Rolls-Royce Wants to Focus on Exclusivity and Brand Heritage Over Production Numbers
In recent years, luxury powerhouses like BMW and Mercedes, and even exotic brands like Lamborghini, have grown their lineups to ramp up their annual sales with a broad stream of eager, new customers seeking a ride on the wave of prestige of their badge. However, one of the most illustrious luxury car brands, Rolls-Royce, is bucking the trend.
In a recent interview with American broadcaster ABC, the newly appointed president of Rolls-Royce North America, Jon Colbeth, said that the phenomenon of luxury automakers chasing volumes is a "race to the bottom," that puts their brand's image in jeopardy.
"There are plenty of manufacturers with very expensive cars out there with full showrooms right now," Colbeth said. "We want to invest in the brand, we want to continue investing in the brand, but we want to grow it with bespoke."
In lieu of chasing volume, Rolls sees its Bespoke service as a new driver of its business. By ordering a bespoke car from Rolls-Royce, deep-pocketed clients forgo the showroom in favor of "Private Offices," where they can commission unique vehicles with personalized paint colors, special materials, and other "wishes" to be granted for the right price.
In his words, Colbeth explained that "If somebody is going to buy a new Rolls-Royce, they want to make sure it's their Rolls-Royce. The only way to do that is to personalize it."
Rolls is investing $370 million to expand its plant in Goodwood, England, to aid the program. In a statement released during its announcement in May 2024, CEO Chris Brownridge revealed that the upgrades will help the company with bottlenecks in the current production process. For instance, upgrades to the paint shop will help it apply two-tone color schemes on more cars. Despite this, Rolls and Colbeth have no intention of increasing production numbers or even promoting their cars with celebrity faces. They note that the "brand speaks for itself," and clients don't buy Rolls-Royces "because a celebrity is driving it."
"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."
Although the brand managed to move 5,712 vehicles last year amid the introduction of new models like the Spectre EV and an updated Cullinan SUV, Colbeth maintains that no matter which vehicles they choose, new clients join the Rolls-Royce "family and everything that comes along with it."
"We need to grow the future of Rolls-Royce. We've been around for 120 years ... and we're going to be around for a long time. We're stewards of the brands. Our responsibility is to cherish it."
Personalization and luxury goods go hand-in-hand. Parisian fashion ateliers Louis Vuitton and Goyard offer hand-painted monograms on their items, and shirtmakers from Brooks Brothers to Eton offer their customers the opportunity to add their initials to their white shirts in various fonts and colored threads.
Going back to cars, Rolls-Royce is not alone in making boatloads of money from programs similar to its bespoke program. Ferrari has the Tailor Made and Atelier programs, Porsche has Sunderwunsch ('special wishes'), and even Maserati has an in-house customization program called the "Officine Fuoriserie Maserati," or "Office Out of Series Maserati."
In 2024, Ferrari sold just 13,752 vehicles but grossed around €1.3 billion ($1.35 billion) from personalization last year, accounting for about a fifth of overall revenues at the prancing horse. Taste may be subjective, but the freedom that ultra-luxury automakers let clients customize their vehicles proves there is money to be made.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
VA terminates key union contracts
The Department of Veterans Affairs is terminating collective bargaining agreements with several key government unions representing its employees. In an announcement Wednesday, the VA said the move is in response to an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March that nixed collective bargaining rights for many federal workers in the name of national security. The agency's decision comes after a federal appellate court lifted a lower court ban on the ending of union contracts on Friday, although the Trump administration previously issued guidance that agencies should not terminate any collective bargaining agreements until litigation challenging the order is over. 'Too often, unions that represent VA employees fight against the best interests of Veterans while protecting and rewarding bad workers,' VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. 'We're making sure VA resources and employees are singularly focused on the job we were sent here to do: providing top-notch care and service to those who wore the uniform.' The VA said it notified five major unions that their contracts for 'bargaining-unit employees' were being terminated: the American Federation of Government Employees; the National Association of Government Employees; the National Federation of Federal Employees; the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United; and the Service Employees International Union. Contracts covering the roughly 4,000 VA police officers, firefighters or security guards represented by those unions will remain in place, the agency said. The VA said the move will allow staff to 'spend more time with Veterans,' noting that in 2024, nearly 2,000 union employees 'spent more than 750,000 hours of work on taxpayer-funded union time.' Without those obligations, 'those hours can now be used to serve Veterans instead of union bosses,' the agency said. The move will also open up more physical space for veterans' needs, the VA said. 'More than 187,000 square feet of its office and clinical space is currently being used by union representatives free of charge,' the agency said, adding that it has 'cost VA millions of dollars in lost rent and expenses.' The agency also says labor contracts have restricted managers' ability to hire, promote and reward high performing employees and to hold poor performers accountable. The move was met with outrage by at least two of the top unions representing VA employees. AFGE, which represents 320,000 employees at the agency, said it is assessing its options to challenge Collins' move. 