Rolls-Royce buyers are shockingly young

If you picture a typical Rolls-Royce owner, you probably imagine someone with white hair and maybe also white golf shoes. These are, after all, huge, cushy cars designed for comfort, just the sort of thing you'd think rich retirees would enjoy.

But if you ask Rolls-Royce customers, the true purpose of a Rolls-Royce isn't just effortless quiet and comfort, acquired after a lifetime of toil. It's about the prestige, status -- and, yes, pleasure -- of a product they're fortunate enough to be able to purchase while their hair still retains some color. When it recently announced its record-breaking 2021 sales -- about 5,600 vehicles sold worldwide -- Rolls-Royce also announced the average age of its customers, in the United States and globally, is just 43 years old. That means many buyers are also much younger than that, like in their 20s or 30s.

Like Maxie Kaan-Lilly, a 30-year-old South Florida real estate agent and model. Her Rolls-Royce Dawn is her only car and she takes it everywhere, she said.