Building a Rolls-Royce Phantom is a unique process, which combines pioneering technology with exceptional hand-built craftsmanship.
Frederick Henry Royce was born near Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire, England on 27th March 1863.
His interest in engineering was sparked at 14 years of age, when he started an apprenticeship at the nearby Great Northern Railway Works, but by 19 he had already started his own manufacturing company, with friend Ernest Claremont.
The business was successful, and by 1903 Royce could afford to buy his first car; a second-hand French Decauville. Though typical of the cars of the day, Royce was dissatisfied with the standards of construction and workmanship, and began building his own car, using the Decauville as the starting point.
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He went on to build three cars in total, Claremont and another friend, Henry Edmunds using the others. Edmunds was extremely pleased with his car, and told his friend, Claude Johnson, all about it. News eventually filtered through to Johnson's boss, Charles Rolls, and a meeting was arranged for Rolls and Royce to meet at the Midland Hotel, Manchester. The pair agreed on a deal: Rolls gaining the exclusive rights to sell all the cars Royce could produce.
Goodwood is the modern home of Rolls-Royce. Built on a Greenfield site, close to the famous Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit, and nestled into the beautiful Sussex Downs, it's a fittingly inspirational location in which to build exceptional cars.
Designed by world-leading architects, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, the manufacturing plant and head office are built low, to minimise the impact on the surrounding countryside. Natural materials have also been used extensively in the building's construction. The roof, for example, is covered in countless thousands of sedum plants, which change colour with the seasons. The largest single-span 'living roof' in Europe, it renders the buildings almost invisible from the air, and provides a natural habitat for insects and rare breeds of bird.
The outside is clad in cedar louvers, which serve two functions: softening the exterior aspect and, by adjusting automatically to ambient light levels, shield workers inside from the glare of the sun. |
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