The luxury automaker Rolls-Royce will enlarge its Goodwood factory and worldwide headquarters to accommodate the increasing need for custom models.
It plans to allocate over £300 million to create more tailored versions of its cars for its ultra-wealthy customers.
The 120-year-old British brand was fully acquired by the German automaker BMW in 2003, and the facility in West Sussex was officially launched that same year. Rolls Royce claims this growth ensures its future in the UK.
Rolls-Royce delivered 5,712 cars in 2024, a decrease from its peak of 6,032 in 2023.
Although those figures might appear insignificant when set against the millions of vehicles sold annually by major manufacturers, Rolls-Royce functions within an exceptionally exclusive market.
The brand stated it “does not reveal prices,” but it is known that its least expensive model, the Ghost saloon, starts at around £250,000. The starting price for its Cullinan SUV and electric Spectre models is believed to be approximately £340,000.
In contrast, the typical house price in the UK reached £297,000 last year, as reported by Halifax.
The cost of custom models can differ greatly. For the most intricate designs, the end result may be priced multiple times the car’s initial cost.
There are a limited number of purchasers who are able to spend this much on a vehicle. Among those capable are celebrities, who frequently showcase their wealth without hesitation.
Included in this group are American celebrities Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj, along with British rapper Stormzy, who received a driving ban after being caught using his mobile phone while driving his Wraith in London.
‘Holographic paint and one-off artworks’
For certain clients, merely having a Rolls-Royce lacks sufficient exclusivity. In recent years, the company has been placing greater emphasis on creating highly personalized versions of its vehicles, which can subsequently be sold at even higher rates.
It has put money into “private offices” located in Shanghai, New York, Seoul, and Dubai, where clients can converse with designers.
That is creating “more complex commissions” and “increasing the demand” to expand Goodwood for more space, Rolls Royce CEO Chris Brownrich told Radio 4’s Today Programme.
Rolls-Royce refers to this approach as generating “chances for significant individual expression” for customers.
In reality, this has encompassed vehicles with holographic coatings, showcasing unique artworks, or highlighting detailed hand-stitched embroidery. One model, created as a tribute to the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger, incorporates elements crafted from solid 18-carat gold.
Rolls-Royce is not the only one in this situation. Other luxury brands like Bentley, McLaren, and Ferrari likewise provide extensive customization options.
However, creating custom-made cars, although lucrative, is a time-consuming process demanding considerable labor and space. Simultaneously, similar to other producers, the company is getting ready for a future where traditional vehicles will be discontinued and substituted with electric versions.
Rolls-Royce stated that expanding its factory would “provide more room for the more intricate and high-value bespoke and coachbuild projects desired by clients who view luxury as something intimately personal.”
It stated that the initiative would “also prepare the production facility for the brand’s shift to a fully battery electric vehicle future”.
The automobile manufacturer has received approval for the expansion of the Goodwood facility, established in 2003 and originally accommodating 300 employees. Currently, over 2,500 individuals are employed at the site.
“This marks our largest financial investment in Goodwood since it began,” stated Chris Brownridge, the chief executive of Rolls Royce.
“It represents an important endorsement for the Rolls-Royce brand, safeguarding our future in the UK,” he noted.
As a high-end automobile manufacturer targeting export markets, Rolls-Royce is shielded from several issues that the broader European automotive sector is currently encountering. Nonetheless, it has been impacted by a decrease in demand in China, a key market for it.
Earlier this year, Mr. Brownridge noted that the increasing demand for customized vehicles was contributing to countering that decrease.
The declaration follows weeks after another well-known British brand stirred up debate while outlining its own future intentions.
Jaguar, which is part of Jaguar Land Rover, will be reintroduced as a fully electric brand and positioned significantly higher in the market as part of a substantial restructuring effort within the company.
In December, it revealed a strikingly designed concept vehicle, which along with a new logo and a controversial online advertisement ignited a social media frenzy – and attracted considerable media attention.
