Rolls-Royce has new home

BMW has announced it will build a new Rolls-Royce car factory at Goodwood, creating 350 new jobs. The German firm takes over the prestigious British name from Volkswagen in 2003, coinciding with its launch of an all-new Rolls-Royce model. It is expected that the Sussex factory will aim for an annual production of 1000 cars.

BMW’s Karl-Heinz Kalb fell, said: “The Chichester region offers us everything we need for our project.After carefully analysing all the details, we have chosen Goodwood as the most suitable location.”

Workers at Rolls-Royce’s current factory in Crewe should not be affected, for it is owned by Volkswagen which retains the Bentley name. VW apparently has plans to increase production there, over the next five years, to 9000 Bentleys annually. DM