Rolls-Royce is investing £300m+ so it can build more bespoke cars

Rolls-Royce has announced a £300m+ investment into its Goodwood facility so it can build more bespoke machinery, following a record year of sales for its personalisation department.

That investment – the single biggest hit of funds since Rolls-Royce opened for business in Goodwood back in 2003 – will also help the storied British carmaker ready itself for an all-electric, battery-powered future. Indeed, we'll see Rolls-Royce's next fully electric car - that follows the Spectre - at some point in 2025. 

The money means Rolls-Royce’s future in the UK has been ‘secured’.

So, thanks to a legion of clientele requesting a million stitches and teak panelling and 3D-printed gold-plated inlays and personalised watch movement schematics and embroidered falcons and space-grade aluminium in their exclusive machines, RR has had to upskill.

So much so, it leads us into a potentially fun fact: when Rolls opened for business in Goodwood back in 2003, it employed around 300 people and built just one car each day. Now, more than 2,500 people work together to craft up to 28 Rolls-Royces every single day. And yes, TopGear.com will be reconsulting it’s definition of ‘fun’.

“2024’s record Bespoke results demonstrate our clients are increasingly drawn to the marque to create ever more ambitious and valuable motor cars, thereby enjoying the exceptional and highly personalised experience that Rolls-Royce ownership unlocks,” said RR chief exec Chris Brownbridge.

RR said the biggest region ‘by average value per motor car’ for bespoke was the Middle East, followed by North America and then Europe. And last year, the ‘most requested Rolls-Royce models’ – brilliant RR speak for ‘best-selling’, because ‘best-selling’ isn’t parlance becoming of Rolls-Royce – were the Cullinan (surprise), Spectre, and the Ghost.

The Phantom – the car that launched this new era of RR and one that celebrates its centenary in 2025 – “retained its status as the ultimate and rarest Rolls-Royce”. So, a Top Gear Top Tip: want to stand proud against the rest? Get a Bespoke, fully-decked out Phantom.

Consider the company’s clients drew their bespoke inspiration from “spectacular natural phenomena”, to RR heritage, to “cherished personal milestones” and even classic movies, and tell us below: how would you deck out a Bespoke Rolls-Royce?