Meridian Rolls Royce

They're described as handcrafted, beautiful and rare - and that's just the price tag!

Today Rolls-Royce unveiled its brand new car at the company's factory in Chichester.

Called the Dawn, it's hoped that the new model will attract a new, younger buyer to the luxury brand and provide job security in an ever-changing industry. Richard Slee reports on the £250,000 dream machine.

Rolls-Royce has announced the successful completion of the company's recent recruitment campaign for 100 new permanent jobs. The news was celebrated at a special event attended by the new recruits at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex, hosted by Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer and Frank Ludwig, Director of Manufacturing.

The campaign was launched in January following the company's announcement of record sales for 2013. More than 1,500 people are now employed on site.

Speaking from the Home of Rolls-Royce, Torsten Müller-Ötvös said, "I am delighted to announce the successful completion of our latest recruitment campaign. Our greatest asset is the skilled men and women that work for Rolls-Royce around the world and we have ensured that we recruit only the very best candidates. I am very pleased that our continuing growth has enabled us to recruit more permanent employees into the team."

Earlier this month, the company announced that a new Technology and Logistics Centre will be built at Bognor Regis, close to Goodwood. Around 200 people will be employed at the Centre, with a number of new roles created in addition to those transferred from existing logistics functions. The Technology and Logistics Centre is planned to be fully operational in early 2016.

The luxury car manufacturer, Rolls Royce, is designing a new convertible model that will be made at it's site in Goodwood in West Sussex. It will go on sale by mid-2016 - its price could be up to £250,000. A record number of Rolls Royce cars were sold from January to June.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced today that the company has enjoyed a record half-year in 2014, with sales increasing by 33% worldwide compared with the same period in 2013.

Sales growth was seen in all regions, with a particularly strong performance in Europe, up by over 60%, Asia Pacific up by almost 40% and the Middle East up by over 30%. The US and China also saw double-digit growth. In Europe, strong performance was seen in Germany, with sales doubling.

Rolls-Royce continues to see strong customer demand for Wraith, significant orders for the recently announced Ghost Series II and good demand for the Phantom family of cars across the world. Bespoke production continues at record levels across all model families.

Rolls Royce are celebrating their 110th year by announcing 100 new jobs at Goodwood in West Sussex.

It comes after their 4th year of record sales, with more than 3,600 cars sold throughout 2013.

Demand is still high for models such as the Phantom, Ghost and Wraith models.

Manufactures have also seen a popular increase in bespoke vehicles, with a high percentage leaving Goodwood with bespoke design elements.

A man from Kent has been sharing his story of how he took part in the re-enactment of a daring publicity stunt carried out by a motor company exactly 100 years ago.

At the time Rolls Royce said their cars were 'the best in the world'. The firm sent a hundred of their cars on an 1,800 mile roadtrip - across mountains.

This time round Ivan Odds, from Rochester was one of the drivers behind the wheel. John Ryall reports.

A Rolls-Royce used as a mobile dental surgery during the First World War will join the impressive line-up of motor cars at this year’s Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on Friday 12th July.

The 1913 Rolls-Royce 45/50hp ‘Silver Ghost’ London-to-Edinburgh Tourer was bought by a wealthy Englishman for £1,016 (approximately £100,000 in today’s money) in September 1913, before passing to its second owner Auguste Charles Valadier in October 1915.

On the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 Valadier had been keen to help the war effort in some way. He volunteered his services to the British Red Cross Society in Paris, who accepted him for duty in October that year.

Valadier established the first unit dedicated to the treatment of facial injuries, which helped facilitate the later progress of plastic surgery for use in facial reconstruction.

By the end of 1916 he was stationed at Boulogne and the Rolls-Royce – then bodied in limousine style – had been modified to incorporate a dentist’s chair in the rear.

A colleague who worked alongside Valadier at the time noted: “In Boulogne there was a great fat man with sandy hair and a florid face, who had equipped his Rolls-Royce with a dental chair, drills and the necessary heavy metals. The name of this man... was Charles Valadier.”

Ed Diment and his pal who work at Bright Bricks in Farnham have built this amazing Rolls Royce jet engine out of Lego!

Click here to see how they did it.