Rolls-Royce New York private office showroom caters to top clients | Real Time Headlines

Rolls-Royce has opened its first “Private Office” in the United States, a secret VIP design studio for ultra-wealthy clients who want highly personalized cars.

The private offices in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District are at the center of the storied British automaker’s new strategy to boost sales by selling more customized, pricier cars rather than ramping up production. and profit. Rolls-Royce produced 6,032 cars last year, less than half of last year’s production ferrari, But it continues to bring strong profit growth to its parent company BMW.

While Rolls-Royce customers have been customizing their cars for decades, Private Offices takes the concept of personalized Rolls-Royce to a whole new level. Once select customers order a car from a dealership, they can head to a private office to work with a designer to create a completely personalized vehicle—from special paint colors to their favorite fabrics, woods, lighting schemes and other materials.

“They may want the look of the Rolls-Royce to match the color of the dog’s eyes,” said Chris Brownridge, chief executive of Rolls-Royce. “They may wish to have interior panels with mother-of-pearl from a private collection installed in the car. We can fulfill these requests by liaising directly with the team. And the possibilities are truly endless.”

Rolls-Royce calls its top level of personalization its Bespoke program. Building a customized Rolls-Royce can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the sticker price, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom has a sticker price of just under $500,000, bringing the total price of some cars to over $1 million.

Private offices are reserved for the most complex and expensive custom projects. This is not a dealership and does not display any actual cars. To enter the private offices, clients press a black security screen outside an unmarked building and then take a secure elevator to the top floor.

With a sleek black kitchen, low sofa, dining table, outdoor patio and turntable with stacks of classic rock and jazz vinyl records, the private office looks more like a billionaire’s residence than a car showroom. The only hint that this is a Rolls-Royce factory is a row of shelves along the back wall displaying samples of paint colours, threads, leathers, metals, and a row of the famous ‘Ecstasy’ bonnet ornaments Products, finishes vary.

The New York private office is the company’s third worldwide, following openings in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2022 and Shanghai, 2023.

Brownridge said the idea was to bring the expertise and design capabilities of its Goodwood, UK, factory to customers around the world. This is especially important as customer requirements become more unusual and complex.

A Rolls-Royce customer wanted a car inspired by flowers. The Rolls-Royce team created a Phantom with an extended wheelbase and a headliner embroidered with more than 1 million roses. Another client who loved Hawaii and owned a rocking chair made of rare koa wood wanted a koa-themed Rolls-Royce. Because koa trees are protected in Hawaii, only dead or naturally fallen koa trees can be harvested. Rolls spent three years waiting and searching for the right tree before building a Koa Phantom using the wood for the dashboard, center console and doors. The company even makes matching picnic baskets and tables. The entire package took over 500 hours to create.

“Many of these customers will never sell their cars,” Brownridge said. “It’s very personal and it means a lot to them.”

To meet the growing demand for customized cars, Rolls-Royce has also expanded its Goodwood customization workshop. Brownridge said that our goal is not to produce more cars, but to produce higher value and more customized cars.

“As our commissions have become more complex, our business has become more successful,” Brownridge said. “Our mission is really to create value for our shareholders, to create value for our retail partners, but most importantly, to create value for our customers. Because when you produce a masterpiece for them, it means It’s not just a car.

Brownridge said that when customers build their special Rolls-Royce, they not only visit the factory at Goodwood but also meet the paint shop experts, carpenters, embroidery experts and other members of the team.

“Every customer I meet says what’s special about a Rolls-Royce is that they feel like they’re part of a family,” he said. “They are not our customers, they are part of Rolls-Royce. Many of our customers will come to Goodwood and they will know the people who make the cars. It’s not just a personal connection with the cars. It’s with the people who create them. Great work and personal contact from the whole team.