Category Archives: RollsRoyce

RollsRoyce

Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Conclude Historic Anniversary Re-enactment Tour with Grand Finale in Salzburg

  • Members of the 20-Ghost Club conclude their epic re-enactment of the 1913 Alpenfahrt in Salzburg
  • The event marks the 110th anniversary of the 7-day, 2,600km trial that immortalized Rolls-Royce as ‘the best car in the world’
  • Participants, including pre-1940 and contemporary Rolls-Royce motor cars, closely followed the original Alpenfahrt route over some of Europe’s highest roads
  • Inaugural ‘Inspiring Greatness Trophy’ presented by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, echoing the prizes awarded to the all-conquering Rolls-Royce Works team in 1913

“The dominant performance by the Silver Ghosts of the Rolls-Royce Works team at the 1913 Alpenfahrt confirmed Rolls-Royce as ‘the best car in the world’. This wonderful re-enactment, marking the 110th anniversary of that landmark event, is a tribute to their achievements, and to the engineering excellence of these historic Rolls-Royce motor cars. That so many examples remain not only fully operational, but able to undertake the same extraordinary endeavors they did more than a century ago is a testament to their devoted owners’ meticulous care and attention. These remarkable people and their magnificent motor cars inspire greatness every time they take to the road; I’ve been honored to be part of this unique adventure.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The participants in the 110th anniversary re-enactment of the 1913 Alpenfahrt, comprising members of the 20-Ghost Club (the world’s oldest Rolls-Royce owners’ club and devoted exclusively to models built before 1940), make a triumphant return to Salzburg after a 16-day, 2,600km odyssey through the Alps. Members were accompanied on part of their adventure by bespoke examples of the marque’s Ghost and Black Badge Ghost models, created at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, which celebrates its own 20th anniversary this year.

The 2023 rally closely followed the route of the original event, taking in some of the highest roads in Europe. Among the cars taking part were Silver Ghosts, including one of the original motor cars that formed part of the original 1913 Works Team that helped seal Rolls-Royce’s reputation as ‘the best car in the world’.

Although today’s drivers were engaged in a more leisurely tour – rather than a fiercely fought contest between powerful commercial and sporting rivals – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars added a further touch of competitive authenticity by awarding its inaugural ‘Inspiring Greatness Trophy’. Judged and presented by Ken Forbes and Nick Naismith, it recognizes the 20-Ghost Club member who most perfectly embodies the marque’s central value, ‘Inspiring Greatness’.

RollsRoyce

Rolls-Royce Announces Global Dealer Awards

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents its annual Global Dealer Awards to dealer partners from across its worldwide network
  • The awards recognize outstanding contribution to the marque’s success during 2022
  • Categories reflect a range of business objectives and achievements
  • Global Dealer Awards complemented by a range of Regional Awards

“Our dealer partners are an integral part of our worldwide Rolls-Royce family: it is impossible to overstate the crucial role that they play in our global success. Their local knowledge and insights, professional expertise and hyper-personalized client engagement is central to the experience we offer our clients as a true House of Luxury. It is with enormous pleasure that I present these awards, which recognize and celebrate our dealer partners’ outstanding achievements and invaluable contribution in 2022. My sincere thanks and congratulations to all the winners whose unstinting commitment inspires greatness in us all.”
Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Director of Sales and Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents its annual World Dealer Awards today in a series of virtual and in-person events.

The awards recognize and celebrate individual dealer partners’ outstanding contribution to the marque’s worldwide success in 2022. Global awards are presented in categories based on a range of business objectives and achievements, together with a number of regional awards.

