Rolls-Royce opens a VIP showroom in New York to meet the needs of its A-list customers. Take a look inside

Rolls-Royce has opened its first “private office” in the United States, a secret VIP design studio for wealthy customers who want extremely personal cars.

The private office, located in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District, is at the heart of the British automaker’s legendary new strategy to boost sales and profits by selling more personalized and expensive vehicles rather than ramping up production. . Rolls-Royce produced 6,032 cars last year, less than half of Rolls-Royce’s production Ferrari, but continues to generate strong profit growth for the parent company BMW.

While Rolls-Royce customers have been personalizing their vehicles for decades, the private office takes the idea of ​​a personalized Rolls to a whole new level. Once some customers order a car from a dealer, they can come to the private office to work with a designer to create a completely customized car – from specific paint colors to the fabric, wood, lighting systems and other favorite items.

“They may want the exterior of their Rolls-Royce to match the color of their dog’s eyes,” said Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce. “They may want to have mother-of-pearl interior panels in the car from their private collection. We can bring this style of requests to life by having direct access to the team. And the possibilities are truly endless. »

The Private Office is reserved for the most complex – and expensive – custom projects. This is not a dealership and there are no cars on display. To access the private office, customers press a black security screen outside an unmarked building and take a secure elevator to the top floor.

With its sleek black kitchen, low-slung sofas, dining table, outdoor terrace and turntable with stacks of classic rock and jazz vinyl records, the private office feels more like a billionaire’s pied-a-terre than a car showroom. The only hint that this is a Rolls-Royce setup is a row of shelves on the back wall displaying samples of paint colours, threads, leathers, metals and a range of famous “Spirit of Ecstasy” hood ornaments in various finishes .

The New York private office is the company’s third in the world, after Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, which opened in 2022, and Shanghai in 2023. The company is to open his fourth place, in Seoul, Korea.

The idea, according to Brownridge, is to bring the knowledge and design expertise of its factory in Goodwood, UK, to customers around the world. This is particularly necessary as customer demands become more unusual and complex.

A Rolls-Royce customer wanted a car inspired by flowers. The Ghost Rolls team created an enlarged wheel with a headband covered in over a million embroidered roses. Another user who loves Hawaii and has a favorite rocking chair made of exotic Koa wood wanted a Koa themed Rolls. Because the Koa forest is protected in Hawaii, only dead or naturally fallen Koa trees can be harvested. Rolls spent three years waiting and finding the right tree, and then built a Koa Phantom, with the wood used for the dashboard, center console and doors. The company even made a picnic basket and desk. Creating the entire package deal took over 500 hours.

“Many of these customers would never sell their car,” Brownridge said. “It’s so personal and it means a lot to them. »

To meet the growing demand for personalized cars, Rolls-Royce is also expanding its specialist workshops in Goodwood. Brownridge said the goal is not to make more cars, but to produce higher value and more personal cars.

“As our commissions have become more sophisticated, our business has become more successful,” Brownridge said. “Our mission is really to create value for our shareholder, to create value for our business partners , but above all, to create value for our customers. Because when you do a great job for them, it means much more than an easy car. I often say that the truth to having four wheels is almost a bonus, because it’s really a work of art.

Brownridge said that when customers pick up their special Rolls-Royces, they not only visit the Goodwood factory, but also get to know paint shop specialists, carpenters, consultants embroidery and other team members.

“Every customer I’ve met, they all say, what makes Rolls Royce special is that they feel like they’re part of a family,” he said. “They’re not customers to us, they’re part of Rolls Royce. A lot of our customers come to Goodwood and they know the people who make their cars. It’s not just the connection It’s personal to the car. It’s the personal connection with the whole team that produces these beautiful things.