The Car Spy

The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in West Sussex is to expand in the months ahead. The news follows significant growth in worldwide sales over the last 18 months and a greater demand from customers for highly personalised Rolls-Royce Ghost and Phantom models.

The expansion includes an increase in size by more than 2500 square metres for the Assembly Hall, completing the final phase of development from original site plans for the production area. A new extension will also increase the Surface Finish Centre by more than 640 square metres. Total investment in the project will be about £10 million.

This development follows record sales in 2010 and growing demand across all markets, both at home and internationally. The company is also expanding its dealer network, with several new dealerships recently launched in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe and more are planned in the balance of the year.

The new space, and a number of additional infrastructure changes, will allow the company’s manufacturing and Bespoke operation to expand significantly. Bespoke allows Rolls-Royce customers the luxury to commission motor cars that suit their personal lifestyles and creative desires, transforming super-luxury cars into unique hand-crafted masterpieces which are as individual as their owner’s fingerprint. This year, Rolls-Royce has seen a significant increase in demand for personalised bespoke models, and the company recently announced a doubling in the number of Bespoke experts throughout the business.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “I am very pleased to announce our expansion plans. We continue to see increased demand from customers all over the world and the new facilities will allow us to increase the capacity for our hand-built, highly personalised motor cars. This investment demonstrates our confidence in this unique brand, our commitment to our Home at Goodwood – the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are built – and signals the next phase in the development of our company.”

Mark Prisk, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, said, “It is good news to hear that Rolls-Royce has plans for expansion at the Goodwood site. It is a further endorsement of the strength of the automotive sector in the UK. Automotive is the UK’s number one manufactured export – in 2010 the UK auto sector exported over £27 billion-worth of vehicles and parts.”

Construction is planned to commence later this year and will be completed in late 2012.