The global awards, presented by Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Director of Sales and Brand, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars, were as follows:

  • Global Dealer of the Year (joint winners):

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Philadelphia
  • Sales Dealer of the Year:

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Beijing Jinbaojie
  • Ownership Services Dealer of the Year:

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars AGMC
  • Provenance Dealer of the Year:

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Tokyo
  • Bespoke Dealer of the Year:

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Munich
  • Whispers Dealer of The Year Award:

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Brisbane
  • Social Media Award:

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Hangzhou

The awards reflect a momentous performance in 2022, which saw the marque deliver for the first time in its history more than 6,000 motor cars in a single 12-month period. It was also a landmark year for Bespoke commissions, with some truly magnificent, imaginative and technically audacious creations created by the Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

RollsRoyce

Rolls-Royce Extends Sustainability Partnership with Goodwood Estate

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars extends longstanding partnership with Goodwood Estate
  • Range of initiatives to preserve and enhance biodiversity, and benefit the local community
  • New collaboration focuses on tree-planting, study of rare wildlife, measures to help bees and wildflower seeding
  • More than 20,000 trees planted over the course of partnership to date
  • Maintains links with Chichester District Council and important Strategic Wildlife Corridor project

 

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is extending its longstanding environmental partnership with the Goodwood Estate, with projects designed to benefit wildlife, biodiversity, and the local community.

The Estate, home to the Dukes of Richmond since 1697, extends to 12,000 acres. With over 4,900 acres of forestry and one of the largest lowland organic farms in the UK, it operates traditional land management practices that support diverse habitats for local wildlife.

Rolls-Royce has worked closely with the Estate since it was chosen as the location for the marque’s global headquarters and Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence in 2001. The Rolls-Royce site currently occupies some 42 acres in the south of the Estate, with the company recently announcing proposals to expand on neighboring land to the east. Built with sustainability in mind from the beginning, the Home of Rolls-Royce is itself a pioneering champion of wildlife and biodiversity conservation, through projects including its recently rejuvenated Wildlife Garden, which forms part of the proposed Strategic Wildlife Corridor, and the celebrated Rolls-Royce Apiary with its colony of 250,000 European honeybees.

Since the partnership began, more than 20,000 trees have been planted along the South Downs National Park boundary, benefiting both wildlife and the local community. A variety of mainly native broadleaf species were planted, along with some more unusual species, including disease-resistant elms, planted from cuttings collected on the Estate. In order to minimize waste, no single-use plastic tree guards were used in the planting scheme.

Following traditional methods, volunteers from Rolls-Royce have laid a stretch of native-species hedgerow at the Wildlife Garden, under the guidance of Chichester District Council’s Wildlife Corridor Project Officer. This will help to link the Estate with other important habitats, as well as providing a safe haven for the resident wildlife and a valuable source of nourishment for those creatures traveling along the wildlife corridor.

The new, extended collaboration with the Goodwood Estate focuses on continuing this legacy of sustainability and preserving and enhancing biodiversity through nature-based solutions.

Specific projects include a joint study together with a local chiropterologist into the flight patterns of the rare and elusive Barbastelle bats that live on the Estate. Monitoring the bats’ movements between their roosts and their feeding grounds around Chichester Harbour to the south has already led Chichester District Council to adjust the route of its proposed Strategic Wildlife Corridor, which now includes part of the Rolls-Royce site. The study will run throughout 2023.

Rolls-Royce has also supported the Estate’s investment in a custom-built, mechanized wildflower seed harvester, which will enter service this year. This special harvester will enable seeds from a wider variety of species to be gathered easily and efficiently, before they are subsequently planted on the Estate’s grasslands and around the Rolls-Royce site.

“We are proud to continue our work with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to create a lasting legacy of biodiversity in this beautiful and biodynamically diverse corner of West Sussex. Our joint approach creates a bountiful environment for all wildlife with a special focus on nurturing and protecting rare and threatened species. Additionally, we create an environment for local people and the millions of visitors to the Estate to enjoy for many generations to come.”
 Lloyd McNeill, Estate Managing Director, The Goodwood Group

RollsRoyce

A STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS: ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY AT THE 1913 SPANISH GRAND PRIX

