Goodwood plant

Last updated

Goodwood plant
Dull weather at Rolls-Royce plant, Goodwood. - Flickr - Supermac1961.jpg
Goodwood plant
General information
Location Westhampnett near Chichester, West Sussex, England
Coordinates 50°51′13″N00°44′40″W / 50.85361°N 0.74444°W / 50.85361; -0.74444
Opened1 January 2003
Technical details
Structural systemSteel frame
Design and construction
Architect(s) Sir Nicholas Grimshaw

The Goodwood plant is the headquarters, design, manufacturing and assembly centre for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Contents

Officially opened on 1 January 2003, the plant is situated on a site covering 42 acres (17 ha). The plant has been expanded since. Over 1,700 workers are currently employed at Goodwood. As of 2017, the plant produced approximately 20 cars a day. [1] [ needs update ]

History

After BMW bought the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand as applied to motor cars from Vickers plc, it required a new manufacturing plant in which to build the new cars. Rolls-Royce cars had until this time been built at the Crewe plant, but both the plant and the Bentley brand had been sold to the Volkswagen Group.

BMW came to an agreement with the Earl of March to buy a greenfield site on his Goodwood Estate, near Chichester, West Sussex. The original plant, located close to Goodwood Circuit and Westhampnett village, cost £65 million. BMW engaged architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, the architect of the Eden Project in Cornwall. Designed to fit into its environment, the plant cannot be viewed from the road, in part due to a 3.5  ha "living roof" planted with sedum plants, the largest such roof in the UK. [2] Other features help the 42-acre site blend in with the surrounding countryside, such as the planting of 400,000 plants and over 120 species of trees, as well as limestone and cedar cladding on the buildings. [3] The plant is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which may make further expansion difficult. [4]

Technology and Logistics Centre

Rolls-Royce opened its new Technology and Logistics Centre (TLC) in January 2016. The 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft) facility is located in Bognor Regis, eight miles from the Goodwood plant. The TLC provides logistics support to the manufacturing plant for current and future models, and consolidates three operations: an inbound warehouse for production parts, a distribution centre – including an inbound body store and finished car store – and a workshop. The TLC will be extended in late-2017 by almost 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft) to meet growing demand and in readiness for future models, such as the Cullinan. The expansion will give the TLC the same overall footprint as the Goodwood plant. [1] [ needs update ]

Models produced

Former models produced

Related Research Articles

Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Bentley has been a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1998 and consolidated under VW's premium brand arm Audi since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Phantom VII</span> Ultra-luxury flagship automobile in its seventh generation

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a full-sized luxury saloon car made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Launched in 2003, it was the first Rolls-Royce developed and introduced after BMW purchased the right to use the Rolls-Royce name and logo in 1998. It was the seventh Rolls-Royce design to use the Phantom nameplate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce 100EX</span> Motor vehicle

The Rolls-Royce 100 EX and the 101 EX, with 'EX' standing for experimental models, are two related concept cars developed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and first shown at the Geneva International Auto Show in 2004 and 2006 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Phantom</span> Ultra-luxury flagship automobiles

Rolls-Royce has used the Phantom name on full-sized luxury cars over the past century, and is the second, longest-used automobile nameplate in the world after the Chevrolet Suburban. The Phantom is a low volume, hand-built limousine, which in earlier generations was custom built to the customers desires, and sometimes extravagant whims. As automobile manufacturing became more prolific, and vehicles from other manufacturers could be built in greater numbers and at reduced prices, the Phantom remained hand-built and production of individual models only began once the order was placed. The use of the name "phantom" is a long tradition of naming models after "ghosts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Corniche</span> Motor vehicle

The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a two-door, front-engine, rear wheel drive luxury car produced by Rolls-Royce Motors as a hardtop coupé and as a convertible.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce-branded motor cars. The company's administrative and production headquarters are located on the 42-acre (17 ha) Goodwood Estate in Goodwood, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Motors</span> Former British car company (1973–1998)

