“The perfect wish” – why Rolls-Royce is doubling down on personalised design
13 May, 2025
Clare Dowdy finds out how the iconic car brand taps into the appetite for personalisation among the super-rich, and the incredible range of options these customers can decide on.
At Rolls-Royce’s site in West Sussex, visitors are asked to put on a purple overall-style jacket.
Nothing unusual there, it’s routine at manufacturing facilities to be handed a coat.
But this jacket is made by Norton & Sons of Savile Row.
If you weren’t picked up from the station in a Roller and driven up the drive past the 65 box-cut lime trees to the factory’s front door (as I was), then the jacket might be your first whiff that things are done differently here.
A constellation of the night sky picked out in tiny lights on the headliner (ceiling) of a new car
This factory has cornered the – admittedly niche – market in bespoke one-off motor cars, an object that is becoming increasingly desired by the very wealthy.
From the welcoming reception desk to the pristine production line, from the embroidery workshop to the private dining room, the atmosphere is deferential.
These people know their target audience.
At Rolls-Royce, it’s all about making customers feel special.
For example, staff know customers like to mark important anniversaries.
So a customer can decide to celebrate the day they made their first billion by having the exact constellation of that night sky picked out in tiny lights on the headliner (ceiling) of their new car.
This makes particular sense if you have a chauffeur, as you get a great view of the headliner from the back seat.
That service isn’t on offer to off-the-peg Rolls-Royce customers, but to those who pay the extra to have their car personalised.
The home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, outside Chichester
And though it takes around three years to make an individualised car, demand is going up.
Called Bespoke and Coachbuild, this service provides customers with a one-off Rolls-Royce, as they can choose their own detailing, materials, marquetry, patterns and paint colour.
With Coachbuild, they can even dictate the shape of the car.
That’s a four-year process.
There was a surge in bespoke commissioning during the pandemic, when billionaires, like the rest of us, were twiddling their thumbs at home.
These hand-crafted projects are increasingly complex, high-value and – all-importantly – high-margin.
Meaning they need a lot of design input.
So in January, Rolls-Royce earmarked £300million to extend its Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities at Goodwood, outside Chichester.
“Clients want more intriguing levels of bespoke, so we needed more space,” the RR spokesperson explains on my visit.
Hence the new facility.
Production takes place at the Goodwood site, designed by Grimshaw Architects, and opened in 2003
When RR’s Goodwood site, designed by Grimshaw Architects, opened in 2003, 300 staff made just one car a day.
Now there are 2,500 staff at the site, producing 28 cars a day.
Rolls-Royce was founded in the UK in 1904.
Since 2003 it’s been part of BMW Group, when the German company acquired the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marque.
And that’s where Martina Starke comes in.
Having joined BMW in 2001, she left her role as head of BMW Designworks’ Munich studio to become general manager of RR’s Bespoke Design in Goodwood in 2024.
She oversees more than 30 designers, who collaborate with the engineers, craftspeople and artisans of Bespoke.
These designers have backgrounds in 3D, colour trim, textiles, fashion, automotive and industrial design.
Three designers work in the accessory design team, which can include creating anything from chess sets to picnic hampers
“They not only create products, they create experiences and moments of wonder for our clients,” she says of the team.
“I guide and support them as they look into the lifestyle of our clients to understand and capture their personal taste – so we can curate their beautiful masterpieces with material, colours and craftmanship.”
She describes the work of Bespoke as storytelling.
“My job is to nurture these stories as they come alive.
They ask for something emotional and made for them – it’s a personal product.”
But first the client must settle on the brief.
This is either discussed at Goodwood, or with a designer and salesperson based at one of the company’s private offices in New York, Seoul, Dubai and Shanghai.
The Middle East is the largest Bespoke region by average value per motor car, closely followed by North America and Europe.
The ambition is to have a private office in every region, as having designers based in these key markets allows RR to react fast, Starke adds.
These designers have a four-month induction course at Goodwood before they go into the field.
Customers can choose their own design to have embroidered onto seats
“There’s a conversation with the customer to understand what the idea is,” Starke says.
So apart from headliners depicting the night sky, a customer might ask for a particular rose from their garden embroidered into the headliner, “or the face of your child, or dog, or horse painted in your vehicle so you have the loved ones with you in the car.”
While imagination is limitless, the engineers need to confirm that it’s feasible.
“If it’s possible, we might do several iterations.
In the end we visualise the perfect wish,” Starke says.
The fruits of this process include solid 18-carat gold sculptures, mother-of-pearl artworks, and holographic paint finishes.
One client in Japan is having a cherry blossom design embroidered onto their headliner with 250,000 stitches.
And when it comes to colour options, RR has 44,000 to choose from.
But if the client can’t find the one they want, RR can make it up for them.
This service was invaluable for the client who wanted the car exterior to match the colour of their dog’s fur.
The private office at the Rolls-Royce site in Goodwood
“What they really like is that we bring together the design and the craftmanship,” Starke says.
“When they come to Goodwood and look at the woodwork or leather shop, they can touch, experience and understand it.
When you have this high level of craftmanship it’s a different connection to people.
