Rolls-Royce's US chief says wealthy clients are 'quite protected' from market jitters

Rolls-Royce's ( BMW.DE ) well-heeled clients aren't pumping the brakes on new commissions, despite a choppy stock market and lingering economic worries, according to the automaker's top executive in North America.

"Honestly, no," Nick Keen, president of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America, told Yahoo Finance at the Wynn Concours in Las Vegas when asked if clients are hesitating. "I think what we see is that our clients are quite protected from some of these instances."

Rather than money, the bigger concern for buyers is optics, Keen said.

"What we see is, is it the right time for me now, not financially, but is the perception of the right thing for me to be doing this at the moment," he said.

Rolls-Royce's long build times also help keep demand buoyant. Keen noted heavily personalized cars "can take a long time to be produced," giving the markets time "to right itself by the time it comes."

"For us in the US, we're seeing it still is fairly buoyant," said Keen, who took over the North American business on July 1 after joining the brand in 2015. "We're seeing sustainable growth."

Other regions are tougher for the British automaker. "The Middle East has been troubling at the moment because of what's been happening," Keen said, while China "remains an area that all of luxury is kind of struggling with."

Rolls-Royce doesn't break out US sales, but the Americas is its largest region. Globally, the BMW-owned brand delivered 5,664 cars in 2025 , down 0.8% year over year.

Not surprisingly, some regions are stronger than others. Keen called Florida "an enormous growth market," and said Rolls-Royce is taking its New York Private Office — its by-appointment bespoke studio — to the state for a weeklong "southern takeover" to court clients there. Florida's wealthy population has grown due to the state's lack of an income tax and the ability of many individuals to work from home.

In terms of products, the Cullinan SUV is Rolls-Royce's biggest seller in the US, with the electric Spectre coupe "a close second," according to Keen. Globally, the Cullinan made up 58% of deliveries last year, while Spectre sales fell 47%.

Keen said that drop in Spectre sales was planned. Rolls-Royce paused Spectre production ahead of the Series II update revealed in June , which brought more range, faster charging, and more power.

"That perceived slowdown was deliberate," he said, adding that orders and desirability have come "back straight away."

Keen admitted EV enthusiasm cooled as "infrastructure changed, regulations changed, and mindset changed a little bit." Rolls-Royce dropped its 2030 all-electric target in March. But the Spectre still sells because "it's a Rolls-Royce first, and an electric car second."