11:36 am, January 8, 2025
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced plans to inject more than £300m into its Goodwood factory, as the number of cars it built having bespoke features reached a new record in 2024.
The factory, close to the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, has been Rolls-Royce’s home since January 1, 2003. Then it produced one car a day and employed around 300 people, while now the site is home to 2,500 employees and builds 28 cars a day.
But now the BMW-owned brand will expand the facility as a result of record sales of its ‘Bespoke’ and ‘Coachbuild’ projects, as well as expanding its pure-electric model range with the firm expecting to launch another EV later this year.
More than 5,700 cars rolled off the factory’s production line last year – the third best year in the company’s history – and the value of custom content – such as unique paintwork and interior features – in cars increased by 10%.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended attracted the most number of commissions, followed by the all-electric Spectre coupe.
The firm said the uplift in ‘Bespoke’ content in its cars was driven by the expansion of its Private Office network. New venues in New York and Seoul along with Dubai and Shanghai work together with the original Private Office at Goodwood.
Commissions from Rolls-Royce’s Private Offices tend to be 25% more expensive than a standard model; the Middle East led the way for commissioned cars last year, followed by North America and Europe.
Last year also saw the firm’s showrooms overhaul their visual identity, while the invitation-only members’ app Whispers saw a 55% rise in membership.
The Cullinan SUV, revised for 2024 with a Series II model, was the marque’s best-seller worldwide last year, followed by the Spectre. Europe was the top market for the all-electric coupe.
Chris Brownridge, chief executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: ‘In 2024, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reaffirmed its position as an authentic luxury house by crafting the most complex, personal and valuable motor cars in its history. This momentum means it is necessary for us to invest more than £300m in extending the Home of Rolls-Royce.
‘This represents our most substantial financial commitment to Goodwood since its opening in 2003 and a significant vote of confidence in the Rolls-Royce marque, securing our future here in the UK.’
