Rolls Royce Spends Hundreds Of Millions To Expand Factory Without Building More Cars

Luxury carmakers aren’t all chasing bigger numbers, and in an era where volume often seems to rule, that’s worth a closer look. Brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini have been steadily ramping up their annual sales, tapping into new markets and broader audiences. But over at Rolls-Royce, things are moving in a very different direction.

Read: What’s Luxury Without Some Daisies On Your Roller SUV?

According to the brand’s new North American president Jon Colbeth, chasing volumes is a “race to the bottom,” and instead, the automaker is more interested in growing its Bespoke division, where customers can commission true one-of-one configurations.

In 2024, Rolls-Royce sold 5,712 vehicles. While this was the third-highest figure in its history, only trailing 2022 and 2023, it didn’t represent a huge leap over the 5,063 cars it delivered last year. This comes despite the brand now having the all-electric Spectre and the Cullinan SUV, two vehicles that would likely sell in higher numbers if it was willing to boost production, in its range.

However, Rolls isn’t interested in doing so as evidenced by the fact that it’s investing hundreds of millions to expand its UK plant despite having no intention of increasing production.

“We don’t want to be the car for everybody,” Colbeth told ABC. “It’s not what we’re about. We’re investing $370 million in our [U.K.] plant extension without making more vehicles. What brand does that? Our focus is adding bespoke capacity and allowing each commission to be more special for clients.”

Exclusivity as a Business Model

“Our customers like the fact that we’re not going to start chasing volume,” he added. “That’s not our business model. Once the company starts going after 10,000 cars, then it’s 15,000 cars. Then what happens is you expand the plant, now you have to fill it. You have to keep that plant moving. It’s a race to the bottom.”

According to Colbeth, Rolls-Royce wants to grow the brand through Bespoke. He says that there has been “a big push toward individuality and bespoke over the last few years,” thanks in part to the launch of the Rolls-Royce Private Office.

Evidently, if Rolls-Royce can get its shoppers to pay more for their vehicles by optioning expensive extras, or paying for one-off features, it sees no need to build more cars in order to make more money. That’s good news for Rolls-Royce’s clientele who value their exclusivity – plus, in theory, it should help keep depreciation as low as possible as there won’t be that many on the used car market.

The Rolls-Royce CEO touched on a few more topics during the interview, including the brand’s approach to design and technology. One area where Rolls is holding the line is branding, or rather, not overdoing it. Unlike Mercedes-Maybach, which has leaned into showcasing its logo across vehicles and accessories, Rolls is sticking with a more restrained look.

“Whether it’s our vehicles or it’s our accessories, it’s more understated,” he said. “If you look at any of the products we’re coming out with, you’re not going to see the Rolls-Royce logo plastered over everything.”

No Giant Screens Here, Thanks

Rolls-Royce is also resisting the industry trend of loading up dashboards with oversized digital screens. Instead, it’s staying loyal to physical controls and tactile feedback.

“Our clients love being able to touch the knobs and interact with them,” he told ABC News. “They love when the vents get humidity on them from the AC.” While the brand continues to refine the technology under the surface, it isn’t chasing a hyper-futuristic cabin experience. “Once you become too futuristic and this trend with big screens—it takes away from the client experience a little bit. I would doubt we would see that trend anytime soon,” he told ABC.

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