Rolls-Royce will soon break ground on a significant extension of its factory at Goodwood, West Sussex, that will enable it to offer substantially more personalisation on each car that it builds.
Planning permission was recently granted by Chichester District Council, enabling the firm to progress with what will be the most substantial investment in the factory since it was opened in 2003.
Extending it is high on the priorities list for Chris Brownridge, the former BMW UK boss who took the helm at Rolls-Royce at the end of last year, following the departure of long-standing CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
Speaking to Autocar for the first time since taking the job, Brownridge - who has held several high-ranking positions in the BMW Group since joining in 2005 said that expanding the factory isn't just important from a commercial standpoint but also in terms of nurturing the UK automotive industry.
"We're proud as a British institution. Rolls-Royce has a very relevant voice in the world of luxury but also contributes to UK plc," he said, before highlighting that Goodwood employs 2600 people directly and some 7500 people across the national supply chain, while annually contributing some £500 million to the Treasury.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 15, 2024 من Autocar UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 15, 2024 من Autocar UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models
