Each Rolls-Royce motor car is built by hand at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and headquarters in Goodwood, England. Designed by Grimshaw Architects and merging effortlessly into the beautiful West Sussex countryside, the award-winning building was created with minimal visual impact on the surrounding environment.
On the day it acquired the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars brand, BMW Group said it intended to build a plant in England. From a shortlist of possible sites, Goodwood in West Sussex in the south east of England emerged as the natural choice.
Tucked away in a corner of the Goodwood Estate, it is a quintessentially English setting. Perfectly in tune with our brand values and customer expectations. Despite it being an entirely new location for Rolls-Royce manufacturing, Goodwood has a strong historical connection to the brand. Sir Henry Royce, one of the company’s founders, lived less than 10 miles away in the charming village of West Wittering from 1917 until his death in 1933.
Starting with a blank sheet of paper, the project was approached in light of one of Sir Henry Royce’s famous quotes: “Strive for perfection in everything you do.” Not only did the facility have to be an extension of the brand, we also wanted to have minimal visual impact on the surrounding environment. So we brought in renowned British architectual firm Grimshaws, whose portfolio includes the Eden Project in Cornwall, the International Terminal at London’s Waterloo Station and the National Space Centre in Leicester.
Built over four and a half years, the award-winning manufacturing facility opened its doors on 1 January 2003. Designed on a 20 x 20 metre grid with steel columns supporting roof lights, the main building is set two metres below the surrounding ground level, to blend into the landscape.
The floor-to-ceiling windows run the length of the Assembly Hall, providing essential natural light for our craftspeople and – for visitors who come to Goodwood – a front-row view of the entire production line.
But, much like the design of a Rolls-Royce motor car, there’s more to our Goodwood home than first meets the eye. The eight-acre curved living roof – one of the largest in the UK – is home to hardy sedum plants. The green coverage improves the building’s insulation and reduces rainwater runoff, while also acting as an effective camouflage.
After being fully operational for nine years, we extended the Assembly Hall in 2012. By adding an extra 2,500 square metres, we were able to add new space to the Surface Finishing Centre and also to our Bespoke service.
Goodwood's exterior is clad with a mix of limestone and cedar wood. And the timber louvre panels control how much light enters the building and reduce our demand for electricity.
The large central lake attracts numerous wild birds, and also guards against flooding by storing excess water. Across the 42-acre site, we’ve established over 400,000 plants and trees of more than 120 species. We also compost all our green waste.
Each Rolls-Royce motor car is built by hand at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and headquarters in Goodwood, England.
Welcome to the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, where greatness goes beyond aesthetics.
