Rolls Royce Silver Seraph

Photo: BMW

Munich. Starting in the year 2003, the BMW Group will be taking over full responsibility for Rolls-Royce Cars as planned. The development of an all-new Rolls-Royce saloon, also to be launched in 2003, is already proceeding at full speed. 

"Following the disengagement of Rover Cars and the sale of Land Rover to Ford, we are now consistently continuing the reorientation of the BMW Group", states Chairman of the Board of Management, Professor Dr.-Ing. Joachim Milberg. "Rolls-Royce will convincingly round off our brand portfolio at the top end." 

Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, responsible for the BMW Group's brand and product strategy and also the Managing Director of the Rolls-Royce project, states that the next step is to start planning the new corporate headquarters. "The Chichester region in West Sussex offers everything we need for our project. And after carefully analysing all the details, we have chosen Goodwood as the most suitable location."  

Goodwood will be the home of the new Company employing appr. 350 people in 2003 in development, design, production, marketing, and sales, as well as commercial and office operations. Clearly, the Company will have direct, online access to all the development and production skills and resources of the BMW Group as a whole.

The new Company will be structured and managed in line with the overriding objective to continue the great heritage of the Rolls-Royce marque in its original and authentic style.  

The particular character and ambience of Goodwood will be taken into account through the special architectural design of the building complex. In all, the plant will have an annual capacity of approximately 1,000 cars. Construction work will be conducted promptly as soon as the building permits have been provided. 

Rolls-Royce already has a long heritage at this new location: Sir Henry Royce, one of the original founders of the Company, once lived and worked in nearby West Wittering, less than 10 miles from Goodwood. 

(May 30, 2000)