Rolls-Royce has secured regulatory approval for an application to expand its Goodwood plant in the UK and expects to begin structuring the new additions in the near future.
However, the expansion is not intended to allow Rolls-Royce to accumulate volumes beyond the record 6,032 cars delivered in 2023. Rather, it’s about allowing for even more customisation, new Rolls-Royce boss Chris Brownridge told Autocar in a published interview. Wednesday.
“Our long-term strategy is not to increase volume,” he said. “It’s about creating personalized content for cars, because that’s what makes them a special treat for our customers. “
Brownridge, who took over as CEO of Torsten Müller-Ötvös last year, said the existing plant was built at a time when Rolls-Royce delivered fewer than 1,500 cars a year.
Rolls-Royce Droptail (Amethyst)
In addition to volumes that have quadrupled since then, demand for customization has also exceeded one hundred percent of all orders. In recent years, Rolls-Royce has also started producing one-of-a-kind, ultra-low-volume cars, the latest being the four-car Droptail collection.
According to Brownridge, the expansion of the plant will allow the automaker to overcome some hurdles in the existing production process. An example is the paint shop, which is limited to applying two-tone color combinations in 15% of orders when needs exceed 50% of orders.
Brownridge’s predecessor ran Rolls-Royce for 14 years. However, Brownridge also has a wealth of experience in the industry. He was Managing Director of BMW in the UK and has held positions within the BMW Group for more than 30 years.
Rolls-Royce isn’t the only BMW Group logo to have a new leader. Mini announced on Monday that Stefan Richmann will succeed Stefanie Wurst at the helm of the company as of August 1. Wurst held this position for only two years. In a post on LinkedIn, he said he was about to “embark on a new chapter. “