Rolls-Royce Motors was a British luxury car manufacturer, created in 1973 during the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce automotive business from the nationalised Rolls-Royce Limited. It produced luxury cars under the Rolls-Royce and Bentley brands. Vickers acquired the company in 1980 and sold it to Volkswagen in 1998. Bentley Motors is the company's direct successor; however, BMW acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce trademark for use on automobiles and launched a new Rolls-Royce company shortly afterwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé</span> Motor vehicle

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is a luxury grand tourer manufactured by Rolls-Royce that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 7 January 2007. It is based on the 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom and has styling heavily derived from the 100EX, a concept car shown to celebrate the company's centennial in 2004. Several Drophead Coupés were used in the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW in the United States</span>

BMW cars have been officially sold in the United States since 1956 and manufactured in the United States since 1994. The first BMW dealership in the United States opened in 1975. In 2016, BMW was the twelfth highest selling brand in the United States. The North American headquarters for BMW is located at 300 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodcliff Lake, Bergen County, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Ghost</span> Motor vehicle

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a full-sized luxury car manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The "Ghost" nameplate, named in honour of the Silver Ghost, a car first produced in 1906, was announced in April 2009 at the Auto Shanghai show. The production model was officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Ghost Extended Wheelbase was introduced in 2011. During development, the Ghost was known as the "RR04". It was designed as a smaller, "more measured, more realistic car" than the Phantom, aiming for a lower price category for Rolls-Royce models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMW N74</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The BMW N74 is a twin-turbo V12 petrol engine which replaced the N73 and has been produced since 2008. It is BMW's first turbocharged V12 engine and is also used in several Rolls-Royce models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant Oxford</span> Auto plant in Cowley, England

Plant Oxford located in Cowley, southeast Oxford, England, is a BMW car assembly facility where Mini cars are built. The plant forms the Mini production triangle along with Plant Hams Hall where engines are manufactured and Plant Swindon where body pressings and sub-assemblies are built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bentley Crewe</span> Bentley Motor company office and factory

Bentley Crewe, also named the Pyms Lane site after the street it is located on; is the headquarters and design and manufacturing centre of Bentley Motors Limited on the outskirts of Crewe, Cheshire, England. The site covers an area of 521,111 m2 (5,609,190 sq ft), of which 166,930 m2 (1,796,800 sq ft) is indoors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013)</span> British luxury car model

The Rolls-Royce Wraith is a full-size ultra-luxury car/grand tourer manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and based on the chassis of the Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan which is also shared with the Rolls-Royce Dawn convertible. The Wraith shares its nameplate with the 1938 model by the original Rolls-Royce company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Dawn</span> Luxury convertible car

The Rolls-Royce Dawn is a convertible luxury grand tourer manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It was announced at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Cullinan</span> Motor vehicle

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is a full-sized luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as the brand's first all-wheel drive vehicle. It is named after the Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII</span> Ultra-luxury flagship automobile in its eighth generation

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a full-sized luxury saloon manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It is the eighth and current generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, debuting in 2017, and the second launched by Rolls-Royce under BMW ownership. It is offered in two wheelbase lengths. This is the current flagship model made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls-Royce Boat Tail</span> 2021 car model

The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is a mid-sized luxury coach built grand tourer car made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It is the world's most expensive street legal new car, with a speculated price of US$28 million.

The Rolls-Royce Architecture of Luxury (A.O.L) platform is a car platform developed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

References

  1. 1 2 "Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Press Kit". Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  2. "Rolls-Royce factory goes green". The Daily Telegraph . 3 September 2001.
  3. Raynal, Wes (18 April 2011). "Like a Good Neighbor". AutoWeek . 61 (8): 20.
  4. Jimi Beckwith (26 July 2017). "Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV on course to rival Bentayga in 2018". Autocar. Retrieved 27 October 2017.