Rolls-Royce factory expansion to meet bespoke car demand | Money News

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars says a record £300m investment at its West Sussex factory base will help expand production of bespoke and electric models.

The BMW-owned firm, like rivals in the luxury sphere, has enjoyed rising demand for personalised vehicles among its wealthy customer base.

The carmaker said recent orders to complement its base models included 18-carat gold sculptures, embroideries consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, wood veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces and holographic paint finishes.

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The investment, Rolls-Royce said, would bolster facilities at Goodwood to cover such requests and also its Coachbuild programme – an invitation-only service where clients get to “craft an entirely original motor car.”

The company added that additional space would also be created to prepare Rolls-Royce for an all-battery electric future, with a new fully electric model due to be unveiled later this year.

The £300m investment marked the largest cash injection in the company’s operations since the plant opened in 2003, Rolls said.

It made the announcement while revealing a fall in sales during 2024.

The company sold 5,712 cars in 2024, a drop of more than 5% versus the 6,032 vehicles sold over the previous 12 months.

It said the decline was in line with expectations as it switches over to new models. Four were introduced during 2024 including the Cullinan Series 2 and Ghost Series 2.

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North America was its largest market in 2024. The most popular model, it said, was the all-electric Spectre.

Goodwood employs 2,500 people and produces 28 cars daily, it added.

Recent workforce expansion has been a result of its high margin Bespoke and Coachbuild programmes but also the transition to electric technology.