Rolls-Royce Phantom, Wraith, Ghost, Dawn and Cullinan in FULL production mode

Production with the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Wraith, Ghost, Dawn and Cullinan is in full swing at the Roll-Royce plant at Goodwood.

How, you might ask, are Rolls-Royce managing record production levels with Phantom, Wraith, Ghost, Dawn and Cullinan when the UK is in lockdown and just about every other car maker is building nothing other than Coronavirus-related stuff for the national effort? Well, there is a reason.

The Phantom, Wraith, Ghost, Dawn and Cullinan – and Spirit of Ecstasy – may be iconic RR ‘brands’, but they also happen to be the names given to RR’s very own Bee Hives.

Established in 2017, Rolls-Royce’s very own busy bees are on target to deliver record production in 2020, with the 250,000 bees enjoying foraging across the eerily quiet 42-acre RR site – and beyond in to the 12,000-acre Goodwood Estate – to create RR’s very own honey.

The Goodwood Apiary’s six traditional, English-crafted wooden beehives each bear a polished stainless steel plaque – handmade in RR’s Bespoke Workshop (or should that be BeeSpoke?) – with the iconic names, helping to address the real threat facing Britain’s Honey Bee population and helping pollinate the area’s local agricultural economy.

Richard Carter, Director of Global Communications at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said:

Our sustainable buildings, thermal ponds, rainwater management systems and wildfowl refuge have already made the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood one of the UK’s most eco-friendly manufacturing facilities. Through this project, which taps into the biodiversity of our site, including our huge living roof, we’re making an important contribution to conserving Britain’s vital bee population.

But if you want to get your hands on Rolls-Royce’s excellent honey, you’re probably going to have to jump in with both feet with RR’s ‘I don’t care how much it costs’ Atelier service.