'Secretary Collins' decision to rip up the negotiated union contract for majority of its workforce is another clear example of retaliation against AFGE members for speaking out against the illegal, anti-worker, and anti-veteran policies of this administration,' AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. He noted that Collins' action is 'inconsistent' with Office of Personnel Management guidance instructing agencies to hold off on ending union agreements while the legal challenges played out. Those losing their representation by AFGE and several other unions include nurses, doctors, housekeepers, maintenance, food service workers, lawyers, mental health specialists, cemetery workers and others, according to AFGE. NNU, the largest union of registered nurses in the country, said the VA's announcement to terminate its contract and those of the other unions 'is an attack on those who dedicate their lives in the service of others.' 'We know this administration is hellbent on silencing nurses and other VA workers to steamroll the destruction of the VA,' the nurses' union said in a statement to CNN. 'It is because of VA nurses' ability to speak up about patient safety through our union that our nation's veterans receive the highest level of care.' NNU says it will 'continue to pursue legal action with our fellow unions.' The department's move comes just days after a federal appeals court in California lifted a lower court's preliminary injunction that had blocked several federal agencies from canceling certain union contracts. Trump's expansive executive order applies to more than 1 million federal workers across many agencies, including the departments of State, Defense, Justice and Health and Human Services. The order is aimed at stopping federal unions that have 'declared war on President Trump's agenda,' according to a White House fact sheet. It noted that the largest union – AFGE – has filed many grievances to 'block Trump policies.' 'President Trump refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests,' the fact sheet said. The two largest federal employee unions – AFGE and the National Treasury Employees Union – sued in separate courts, saying Trump was retaliating for their advocacy for their members and for federal services. The unions were initially successful in blocking the order in separate federal district courts, but they each lost on the appellate level. NNU, as well as other unions, joined AFGE in its lawsuit against the executive order.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
VA terminates key union contracts
The Department of Veterans Affairs is terminating collective bargaining agreements with several key government unions representing its employees. In an announcement Wednesday, the VA said the move is in response to an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March that nixed collective bargaining rights for many federal workers in the name of national security. The agency's decision comes after a federal appellate court lifted a lower court ban on the ending of union contracts on Friday, although the Trump administration previously issued guidance that agencies should not terminate any collective bargaining agreements until litigation challenging the order is over. 'Too often, unions that represent VA employees fight against the best interests of Veterans while protecting and rewarding bad workers,' VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. 'We're making sure VA resources and employees are singularly focused on the job we were sent here to do: providing top-notch care and service to those who wore the uniform.' The VA said it notified five major unions that their contracts for 'bargaining-unit employees' were being terminated: the American Federation of Government Employees; the National Association of Government Employees; the National Federation of Federal Employees; the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United; and the Service Employees International Union. Contracts covering the roughly 4,000 VA police officers, firefighters or security guards represented by those unions will remain in place, the agency said. The VA said the move will allow staff to 'spend more time with Veterans,' noting that in 2024, nearly 2,000 union employees 'spent more than 750,000 hours of work on taxpayer-funded union time.' Without those obligations, 'those hours can now be used to serve Veterans instead of union bosses,' the agency said. The move will also open up more physical space for veterans' needs, the VA said. 'More than 187,000 square feet of its office and clinical space is currently being used by union representatives free of charge,' the agency said, adding that it has 'cost VA millions of dollars in lost rent and expenses.' The agency also says labor contracts have restricted managers' ability to hire, promote and reward high performing employees and to hold poor performers accountable. The move was met with outrage by at least two of the top unions representing VA employees. AFGE, which represents 320,000 employees at the agency, said it is assessing its options to challenge Collins' move. 'Secretary Collins' decision to rip up the negotiated union contract for majority of its workforce is another clear example of retaliation against AFGE members for speaking out against the illegal, anti-worker, and anti-veteran policies of this administration,' AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. He noted that Collins' action is 'inconsistent' with Office of Personnel Management guidance instructing agencies to hold off on ending union agreements while the legal challenges played out. Those losing their representation by AFGE and several other unions include nurses, doctors, housekeepers, maintenance, food service workers, lawyers, mental health specialists, cemetery workers and others, according to AFGE. NNU, the largest union of registered nurses in the country, said the VA's announcement to terminate its contract and those of the other unions 'is an attack on those who dedicate their lives in the service of others.' 'We know this administration is hellbent on silencing nurses and other VA workers to steamroll the destruction of the VA,' the nurses' union said in a statement to CNN. 