Rolls-Royce has announced that Torsten-Muller Otvos is stepping down from his position as the brand's head honcho, with BMW UK's Chief Executive Officer Chris Brownridge to replace him as of December 1.
Born in 1960, Torsten-Muller Otvos held several jobs at the BMW Group before arriving at Rolls-Royce for the leading position in 2010. During his leadership, the company saw its sales increase to never-before-seen heights. The lineup also expanded significantly, and he also paved the road for the inevitable electric future with the Spectre.
Almost 14 years at the helm of Rolls-Royce made Torsten the longest-serving CEO since Claude Johnson. And if you don’t know who Johnson was, he was the man who introduced Charles Rolls to Henry Royce – ahem, Rolls-Royce!
"Leading Rolls-Royce for almost 14 years has been the greatest privilege and pleasure of my professional life," Otvos said. "I am proud of the role of my exceptional team and I have played in contributing significantly to the UK economy and to the global recognition of Britain's ability to produce the world's best luxury products."
During Torsten's leadership, the automaker went from selling around 1,000 cars in 2009 to over 6,000 last year. The average price of a Rolls was half a million pounds (equaling $300,000+) in 2010, and it has doubled today. Additionally, the average client was aged 56 back then, and that number has shrunk to 43 in more recent times.
Photo: Rolls-Royce
When Otvos started his leading position, the Goodwood factory only made two models: the Ghost and Phantom. Under his watch, they expanded the lineup with the Wraith and Dawn and with the first-ever SUV to bear the signature of Rolls-Royce: the Cullinan. He also oversaw the introduction of Black Badge and will go down in history as the man who paved the company's road for the silent and fast electric future.
Grabbing the Rolls-Royce reins from Otvos as of December 1 will be Chris Brownridge, who has led BMW UK from the top position since 2021. Brownridge has been with the BMW Group since he graduated in 1995 and has been a member of the UK Board since 2011.
"I'm honored and humbled by my new appointment. To be invited to lead this great British brand at such a pivotal moment in its long and remarkable story is an extraordinary privilege," Brownridge said. "I'm fortunate to be following Torsten as CEO. Through his vision and ambition for the brand over 14 years, Rolls-Royce is today in an exceptionally strong position and full of confidence for the future."
Rolls-Royce is going all-electric by the end of the decade, and they already have an all-quiet vehicle in their lineup. Called the Spectre, it is an ultra-luxury GT with zero emissions. It was unveiled last fall, uses a 102 kWh battery pack, and has two motors delivering a combined 585 ps (577 hp/430 kW) and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque.
It needs only 4.4 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 kph), an impressive figure for a car that weighs almost three tons (6,560 lbs). US prices kick off at $420,000, which places it between the Ghost and Phantom.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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