Timing is everything. On the day Rolls-Royce revealed expansion plans for its Goodwood site in England, former stablemate Bentley has hinted it might have to do the same.
The reason is exactly the same for both U.K.-based firms: the success of their current model ranges.
Speaking at the Tokyo Motor Show, Stuart McCullough, member of the Bentley board for sales and marketing, said: "In four years our volume has grown from 1000 to 10,000 cars. The current volume is closer to where we want it to be, but we may have to change the way we produce cars. At Crewe [Bentley's U.K. factory] we currently work a two-shift system, so as an example we could go to a three-shift system. But we won't make those changes until we are certain the volumes are safe. We're reluctant to push too many cars into the market place, and the worst thing we could do to our customers is cheapen the product they drive."
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced that it will add a second assembly line in 2008. The two will run simultaneously, one producing the existing Phantom models and the other building the new model series. A second working shift will be introduced in 2009.
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