

A frequent confusion: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Rolls-Royce plc

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, owned by BMW since 2003, is a different company from Rolls-Royce plc, the British maker of aircraft engines, defence and energy systems. The bribery case often associated with the name concerned Rolls-Royce plc, which settled with the UK Serious Fraud Office in January 2017 for conduct in seven countries, including China (SFO, 2017). The two names are still confused in China and abroad.

How the market has changed over the past decade

Exhibit 3: From growth through dealers to growth through bespoke

Daxue Take: implications for ultra-luxury brands in China

1. For brands that sell in very small volumes, measuring China by order value rather than units protects pricing when demand slows. This approach depends on having the capacity to deliver complex personalisation.
2. Where a brand’s identity rests on craftsmanship, local bespoke work, such as the Shanghai centre or projects with Chinese artisans, may strengthen relevance with clients. It works less well for brands whose appeal lies in a strictly European heritage message.
3. For brands priced near RMB 900,000, the July 2025 tax change means a regulatory watch is part of pricing. Electric models no longer offer a tax advantage at this level.
4. For Western brands facing Chinese ultra-luxury sedans, competing on screens and software is unlikely to succeed. Heritage, craftsmanship and service remain the stronger arguments, as long as Chinese brands do not build comparable heritage.
5. For other ultra-luxury categories (yachts, private aviation, high jewellery), private clienteling on WeChat, bespoke done in China and small community events may matter more than new stores. Trends in China’s ultra-luxury market point in the same direction.

Questions for leadership teams: What share of China revenue comes from personalisation? How exposed is the price ladder to tax thresholds? Which Chinese brands now compete for the same clients’ attention?

What to watch next

• Rolls-Royce’s 2026 global deliveries, published in early 2027.
• Spectre demand in China after the June 2026 price cut.
• Any further change to the luxury car consumption tax.
• New ultra-luxury launches by Chinese brands above RMB 1 million.

FAQ about Rolls-Royce in China

Is China Rolls-Royce’s largest market? No. China ranked second after the United States in 2023, according to the brand’s global delivery figures.

How much does a Rolls-Royce cost in China? Prices depend on model and options. In June 2026, the electric Spectre Series II started at RMB 5.15 to 5.45 million in China, down from RMB 5.75 million.

Do Rolls-Royce cars pay the luxury car tax in China? Yes. Since 20 July 2025, the 10% retail consumption tax applies to cars priced from RMB 900,000 before VAT, including electric cars.

Is the Rolls-Royce car company the same as the one in the bribery case? No. The 2017 bribery settlement concerned Rolls-Royce plc, the aircraft engine maker. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a separate company owned by BMW.

About Daxue Consulting

Daxue Consulting is a market research and strategy consulting firm focused on China. For ultra-luxury brands, Daxue Consulting conducts in-depth interviews with high-net-worth clients, mystery shopping in showrooms and boutiques, social listening on Xiaohongshu and Douyin, and regulatory monitoring of taxes and import rules. Learn more about our market research services or contact our team.

Author: Daxue Consulting