Each January, economists brush off their pet economic indicators to predict the strength of the coming year's economy.

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Unemployment rates, retail sales, office space availability, housing starts and the like are all used by learned men and women of academia to predict the future.

Car dealer Gary Nesen is not an economist, nor does he have a detailed economic report to release to the world.

But he has what he believes is a leading economic indicator overlooked by the Wall Street brain trust:

"Rolls-Royce sales have been fantastic," he said of his newest line unveiled in May.

Since the first Rolls-Royces and Bentleys arrived on his Thousand Oaks car lot eight months ago, sales have steadily increased to the point where he now has back orders to fill. Rolls-Royce also manufactures Bentleys, the sporting side of the family, Nesen said.

Nesen said he has sold 20 of the motor cars since May and has orders for three more. (Never simply call them "cars," Nesen warns. "They're Rembrandts on wheels.")

Nine of the sales last year were new automobiles, accounting for about 8% of the western United States' supply of new Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, said Rolls-Royce Regional Manager Chris Brown. Brown's office is in Moorpark.

"We did a lot of analysis for several years," Brown said before awarding a Rolls-Royce franchise to Nesen. "The timing wasn't right for the longest time because of the recession. It now appears to have bottomed out."

Now Nesen expects a booming 1995, despite the high sticker price of his product.

"What kind of person buys a Rolls?" Nesen said. "One that can stroke a check." Rolls-Royce owners, by and large, write a check for their new buys, Nesen said. Little financing is involved.

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The bottom-of-the-line Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn can be had for the price of a three-bedroom house in Oxnard: $149,900. But for the most part, the super rich like their bells and whistles and have spent more than $300,000 on a two-door convertible Corniche S.

To Nesen, president of the $200-million-a-year Nesen Motor Co., this is proof enough that the economy is getting better.

"People just don't buy Rolls-Royces during a recession," he said. Nesen started with a shipment of two Rolls-Royces and three Bentleys in May and sales steadily increased.

Now, Nesen said he has 14 of the luxury automobiles in stock while two customers are vying to buy his one Corniche S convertible. Only 25 of the two-door automobiles were made for 1995 and the line will be discontinued after this year.