  • Rolls-Royce celebrates the 110th anniversary of its impressive win at the first-ever Spanish Grand Prix on June 15, 1913
  • At the race, Silver Ghosts secured first and third places, conquering the challenging terrain north of Madrid
  • Victory was achieved through team tactics and personal sacrifices, with Don Carlos de Salamanca, Rolls-Royce’s new agent in Spain, taking first place, and Eric Platford, a dedicated engineer, claiming third place
  • This early achievement highlights Rolls-Royce’s dedication to excellence, inspiring greatness in its owners and staff

 
 “Rolls-Royce’s dominance in long-distance trials in the early 20th century is well-known. However, motor racing, particularly in Europe, also played a crucial role in establishing the brand’s reputation for performance and reliability. Today, we reflect on the Silver Ghost’s victory at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix on June 15, 1913, which was not only a triumph of Henry Royce’s technology but also a testament to team spirit and self-sacrifice.”

– Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Today, Rolls-Royce commemorates the 110th anniversary of the 1913 Spanish Grand Prix, where Silver Ghosts claimed first and third places. This technical and strategic triumph set the stage for the legendary victory at the 1913 Alpenfahrt a few weeks later.

This victory was built upon three key elements: the superior engineering and performance of the Silver Ghost, meticulous team tactics, and the selflessness of one of Rolls-Royce’s most dedicated employees.

RACING AHEAD

In the early 20th century, endurance trials served as the primary platform for motor manufacturers, including luxury brands like Rolls-Royce, to showcase the capabilities of their cars. Rolls-Royce had an outstanding record in these grueling tests, having excelled in renowned events such as the 15,000-mile Scottish Reliability Trial in 1907 and the famous London to Edinburgh run in 1911, completed entirely in top gear.

During this period, motor racing was also rapidly evolving in terms of sophistication and popularity. In 1906, France hosted its first Grand Prix, sanctioned by the Automobile Club de France, of which Charles Stewart Rolls, a successful pioneer in motor racing, had been a member since the age of 18.

While the company generally favored trials over racing, by 1913, three years after Rolls’ untimely death, managing director Claude Johnson recognized the importance of boosting European sales and saw continental racing as a valuable promotional opportunity.

Consequently, Rolls-Royce entered two Silver Ghosts in the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix on June 15, 1913.

HIGH ENDEAVORS

The Spanish Grand Prix appealed to Rolls-Royce because it tested endurance and reliability, areas where the Silver Ghost excelled, rather than just raw speed.

The 192-mile course consisted of three laps, including two challenging passes in the rugged Guadarrama mountains northwest of Madrid. The race exclusively featured four-seater touring cars, required to have mudguards, lamps, hoods, and two spare tires. Bonnets were sealed, and no water could be added to the radiator once the race began, despite temperatures exceeding 30°C at the start in La Granja.

Among the 17 starters were two modified Silver Ghosts. The first was owned and driven by Don Carlos de Salamanca y Hurtado de Zaldivar, the newly appointed Rolls-Royce agent in Madrid, against the company’s wishes. The second was a Silver Ghost belonging to the company and driven by Eric Platford, one of Rolls-Royce’s most experienced and devoted engineers, responsible for many of the marque’s previous triumphs in trials.

STRATEGY AND SACRIFICE

Three hours into the race, Platford had established a commanding lead of over 20 minutes. However, this endeavor was not solely a sporting challenge but a shrewd business decision. Following strict instructions, Platford selflessly allowed Don Carlos de Salamanca to overtake him, prioritizing the company’s commercial goals over personal ambitions. Salamanca went on to win Spain’s first Grand Prix in a time of 3 hours, 34 minutes, and 12 seconds, with an average speed of 54 mph.

Unfortunately for Platford, his sacrifice also paved the way for another competitor, the Marqués de Aulencia in a Lorraine-Dietrich, who claimed second place, a mere three minutes ahead of him — a narrow margin during an era when races could be won or lost by hours.

JUST REWARDS

However, Platford’s selflessness did not go unnoticed. After the race, he drove his car to Madrid, where he received a congratulatory telegram from Claude Johnson. He was later rewarded with a holiday in Venice, partly as a gift and partly to escape the attention of the press. Additionally, he received two gold watches as compensation: one from the Rolls-Royce directors and the other from an appreciative Don Carlos de Salamanca.

