Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Announces Major Investment
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars confirmed its investment of more than $370 million (£300 million) to expand its sole manufacturing facility at Goodwood in England. This move is the next step in the company’s strategic focus on creating value for clients through the most complex, personal, and valuable handcrafted luxury products and delivering an unparalleled client experience. The company’s global performance in 2024, a landmark year for Bespoke and the third-best sales record in its history, confirms the success of this strategy.
This expansion will allow Rolls-Royce to enhance the value of commissions for clients by creating additional space for the increasingly complex and high-value Bespoke and Coachbuild projects. It will also prepare the manufacturing facility for the brand’s transition to an all-battery electric vehicle (BEV) future.
This investment represents the largest capital injection ($100 million) since the plant opened on January 1, 2003. At that time, it employed about 300 people and produced just one motor car per day. While the plant has undergone significant internal upgrades over the past 20 years, the building and footprint remain largely unchanged. The staff numbers have grown more to more than 2,500 people, and Goodwood now produces about 25 motor cars per day.
A Record Year for Bespoke
In 2024, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of specialist designers, engineers, and craftspeople undertook some of their most creatively daring and technically challenging commissions. These projects featured innovative materials, craft techniques, and features never seen before on a Rolls-Royce motor car, resulting in unique, emotionally resonant masterpieces that reflect the commissioning clients’ interests and personalities.
Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke offering reached record levels in 2024, with Bespoke content increasing by 10% per commission year-over-year, the highest in the company’s history.
An Unmatched Client Experience
Rolls-Royce’s commitment to Bespoke is reflected in its Private Offices. In 2024, the of VIP spaces expanded to New York and Seoul, joining locations in Dubai and Shanghai. Inspired by the original Private Office in Goodwood, these creative hubs are available by invitation and designed to inspire creativity and close collaboration between clients, their dealer advisor, and a dedicated local designer. Clients highly value this unique experience, with Private Office commissions typically 25% higher in value than the starting suggested retail price.
Rolls-Royce’s dealer partners worldwide continued investing in the brand’s updated visual identity and showroom concept, offering a social, creatively engaging environment where clients can relax and find inspiration for their bespoke commissions.
The Rolls-Royce invitation-only members’ app, Whispers, grew by 55% in 2024. This exclusive digital club allows clients to access and manage their Rolls-Royce motor cars, network with other clients, and gain exclusive insights about the marque and the luxury world. Whispers also facilitate direct contact among Rolls-Royce owners and their contacts at their dealers and inside Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Globally Balanced Sales Picture
In 2024, Rolls-Royce introduced a record four models: Cullinan Series II and Ghost Series II, along with their Black Badge variants. These launches, coupled with sustained demand for all Rolls-Royce products, resulted in global sales of 5,712 in 2024—the third best year ever and in line with the brand’s expectations.
2024 also marked the first full year of sales for Rolls-Royce Spectre. Clients have confirmed that Spectre’s electric drivetrain is perfectly suited to Rolls-Royce, enhancing the brand’s renowned attributes: silence, ‘waftability,’ and the unique ‘magic-carpet ride’ experience. Spectre’s market arrival worldwide confirmed the successful launch of this innovative motor car.
The most requested models in 2024 were Cullinan, Spectre, and Ghost, with Phantom, the flagship model, retaining its status as the ultimate and rarest Rolls-Royce. Phantom will celebrate its centenary in 2025.
In 2024, North America was once again Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ largest sales region, representing around one-third of commissions delivered. North America performance was driven by demand in southern markets, especially Florida. North America saw a significant increase in the average Bespoke value of each commission with several of the most complex commissions ever being delivered in the past year.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars looks forward with confidence to 2025, when the brand will unveil its next electric motor car.
