Rolls-Royce to Build Cars with 18-Carat Gold Sculptures for Super Rich

amsterdam - Rolls-Royce, the luxury car manufacturer, is investing £300 million (€360 million) in expanding its factory in Goodwood to cater to super-rich customers by offering customized cars with unique features like 18-carat gold sculptures.

Rolls-Royce announced on Wednesday that, similar to other luxury car manufacturers, it is experiencing a growing demand from wealthy consumers for personalized cars. These cars are attractive to luxury manufacturers as they come with high profit margins.

The factory expansion in Goodwood aims to address potential future trade tariffs in the United States and Asia. By producing cars for a clientele immune to high trade tariffs, Rolls-Royce seeks to stay competitive. Even the cheapest model produced by Rolls-Royce, the Ghost, costs around €300,000 in the UK.

The expanded Goodwood factory will cater to affluent customers who have the opportunity to design a 'completely bespoke car' by invitation. This includes exquisite details crafted by artisans, such as solid 18-carat gold sculptures, embroidery comprising over 869,500 stitches, veneer wood with five hundred individually shaped pieces, and holographic paint finishes.

This investment is Rolls-Royce's largest since the factory opened in 2003 with 300 employees producing one car per day. Currently, Goodwood employs 2,500 people and produces 28 cars daily.

Rolls-Royce also stated that it sold 5,712 cars worldwide in 2024, a slight decrease of over 5% compared to the 6,032 cars sold in 2023, in line with expectations as the company transitions to new models.