ON TO THE ALPENFAHRT

The victory at the 1913 Spanish Grand Prix preceded the challenging 1,600-mile Alpenfahrt, a trial through the Alps, by just one week. As team manager, Platford led the Rolls-Royce Works Team to a clean sweep of the top four places, solidifying the Silver Ghost’s reputation as the “best car in the world.” Platford’s team spirit, dedication, selflessness, courage, and relentless pursuit of excellence epitomized the ethos of Inspiring Greatness, which continues to resonate at the core of the Rolls-Royce brand today.

RollsRoyce

A DEFINING MOMENT: ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS ALPINE TRIAL’S 110th ANNIVERSARY

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrates the 110th anniversary of its success in the Alpine Trial in 1913.
  • The original trial lasted eight days and covered a distance of 2,600 kilometers.
  • Rolls-Royce’s dominance in the event solidified the Silver Ghost’s reputation as ‘the best car in the world’.
  • Rolls-Royce reflects on the people, cars, and conditions that made automotive history.

“At the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, we design and hand-build what many call ‘the best car in the world’. That title was first bestowed on Rolls-Royce 110 years ago, following the Silver Ghost’s total domination of the daunting Alpine Trial in 1913. As custodians of this unique legacy, we proudly uphold the exceptional design and engineering excellence that made those early Rolls-Royces so successful. These exquisite examples of our founders’ art are a true inspiration; thanks to the skilled care and attention today’s proud owners lavish on these astonishing motor cars, we are still able to experience and enjoy their remarkable attributes. The Silver Ghost’s unequalled marriage of performance, strength, reliability, technological innovation, driver engagement and comfort provides a template for everything we do more than a century later.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks the 110th anniversary of its success in the Alpine Trial in 1913 – an event that holds immense importance in the Rolls-Royce legend. This challenge, which lasted eight days and covered 2,600 kilometers, established Rolls-Royce’s reputation as ‘the best car in the world’ – a title it still holds today. Rolls-Royce reminisces about the individuals, automobiles, and circumstances that contributed to this monumental moment in automotive history.

A DAUNTING CHALLENGE – AND UNMISSABLE OPPORTUNITY

Since its establishment in 1904, Rolls-Royce has quickly gained a coveted reputation for quality and dependability. This reputation was solidified by the faultless performance of the new 40/50 hp, later named the Silver Ghost, in the 1907 Scottish Reliability Trials. The Silver Ghost further demonstrated its superiority in the renowned 1911 London to Edinburgh Top Gear Trial and the Brooklands 100mph Run.

These achievements earned Rolls-Royce the reputation of being the best British car. However, for the ambitious and energetic managing director Claude Johnson, who referred to himself as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce, this was just the beginning. He aimed to conquer the European market and saw success in a prominent continental event as the key. The 1913 Alpine Trial presented the perfect opportunity.

PERFECTLY PREPARED

Johnson personally assembled a Rolls-Royce Works Team, led by Eric Platford, one of the company’s most trusted employees and a former mechanic to Charles Stewart Rolls himself. The specially prepared Silver Ghosts were driven by Curt Friese, the company’s representative in Austria, experienced Alpine driver Jock Sinclair, and EW Hives, a senior member of the Experimental Department at Derby and the first person to drive the Silver Ghost at 101mph.

Johnson also invited James Radley, an enthusiastic private owner of a Silver Ghost, to act as the team’s pacesetter.

The Works cars were meticulously prepared to withstand the challenges of crossing the Alps in spring. These challenges included extreme temperatures, high altitudes, steep gradients, and treacherous descents – all without the benefit of modern road surfaces.

The most significant technical modifications made to the Silver Ghosts included a new four-speed gearbox with a special low gear, reinforced chassis and suspension, a larger main fuel tank with a reserve tank, and a new starting system that could start the engine in under a minute even in freezing temperatures.

