20 YEARS AT GOODWOOD – THE HOME OF ROLLS-ROYCE
A once-in-a-lifetime chance to acquire Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was presented to BMW Group in 1997. This was not just another commercial transaction. A household name known worldwide, Rolls-Royce has a long heritage dating back to 1904. In almost every sector, brands and products strive to be "the Rolls-Royce of," a byword for excellence.
As soon as BMW Group bought the brand, it had to do something hard: build a new home for Rolls-Royce that was worthy of the brand's history and status. With the promise of investment and high-quality local jobs that would follow, towns and cities from all over Britain put themselves forward to be the chosen site. Soon, it became clear that only one place would work for the brand and the kind of customers it was meant to attract.
PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
Chichester and the surrounding region have a long-standing, personal relationship with Rolls-Royce. Sir Henry Royce, a co-founder of the business, spent the last 16 years of his long, illustrious life at his cherished home, Elmstead, in West Wittering, where he also worked. In the sand on West Wittering Beach, he notably sketched the basic design for his Merlin aero engine, which later powered the fabled Spitfire. This is where he created some of his most enduring works.
That historical connection brought Goodwood, which is located eight miles away, to light. It was already well-known to motorsport enthusiasts worldwide as the location of the Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The racetrack and hotel, which are both at the epicentre of world society and are therefore well-known to Rolls-clients, are also included in the larger Goodwood Estate. It was without a doubt the best decision.
A FITTING HOME
All parties concerned understood that this could not be a typical manufacturing facility. In this scenario, Rolls-Royce would not only "build cars," but would also hand-design and construct the most coveted super-luxury products for a very select group of extremely picky customers from all over the world.
Rolls-Royce hired Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners, award-winning architects whose portfolio included the Eden Project in Cornwall and London's Waterloo International Railway Station, to create the Home of Rolls-Royce. They produced a striking, modern structure that was extremely sustainable and fit in with the surroundings with ease. It also represented the cutting-edge, technologically sophisticated, and painstakingly made goods that would be produced there.
Twenty years later, the only location in the world where Rolls-Royce motor vehicles are still handcrafted is the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Additionally, it serves as the corporate home for a company that now has operations in more than 50 nations. In order to support the highly streamlined, completely integrated manufacturing processes used by Goodwood, the business opened its Technology and Logistics Center in Bognor Regis in 2016.
THE NEW ERA BEGINS
To get back to being "The Best Car in the World," Rolls-Royce had to get a new headquarters and a new flagship model. Ghost was the outcome. At one minute after midnight on January 1, 2003, Rolls-Royce delivered the first Phantom of the Goodwood era to its new owner. The owner still has possession of the vehicle to this day. The company unveiled the Phantom Drophead Coupé and the imposing Phantom Coupé in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The latter was so lauded by customers and the media that it had a significant impact on Rolls-Royce's ethos for the following ten years and beyond.
A LEADING HOUSE OF LUXURY
This time period marked a turning point in the renaissance of a renowned international house of luxury as well as the car business. A new group of cultural icons, artists, and technologists, along with captains of industry, had decided to reward themselves with a Rolls-Royce once again. These people, who are also tastemakers and movers of the world, are now more inspired than ever by a brand that has the goods and capacity to satisfy their need to show personality and individuality in the things they possess. Rolls-Royce has continuously improved and increased its Bespoke capabilities over the past 20 years, offering customers virtually endless options to customise their automobile. The pinnacle of this is Coachbuild, where a select but important group of people can commission not only the exterior colour and interior features of their automobile, but also its physical form.
The purchase of Rolls-Royce by BMW Group and the ensuing construction of a suitable home for the brand were hailed as "the last great adventure in automotive manufacturing" at the time. In October 2022, Rolls-Royce introduced the Spectre, a groundbreaking ultra-luxury electric super coupé, marking the start of another, possibly even more audacious endeavour. By the end of 2030, every new Rolls-Royce vehicle will be entirely electric, ushering in a new era.
THE ROLLS-ROYCE FAMILY
Most significantly, the Rolls-Royce family also calls Goodwood home. With more than 50 different nationalities represented, that family has increased from 350 members in 2003 to 2,500 members today, including 150 new posts established in 2022 alone. This group of professionals also includes sales, marketing, finance, IT, human resources, manufacturing teams, designers, engineers, and other professionals. Together, they represent enormous reserves of knowledge and experience; in 2022, a record number of Service Recognition Awards were given to employees who had served the business for 20 years.
Since 2006, nearly 200 gifted young people have completed the company's top-notch apprenticeship programme; many of them chose to accept permanent positions and went on to occupy supervisory and management positions. Numerous university students have built effective careers with Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group, and other companies by participating in industrial placements there. Additionally, the business still maintains a very effective graduate programme.
FOREVER IMPROVING
As the world's leading example of luxury manufacturing expertise today, Rolls-Royce is a true House of Luxury that creates some of the most valuable, rare, and exquisite items ever created. However, perfection is neither limited nor fixed. There is never a moment where it is entirely accomplished; there is always room for improvement. This ongoing commitment to Sir Henry Royce's maxim, "take the finest that exists and make it better," is what makes the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood such a singular, captivating, and inspiring location to be.
"Goodwood is both the physical and spiritual Home of Rolls-Royce; the only place in the world where we design and handcraft our unique luxury products, with a unique, personal connection to our long history. Far more than just an advanced manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters, it gives visitors an immediate introduction to our brand: beautiful, elegant, and impressive, yet also creative, vibrant, and ever-changing. In its design and construction, it embodies our central values of precision, attention to detail, and pride in this great British institution. It is its own private universe, yet wholly connected to the wider world. We, the Rolls-Royce family, are privileged to call it home."
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars