Goodwood Plant
Encyclopedia
The Goodwood plant serves as the headquarters, design, manufacturing and assembly centre for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
.
Officially opened for business on 1 January 2003, the plant has been expanded twice since, and now covers 22500 square metres (26,909.8 sq yd). It presently employs 800 workers, half of whom are employed in the wood and leather shops. The plant reached a record production figure of 15 cars per day in June 2010.
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 had been built at the Crewe
plant
, but both the plant and the Bentley
brand were owned by 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, was projected to cost up to £200M, resulting in a plant employing circa 350 people capable of making 1,000 cars a year. BMW engaged architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw
, the architect of the Eden Project
in Cornwall
, who penned a £60M building. Designed to fit into its environment, the plant is unable to be viewed from the road, in part thanks to a 3.5 hA
"living roof
" made of sedum
plants, the largest in the UK, where breeding pairs of skylark
s have nested. Other features that help the property blend in with the countryside was the planting of 400,000 trees and shrubs, as well as cedar cladding on the buildings.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
.
Officially opened for business on 1 January 2003, the plant has been expanded twice since, and now covers 22500 square metres (26,909.8 sq yd). It presently employs 800 workers, half of whom are employed in the wood and leather shops. The plant reached a record production figure of 15 cars per day in June 2010.
History
After BMWBMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
bought the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand as applied to motor cars from Vickers plc
Vickers plc
Vickers plc was the remainder of Vickers-Armstrongs after the nationalisation of three of its four operating groups: aviation , shipbuilding and steel...
, it required a new manufacturing plant in which to build the new cars. Rolls Royce cars had until this time had been built at the Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
plant
Bentley Crewe
Bentley Crewe serves as the headquarters, design and manufacturing centre of Bentley Motors Limited, located on the outskirts of Crewe, Cheshire, England.-History:...
, but both the plant and the Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
brand were owned by Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
.
BMW came to an agreement with the Earl of March
Earl of March
The title The Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland , and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border...
to buy a greenfield site on his Goodwood Estate
Goodwood House
Goodwood House is a country house in West Sussex in southern England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Richmond. Several architects have contributed to the design of the house, including James Wyatt. It was the intention to build the house to a unique octagonal layout, but only three of the eight...
, near Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. The original plant, located close to Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...
and Westhampnett
Westhampnett
Westhampnett is a village and civil parish in the district of Chichester in West Sussex, England located north-east of Chichester on the former A27 road, now by-passed.-History:...
village, was projected to cost up to £200M, resulting in a plant employing circa 350 people capable of making 1,000 cars a year. BMW engaged architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw
Nicholas Grimshaw
Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, CBE is a prominent English architect, particularly noted for several modernist buildings, including London's Waterloo International railway station and the Eden Project in Cornwall...
, the architect of the Eden Project
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, who penned a £60M building. Designed to fit into its environment, the plant is unable to be viewed from the road, in part thanks to a 3.5 hA
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
"living roof
Green roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems...
" made of sedum
Sedum
Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. It contains around 400 species of leaf succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have...
plants, the largest in the UK, where breeding pairs of skylark
Skylark
The Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
s have nested. Other features that help the property blend in with the countryside was the planting of 400,000 trees and shrubs, as well as cedar cladding on the buildings.
Models produced
- Rolls-Royce Phantom: 2003–present
- Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead CoupéRolls-Royce Phantom Drophead CoupéThe Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is a British handmade convertible manufactured by Rolls-Royce that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 7 January 2007. The platform is based on the 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom and has styling heavily derived from...
: 2007–present - Rolls-Royce Phantom CoupéRolls-Royce Phantom CoupéThe Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé is a British handmade luxury coupe manufactured by Rolls-Royce that debuted at the 2008 Geneva International Auto Show in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6 March 2008...
: 2008–present - Rolls-Royce Ghost: 2009–present