It connects you to the makers.”
This type of customisation is sought by clients who define luxury as something deeply personal to them, she adds.
Starke’s department includes a three-strong accessory design team.
“We’re not competing with other car brands, we’re competing with other luxury brands,” the spokesperson explains.
Pieces in the accessories range include pens, luggage and dog leads
Accessories designer Nick Abrams shows us a new magnetic chess set, which will sit along other pieces in the accessories range including pens, luggage and dog leads.
This chess set costs €29,000, pre-tax.
But of course, the client could customise it.
All these opportunities for what Starke calls meaningful personal expression tap into a global trend.
“Individualisation is growing because people want the storytelling.
It’s self-expression, encapsulating your taste and philosophy,” she says.
The exterior of Phantom Goldfinger, created to honour the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger
Timandra Harkness is a broadcaster and author of Technology is Not the Problem explains why hyper-personalisation is a trend that’s still growing.
“We live in an age increasingly obsessed with identity: consumers want what they buy to express who they are.”
Now, mass production means most people in advanced economies can afford nice things, so merely wearing tall boots or gold lace isn’t enough, according to Harkness.
“Standing out from the crowd today means buying things that only a few people can have, because they are artisanal, or limited-edition, or personalised.
“Because mass production has put even luxury products within reach of the mass market, personalisation offers a way to stand out from the crowd,” she says.
The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla
What does that mean for the top end of the market?
“Bespoke products have added value: customers will pay a premium to own a commodity that nobody else owns, and that says something about them.”
In 2024, RR’s one-off Arcadia Droptail was reported as costing its anonymous buyer $31million.
100 years ago, merely owning a car was a sign of wealth and status – and probably meant you could afford to employ a driver, Harkness points out.
“Today it’s not even enough to drive a top-of-the-range car, so the wealthiest consumers need other ways to look – and feel – special.
And feeling special is as important as outward signals,” she adds.
“Nobody else will know this car matches your dog’s fur, but you will, and that will remind you every time you see it that nothing is too good for you, or your dog.”
With the expansion of its personalisation capabilities, RR is betting on the continuation of this trend.
If they’re right, then that will be good for the company and good for its designers.
The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger
Design disciplines in this article
Industries in this article
Brands in this article
What to read next
The car after the storm – Jaguar unveils new concept EV
Automotive Design
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Source:
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https://www.designweek.co.uk/the-perfect-wish-why-rolls-royce-is-doubling-down-on-personalised-design/
#the #perfect #wish #why #rollsroyce #doubling #down #personalised #design“The perfect wish” – why Rolls-Royce is doubling down on personalised design
13 May, 2025
Clare Dowdy finds out how the iconic car brand taps into the appetite for personalisation among the super-rich, and the incredible range of options these customers can decide on.
At Rolls-Royce’s site in West Sussex, visitors are asked to put on a purple overall-style jacket.
Nothing unusual there, it’s routine at manufacturing facilities to be handed a coat.
But this jacket is made by Norton & Sons of Savile Row.
If you weren’t picked up from the station in a Roller and driven up the drive past the 65 box-cut lime trees to the factory’s front door (as I was), then the jacket might be your first whiff that things are done differently here.
A constellation of the night sky picked out in tiny lights on the headliner (ceiling) of a new car
This factory has cornered the – admittedly niche – market in bespoke one-off motor cars, an object that is becoming increasingly desired by the very wealthy.
From the welcoming reception desk to the pristine production line, from the embroidery workshop to the private dining room, the atmosphere is deferential.
These people know their target audience.
At Rolls-Royce, it’s all about making customers feel special.
For example, staff know customers like to mark important anniversaries.
So a customer can decide to celebrate the day they made their first billion by having the exact constellation of that night sky picked out in tiny lights on the headliner (ceiling) of their new car.
This makes particular sense if you have a chauffeur, as you get a great view of the headliner from the back seat.
That service isn’t on offer to off-the-peg Rolls-Royce customers, but to those who pay the extra to have their car personalised.
The home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, outside Chichester
And though it takes around three years to make an individualised car, demand is going up.
Called Bespoke and Coachbuild, this service provides customers with a one-off Rolls-Royce, as they can choose their own detailing, materials, marquetry, patterns and paint colour.
With Coachbuild, they can even dictate the shape of the car.
That’s a four-year process.
There was a surge in bespoke commissioning during the pandemic, when billionaires, like the rest of us, were twiddling their thumbs at home.
These hand-crafted projects are increasingly complex, high-value and – all-importantly – high-margin.
Meaning they need a lot of design input.
So in January, Rolls-Royce earmarked £300million to extend its Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities at Goodwood, outside Chichester.
“Clients want more intriguing levels of bespoke, so we needed more space,” the RR spokesperson explains on my visit.
Hence the new facility.
Production takes place at the Goodwood site, designed by Grimshaw Architects, and opened in 2003
When RR’s Goodwood site, designed by Grimshaw Architects, opened in 2003, 300 staff made just one car a day.
Now there are 2,500 staff at the site, producing 28 cars a day.
Rolls-Royce was founded in the UK in 1904.
