Rolls-Royce is upholding a longstanding tradition of creating a time capsule as part of a major construction project – in the marque’s case, the landmark extension now under construction at the Home of Rolls-Royce, which represents the most significant single investment in its Goodwood-based facilities in more than 20 years.
Representatives from each Rolls-Royce’s Future Talent programme, including interns, graduates, and apprentices, collated the capsule’s contents.
On the evidence of its Service Recognition Awards programme, an annual ceremony which recognises Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ longest-serving colleagues, there is every likelihood that some will still be working at the Home of Rolls-Royce when the capsule is opened three decades from now.
Unlike most time capsules, the Rolls-Royce example will not be buried on-site to be disinterred later; it will instead act as a point of interest for staff and visitors alike in the reception area at the Home of Rolls-Royce. Once the extension is completed, it will move to a permanent residence in the new facility.
Contained within the capsule are artefacts selected by every department and function across the company; its contents will remain a secret until it is opened. Some of these items have been chosen to create a historical record because they will be obsolete when the capsule is opened in 2054, the year the marque will celebrate its 150th anniversary.
Others, however, have been included precisely because they will almost certainly remain in daily use for 30 years, underlining the continuity and heritage that make Rolls-Royce, its craftsmanship and its products unique.
It is hoped that the capsule will spark questions and conversations like the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, installed in each Rolls-Royce Private Office worldwide, inspires Bespoke commissions. The fact that the capsule’s contents will be concealed—and a closely guarded secret—only adds to the sense of intrigue and possibility.