After successfully completing a reconnaissance mission in May, where the cars demonstrated their composure in appalling conditions, the team traveled to Vienna to begin the Alpine Trial on June 22, 1913.

DAY 1 (260 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 4,000 FT)

As the most powerful vehicles in the competition, the Silver Ghosts were the first to start, led by James Radley. Starting at 5.00 am, Radley completed the first day’s course in just over eight hours, followed 45 minutes later by the rest of the Works Team. No other cars came close to matching their pace, and the relatively straightforward stage saw the first retirements of the event.

DAY 2 (262 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 5,700 FT)

On the second day, the participants tackled Tauren Pass, the oldest road over the Alps, which rose 2,900 ft over just 12 miles with a maximum gradient of 27.9%. The weather and road conditions made the task even more challenging. However, the Silver Ghosts effortlessly crossed the pass at half-throttle, with Radley maintaining an average speed of 25mph and never going below 17mph, even on the steepest slopes.

DAY 3 (246 MILES)

The third day featured a relatively easy and mostly flat drive that ended at the shores of Lake Garda. The Rolls-Royce team led from the start, with Radley expressing dissatisfaction with the slow pace set by the officials’ car in the front.

DAY 4 (192 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 7,400FT)

The fourth stage took the teams over the Dolomites and included the highest point of the Trial, the Pordoi Pass. Despite heavy rain turning to snow, the Rolls-Royce team remained undeterred and secured the top four places for the day.

DAY 5 (205 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 3,500 FT)

Despite freezing conditions, the Works Team led from start to finish on a long drive through southern Austria, navigating steep, rugged roads with many hairpin turns, including the Wurzen and Perdils passes, until reaching the port city of Trieste.

DAY 6 (242 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 3,500 FT)

After a day of rest in Trieste, the teams faced the steepest pass of the entire event – the Loibl, which ascended 2,300 ft in just three miles – before reaching the final overnight stop in Klagenfurt. The Rolls-Royce team achieved another clean sweep in Klagenfurt. Radley broke the record for the ascent, completing it in just five minutes and taking a drink as he maneuvered the final hairpin turn to the delight of the spectators.

DAY 7 (260 MILES, MAXIMUM ELEVATION 5,000FT)

Between Klagenfurt and the finish line in Vienna lay the notorious Stubalpe Pass. The road included 125 gullies that drained water across it, requiring the cars to proceed at a walking pace. As expected, the Silver Ghosts encountered no issues and took the lead on the fast, final stretch to Vienna. Radley reached speeds of 70mph on three occasions as they passed through the village of Guntramsdorf.

However, as they passed through Guntramsdorf, Jock Sinclair’s Silver Ghost was struck by a speeding non-competitor car and forced into a telegraph pole. After repairing the near-side front wheel and tire, Sinclair limped into Vienna using only the third gear. This was the first and only time the team failed to secure the top four positions in the event.

UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONS

Out of the 46 starters, only 31 made it to Vienna. The Rolls-Royce cars’ exceptional speed, strength, and reliability made them the stars of the event and led to their drivers receiving prestigious individual prizes presented by Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria. Radley also received a special prize from the city of Trieste.

The remarkable performance of Rolls-Royce garnered widespread acclaim and respect within the automotive world. More importantly for Claude Johnson, it translated into increased European sales that soon matched those in the UK.

Rolls-Royce never again participated in the Alpine Trials after 1913, as the title of ‘the best car in the world’ had been won and remained unchallenged.

A LASTING LEGACY

The Silver Ghost is arguably the most renowned Rolls-Royce ever produced. The fact that many examples are still in perfect working condition and capable of repeating the extraordinary feats achieved over a century ago is a testament to the attentive care of their proud owners. These devoted enthusiasts play a vital role in preserving and celebrating this invaluable automotive heritage and serve as an inspiration to all who appreciate historic Rolls-Royce motor cars.

However, masterpieces like those participating in the commemorative reenactment also represent a broader legacy. Approximately 80% of all Rolls-Royce motor cars ever made are still in existence and actively in use, serving as a lasting and tangible tribute to the skill, vision, technical expertise, and unwavering pursuit of perfection exemplified by the company’s founders.