'It is because of VA nurses' ability to speak up about patient safety through our union that our nation's veterans receive the highest level of care.' NNU says it will 'continue to pursue legal action with our fellow unions.' The department's move comes just days after a federal appeals court in California lifted a lower court's preliminary injunction that had blocked several federal agencies from canceling certain union contracts. Trump's expansive executive order applies to more than 1 million federal workers across many agencies, including the departments of State, Defense, Justice and Health and Human Services. The order is aimed at stopping federal unions that have 'declared war on President Trump's agenda,' according to a White House fact sheet. It noted that the largest union – AFGE – has filed many grievances to 'block Trump policies.' 'President Trump refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests,' the fact sheet said. The two largest federal employee unions – AFGE and the National Treasury Employees Union – sued in separate courts, saying Trump was retaliating for their advocacy for their members and for federal services. The unions were initially successful in blocking the order in separate federal district courts, but they each lost on the appellate level. NNU, as well as other unions, joined AFGE in its lawsuit against the executive order.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
VA terminates key union contracts
The Department of Veterans Affairs is terminating collective bargaining agreements with several key government unions representing its employees. In an announcement Wednesday, the VA said the move is in response to an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March that nixed collective bargaining rights for many federal workers in the name of national security. The agency's decision comes after a federal appellate court lifted a lower court ban on the ending of union contracts on Friday, although the Trump administration previously issued guidance that agencies should not terminate any collective bargaining agreements until litigation challenging the order is over. 'Too often, unions that represent VA employees fight against the best interests of Veterans while protecting and rewarding bad workers,' VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement. 'We're making sure VA resources and employees are singularly focused on the job we were sent here to do: providing top-notch care and service to those who wore the uniform.' The VA said it notified five major unions that their contracts for 'bargaining-unit employees' were being terminated: the American Federation of Government Employees; the National Association of Government Employees; the National Federation of Federal Employees; the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United; and the Service Employees International Union. Contracts covering the roughly 4,000 VA police officers, firefighters or security guards represented by those unions will remain in place, the agency said. The VA said the move will allow staff to 'spend more time with Veterans,' noting that in 2024, nearly 2,000 union employees 'spent more than 750,000 hours of work on taxpayer-funded union time.' Without those obligations, 'those hours can now be used to serve Veterans instead of union bosses,' the agency said. The move will also open up more physical space for veterans' needs, the VA said. 'More than 187,000 square feet of its office and clinical space is currently being used by union representatives free of charge,' the agency said, adding that it has 'cost VA millions of dollars in lost rent and expenses.' The agency also says labor contracts have restricted managers' ability to hire, promote and reward high performing employees and to hold poor performers accountable. The move was met with outrage by at least two of the top unions representing VA employees. AFGE, which represents 320,000 employees at the agency, said it is assessing its options to challenge Collins' move. 'Secretary Collins' decision to rip up the negotiated union contract for majority of its workforce is another clear example of retaliation against AFGE members for speaking out against the illegal, anti-worker, and anti-veteran policies of this administration,' AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. He noted that Collins' action is 'inconsistent' with Office of Personnel Management guidance instructing agencies to hold off on ending union agreements while the legal challenges played out. Those losing their representation by AFGE and several other unions include nurses, doctors, housekeepers, maintenance, food service workers, lawyers, mental health specialists, cemetery workers and others, according to AFGE. NNU, the largest union of registered nurses in the country, said the VA's announcement to terminate its contract and those of the other unions 'is an attack on those who dedicate their lives in the service of others.' 'We know this administration is hellbent on silencing nurses and other VA workers to steamroll the destruction of the VA,' the nurses' union said in a statement to CNN. 'It is because of VA nurses' ability to speak up about patient safety through our union that our nation's veterans receive the highest level of care.' NNU says it will 'continue to pursue legal action with our fellow unions.' The department's move comes just days after a federal appeals court in California lifted a lower court's preliminary injunction that had blocked several federal agencies from canceling certain union contracts. Trump's expansive executive order applies to more than 1 million federal workers across many agencies, including the departments of State, Defense, Justice and Health and Human Services. The order is aimed at stopping federal unions that have 'declared war on President Trump's agenda,' according to a White House fact sheet. It noted that the largest union – AFGE – has filed many grievances to 'block Trump policies.' 'President Trump refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests,' the fact sheet said. The two largest federal employee unions – AFGE and the National Treasury Employees Union – sued in separate courts, saying Trump was retaliating for their advocacy for their members and for federal services. The unions were initially successful in blocking the order in separate federal district courts, but they each lost on the appellate level. NNU, as well as other unions, joined AFGE in its lawsuit against the executive order.
