How Kazakhstan's rich are swapping horses for Rolls-Royces

Abundance of oil and metals makes Kazakhstan a fertile soil for luxury carmakers across the world to sell their expensive cars. Rolls-Royce is one among the carmakers to find solace in Kazakhstan where the average person lives on about Rs 20,923 a month.

The oil-rich country’s creamy layer is trading up for ultra luxury cars and swapping out horses, a symbol of their wealth and grandeur, for purchasing a Rolls-Royce. Driving a luxury car is the new ‘rich’ statement of the mega rich in the country and Rolls-Royce is their premium choice.

With China’s luxury market slowing, demand for upscale vehicles in places like Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is increasingly growing. According to IHS Automotive, the demand for these vehicles is expected to grow more than nine per cent a year through 2020 compared with about two per cent in North America and Europe.

Unlike ultra-luxury buyers in more established markets, Kazakh customers don't usually customise their vehicles. Sales are more likely to be impulse purchases at events like a luxury expo this spring in Almaty.