The History of Rolls-Royce

The turn of the 20th century marked the beginning of an extraordinary partnership between two of the most innovative minds of the moment. Henry Royce, a successful engineer and Charles Rolls, owner of one of the UK’s first motor car dealerships, agreed to sell motor cars under the name Rolls-Royce.

At that moment, a new company was born: Rolls-Royce.

In 1907, the Silver Ghost was declared ‘The Best Car in the World’ after its record breaking success. Travelling from London to Glasgow 27 times – covering 14,371 consecutive miles – the iconic motor car broke the world record for a non-stop motor run while demonstrating unrivalled reliability and comfort.

In the 1930s, Rolls-Royce broke world records on land and sea. And automation saw the arrival of Phantom III – the first ever Rolls-Royce to be built with a V12 engine.

The 1940s saw new developments in craftsmanship and design. Until 1959, each Silver Wraith had an individual, coach-built body.

The 1950s marked the start of a long-standing relationship between Rolls-Royce and the royal family.

By the time the Swinging Sixties began, Rolls-Royce had begun to appeal to a new breed of owner. Actors, rock stars and celebrities chose the marque as a symbol of their success.

The 1970s was a challenging decade for Rolls-Royce but, following re-launch as two separate companies, the decade saw the arrival of two exciting new motor cars.

By 1980, British defence company Vickers had bought Rolls-Royce Motors Limited, producing Rolls-Royce alongside Bentley motor cars. The new Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1985.

The 1990s marked a new chapter in the marque’s history when the BMW Group bought the rights to produce Rolls-Royce motor cars. With the change came a brand new manufacturing facility: the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. It was here that an exciting new chapter would begin.

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 the heart of the South Downs National Park in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Goodwood 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 impact on the environment. So we brought in renowned British architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, 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. We like to call it ‘the glass mile’.

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 – 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, which has more than doubled in size since 2003.