Paul Harris (left) in New Delhi on Friday. Picture by Ramakant Kushwaha

New Delhi, Nov. 11: Rolls-Royce’s global recall of 589 Ghost models for a possible fire hazard also covers India.

The luxury car maker is recalling the models because of a defective electric auxiliary water pump that can trigger a fire. The company, however, did not specify the exact number of cars that would be recalled in India.

“It affects cars in India. We cannot give the numbers as we do not share as a company policy. We are in touch with the customers here and the process is in progress,” Paul Harris, regional director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd, said today.

On how long the company would take to rectify the problem, Harris said, “Just about one-and-a-half hours.”

Earlier this month, Rolls-Royce announced that it was recalling the Ghost model in the US, manufactured between September 2009 and September 2010, because of a faulty circuit board that could lead to overheating of the water pump, causing the vehicle to catch fire.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce today launched the extended wheel-base version of the Ghost in north India, starting from Rs 3.04 crore. The standard Ghost starts from Rs 2.07 crore.

On the Indian market, Harris said, “It is definitely one of the key markets for us. Globally, it is in the top 10 markets for us and entering the top 5.”

He, however, did not share the sales figures so far in India. The company sells the Phantom and Ghost in India and has two dealerships, one each in the national capital and Mumbai.

Last year, the company globally had sold 2,711 units; it has already crossed the figure this year. Harris said the company’s target of selling around 100 cars a year in India was possible considering the economic growth in the country. “Our progress is towards that desire and we are happy with that,” Harris said.

Earlier, Japan-based Toyota Motors had recalled over 5,50,000 vehicles worldwide because of a problem with the crankshaft pulling on the engine.

In April, Maruti Suzuki India recalled 13,157 diesel variants of the Swift Dzire, the Swift hatchback and the Ritz, manufactured between November 13 and December 4, 2010, to replace a faulty engine part.