Since 2003 it’s been part of BMW Group, when the German company acquired the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marque.
And that’s where Martina Starke comes in.
Having joined BMW in 2001, she left her role as head of BMW Designworks’ Munich studio to become general manager of RR’s Bespoke Design in Goodwood in 2024.
She oversees more than 30 designers, who collaborate with the engineers, craftspeople and artisans of Bespoke.
These designers have backgrounds in 3D, colour trim, textiles, fashion, automotive and industrial design.
Three designers work in the accessory design team, which can include creating anything from chess sets to picnic hampers
“They not only create products, they create experiences and moments of wonder for our clients,” she says of the team.
“I guide and support them as they look into the lifestyle of our clients to understand and capture their personal taste – so we can curate their beautiful masterpieces with material, colours and craftmanship.”
She describes the work of Bespoke as storytelling.
“My job is to nurture these stories as they come alive.
They ask for something emotional and made for them – it’s a personal product.”
But first the client must settle on the brief.
This is either discussed at Goodwood, or with a designer and salesperson based at one of the company’s private offices in New York, Seoul, Dubai and Shanghai.
The Middle East is the largest Bespoke region by average value per motor car, closely followed by North America and Europe.
The ambition is to have a private office in every region, as having designers based in these key markets allows RR to react fast, Starke adds.
These designers have a four-month induction course at Goodwood before they go into the field.
Customers can choose their own design to have embroidered onto seats
“There’s a conversation with the customer to understand what the idea is,” Starke says.
So apart from headliners depicting the night sky, a customer might ask for a particular rose from their garden embroidered into the headliner, “or the face of your child, or dog, or horse painted in your vehicle so you have the loved ones with you in the car.”
While imagination is limitless, the engineers need to confirm that it’s feasible.
“If it’s possible, we might do several iterations.
In the end we visualise the perfect wish,” Starke says.
The fruits of this process include solid 18-carat gold sculptures, mother-of-pearl artworks, and holographic paint finishes.
One client in Japan is having a cherry blossom design embroidered onto their headliner with 250,000 stitches.
And when it comes to colour options, RR has 44,000 to choose from.
But if the client can’t find the one they want, RR can make it up for them.
This service was invaluable for the client who wanted the car exterior to match the colour of their dog’s fur.
The private office at the Rolls-Royce site in Goodwood
“What they really like is that we bring together the design and the craftmanship,” Starke says.
“When they come to Goodwood and look at the woodwork or leather shop, they can touch, experience and understand it.
When you have this high level of craftmanship it’s a different connection to people.
It connects you to the makers.”
This type of customisation is sought by clients who define luxury as something deeply personal to them, she adds.
Starke’s department includes a three-strong accessory design team.
“We’re not competing with other car brands, we’re competing with other luxury brands,” the spokesperson explains.
Pieces in the accessories range include pens, luggage and dog leads
Accessories designer Nick Abrams shows us a new magnetic chess set, which will sit along other pieces in the accessories range including pens, luggage and dog leads.
This chess set costs €29,000, pre-tax.
But of course, the client could customise it.
All these opportunities for what Starke calls meaningful personal expression tap into a global trend.
“Individualisation is growing because people want the storytelling.
It’s self-expression, encapsulating your taste and philosophy,” she says.
The exterior of Phantom Goldfinger, created to honour the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger
Timandra Harkness is a broadcaster and author of Technology is Not the Problem explains why hyper-personalisation is a trend that’s still growing.
“We live in an age increasingly obsessed with identity: consumers want what they buy to express who they are.”
Now, mass production means most people in advanced economies can afford nice things, so merely wearing tall boots or gold lace isn’t enough, according to Harkness.
“Standing out from the crowd today means buying things that only a few people can have, because they are artisanal, or limited-edition, or personalised.
“Because mass production has put even luxury products within reach of the mass market, personalisation offers a way to stand out from the crowd,” she says.
The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla
What does that mean for the top end of the market?
“Bespoke products have added value: customers will pay a premium to own a commodity that nobody else owns, and that says something about them.”
In 2024, RR’s one-off Arcadia Droptail was reported as costing its anonymous buyer $31million.
100 years ago, merely owning a car was a sign of wealth and status – and probably meant you could afford to employ a driver, Harkness points out.
“Today it’s not even enough to drive a top-of-the-range car, so the wealthiest consumers need other ways to look – and feel – special.
And feeling special is as important as outward signals,” she adds.
“Nobody else will know this car matches your dog’s fur, but you will, and that will remind you every time you see it that nothing is too good for you, or your dog.”
With the expansion of its personalisation capabilities, RR is betting on the continuation of this trend.
If they’re right, then that will be good for the company and good for its designers.
The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger
Design disciplines in this article
Industries in this article
Brands in this article
What to read next
The car after the storm – Jaguar unveils new concept EV
Automotive Design
3 Dec, 2024
Source:
https://www.designweek.co.uk/the-perfect-wish-why-rolls-royce-is-doubling-down-on-personalised-design/
#the #perfect #wish #why #rollsroyce #doubling #down #personalised #design
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