Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce to expand Goodwood factory with £300m investment

Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce has unveiled plans to spend £300 million on the expansion of its West Sussex factory and global headquarters following a record year of sales for its bespoke models.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said it wanted to create more space at its Goodwood site to meet growing demand for some its most expensive models around the world.

The British carmaker, which is owned by BMW Group, revealed that it sold 5,712 cars in 2024, down from a record 6,032 in 2023.

The company said it was enjoying stronger demand for its bespoke models, which are tailored to individual clients and require specialist designers and engineers to create.

One-of-a-kind variations include a model inspired by the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, with a yellow and black exterior and gold-plated features, and another which features LED lights and an embroidered moon on the vehicle’s roof to emulate the night sky.

Rolls-Royce has developed a network of “private offices” around the world to cater for wealthy clients, including in New York, Seoul, Dubai and Shanghai.

Customers in the Middle East bought the most high-value bespoke cars last year, while North America was the largest region in terms of the total volume of sales.

It said Malaysia, Thailand and the Netherlands were some of its fastest-growing markets.

Rolls-Royce did not reveal how many jobs might be created as part of the Goodwood expansion, but it is expected to deliver a boost to the local economy.

The carmaker is also hoping to prepare the factory for the brand’s transition to being fully battery-electric.

More than 2,500 staff are currently employed at Goodwood, including engineers and designers, as well as members of its head office.

The £300 million is the largest investment in the plant since it opened in 2003, which has grown from producing one car a day to up to 28 cars a day currently.

Meanwhile, Vauxhall and Citroen owner Stellantis said it will be shutting its van-making factory in Luton in April, putting more than 1,100 jobs at risk.

The closure forms part of the group’s proposal to consolidate its UK manufacturing of vans to create an all-electric hub at its Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire.

The announcement came shortly after Ford said it will cut about 800 roles across the UK over the next three years amid pressure from “lower-than-expected demand” for its electric cars.