As the successors to this legacy, the team at the contemporary Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, which will celebrate its own 20th anniversary in 2023, are fortunate custodians of an indelible heritage. Every motor car crafted at Goodwood today upholds the standards of performance, strength, reliability, comfort, driver experience, and engineering excellence established by the Silver Ghost, values that have been recognized and respected worldwide for over a century.

RollsRoyce

THE EXTRAORDINARY UNDERTAKING IS COMPLETE: ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE CONCLUDES GLOBAL TESTING PROGRAMME WITH METICULOUS LIFESTYLE ANALYSIS

  • Rolls-Royce concludes 2.5-million-kilometre testing programme of all-electric Spectre
  • Motor car has been exposed to temperature extremes of -40°C to +50°C
  • More than 50,000 total driven hours expended testing the motor car
  • Test programme concludes with Lifestyle Analysis testing in marque’s home market
  • Programme created to respond directly to Rolls-Royce client lifestyles

 

“Spectre is the Rolls-Royce that changes everything. It symbolises not only the marque’s technological leadership of the super-luxury sector, but that a bold electric future, first prophesised in 1900 by our founder, Charles Rolls, is now upon us. To attain its final, perfect form, Spectre has passed through our engineers’ ‘finishing school’ – and in so doing, completed the most demanding testing regime in our brand’s history, spanning 2.5 million kilometres and every conceivable extreme of temperature, weather, road type and surface condition. Equally importantly, it has also undergone our extensive Lifestyle Analysis testing. Applying our detailed knowledge of our clients’ tastes, habits and requirements, this unique evaluation process ensures Spectre delivers an authentic, personal and effortless super-luxury experience, as well as true engineering substance, specific to the most demanding consumer group in the world – the Rolls-Royce client.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“It is a highlight of my professional life to have developed Rolls-Royce Spectre, the car which propels Rolls-Royce into its bold, electric future. Such a remarkable car requires a remarkable testing programme and I am enormously proud that Spectre has now completed what has been the most arduous schedule ever conceived for a Rolls-Royce motor car. Indeed, it is where automotive manufacturers finish testing that so much of our work begins in fulfilling the requirements of the super-luxury consumer. This has been an extraordinary undertaking from a team of dedicated and highly skilled engineers that span both traditional technical disciplines and exciting emerging technologies. Rolls-Royce Spectre brings the future of this great marque into the present.”
 Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ genre-defining all-electric super coupé, Spectre, has now concluded an historic and unique undertaking: a 2.5-million-kilometre testing programme simulating more than 400 years of use. In the most demanding development process in the marque’s 119-year history, Spectre has endured temperatures ranging from -40°C to +50°C, and in conditions spanning from Arctic snow and ice to deserts, high mountain passes and the world’s megacities.

En route, every one of Spectre’s 141,200 digital sender-receiver relations and 25,000 performance-related functions has been minutely observed, analysed and tuned by Rolls-Royce engineers, a process representing over 50,000 collective driven hours of highly skilled work. This has resulted in thousands of iterative improvements in everything from Spectre’s acoustic performance, composure under cornering and steering precision to its charge time, electric range and torque delivery; each small in itself, but with an immense overall cumulative effect on the client experience.

LIFESTYLE ANALYSIS

As a Rolls-Royce, Spectre must be more than just an engineering tour de force – it must also offer clients an authentic super-luxury experience. It has therefore also been subjected to the marque’s unique Lifestyle Analysis process, which has informed the development of every new product emanating from the marque’s home in its Goodwood era. This additional testing programme goes far beyond standard automotive assessments to encompass how clients will use the motor car in their daily lives.

Lifestyle Analysis is based on the marque’s detailed knowledge and understanding of the super-luxury consumer, and continuous intelligence-gathering across the luxury sector. It enables engineers to anticipate the very particular demands likely to be placed on a new Rolls-Royce and ensure that final engineered and fashioned experience incorporates appropriate features and responses.

