Rolls-Royce plans to expand the plant, but will not build more cars

Rolls・Royce has received regulatory approval to apply for the expansion of its Goodwood plant in the UK and plans to start construction of new additions to the site soon.

However, this expansion is not intended to exceed Rolls・Royce's record 2023 delivery of 6,032 units. Instead, it's to allow for even more personalization, Rolls-Royce's new chief, Chris Brownridge, told Autocar in an interview published Wednesday.

"Our strategy is not to increase the volume," he said. Because it will be a special experience for our clients."

Brownridge, who took over the lead role from longtime chief Torsten Müller-Ötvös at the end of last year, said the current plant was built when Rolls-Royce was delivering less than 1,500 vehicles a year.

Since then, in addition to the volume growing 4 times, the demand for personalization has also grown to reach 100% of all orders. Rolls-Royce has also started production of one-off ultra-low-capacity cars in recent years, the latest being the Droptail collection of four.

According to Brownridge, plant expansion will allow automakers to overcome certain bottlenecks in the current production process. An example is a paint shop that is limited to applying a two-tone scheme to 50% of orders when demand is more than 15% of orders.

Brownridge's predecessor led Rolls・Royce for 14 years. But Brownridge also has a lot of experience in the industry. He previously worked for BMW in the UK and has worked in various positions in the BMW Group for the past 30 years.

Rolls-Royce is not the only BMW group brand with a new chief. Mini has announced that Stefan Richman will become Chief executive from Stephanie Wurst. 1. Würst retained his position for only 2 years. In a LinkedIn post, she said she is "about to embark on a new chapter."”