Using this knowledge, engineers have considered a range of variables of particular relevance to Rolls-Royce clients. For example, they have examined how Spectre’s drivetrain performs on specific roads in and around the world’s most exclusive enclaves, including: Sanya on Hainan Island, China; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Napa Valley in California; and London, in the marque’s home market.

This testing is not limited to performance under highway speeds. Specific city centre destinations are also used to ensure that features such as four-wheel steering offer the requisite manoeuvrability benefits to access areas roads and property approaches with limited space. Indeed, testing in and around the boroughs of Mayfair and Kensington and Chelsea, London, ensured the appropriate rear axle steering to approach key residential streets and luxury retail locations.

Similarly, given the environments Spectre will be placed in worldwide, a large number of static testing procedures are undertaken that address key client concerns. These include if it is possible to hold a normal telephone conversation inside the motor car while it is parked alongside a waiting helicopter, the strength of the motor car’s in-car internet connection between specific skyscrapers, and ease of access when placing specific objects inside the motor car – the long garment bags used to protect formal evening suiting and gowns.

As with the technical road testing, the Lifestyle Analysis phase of testing is in place to highlight necessary adjustments to the motor car’s specification or performance. For example, after testing the power-assisted doors on an exceptionally steep hill – replicating the steep driveways common to the hills of Los Angeles, California – engineers added gyroscopic and G-force sensors to ensure that doors open and close at the same effortless speed, regardless of longitudinal or transverse parking angles.

Additionally, one corner was used so frequently to test the steering precision of Spectre, which the marque’s engineers believe is the most exact in Rolls-Royce history, they have named a switchback within the environs of Rolls-Royce’s home in Goodwood, West Sussex, ‘Spectre Corner.’

Fittingly, it was during Lifestyle Analysis testing in London, the capital of Rolls-Royce’s home market, that Spectre completed its 2.5-million-kilometre odyssey in preparation for client deliveries, which will commence in the fourth quarter of this year.

SPECTRE

WLTP:

Power consumption: 2.9 mi/kWh. / 21.5 kWh/100km*
Electric range: 323 miles / 520 kilometres*
CO2 emissions 0 g/km

*Preliminary data not yet confirmed, subject to change.

  1. Official data on fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, power consumption and electric range were determined in accordance with the mandatory measurement procedure and comply with Regulation (EU) 715/2007 valid at the time of type approval.
  2.  WLTP information takes into account any special equipment in ranges. For vehicles that have been type-tested since January 1st, 2021, the official information no longer exists according to the NEDC, but only according to the WLTP. For more information on the WLTP and NEDC measurement procedures, see WLTP: new times, new rules.
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ROLLS-ROYCE MENTORS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH LOCAL YOUNG PEOPLE

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars renews its involvement in Dare to Dream mentoring scheme
  • Run by Love Local Jobs Foundation, a charity working with schools and leading employers in West Sussex
  • Members of the Rolls-Royce team share experiences and insights with Year 9 pupils from three nearby schools
  • Aims to build pupils’ confidence, help them overcome personal and academic challenges and shape their life’s journey with support from people already in work
  • Participants invited to the Home of Rolls-Royce to experience the workplace and be inspired by the early careers opportunities offered

“We’ve been involved with Dare to Dream for a number of years and it’s always been an incredibly rewarding experience for the young people taking part, and our own team members acting as mentors. This year has been particularly special, since we were able to welcome the students on-site at the Home of Rolls-Royce for the first time since the pandemic. Sharing their concerns, experiences and aspirations with those already in work is a huge confidence-booster for these young people as they approach their GCSE choices. We’re delighted to be able to support them and help unlock the enormous talent we see in our neighbouring communities.”
Mark Adams, Director of Human Resources, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to confirm its continued participation in Dare to Dream, a mentoring scheme designed to help pupils realise their potential and overcome their personal barriers to success.

During the 2022-23 school year, 15 volunteers from across the company have acted as mentors to Year 9 students from Chichester Free School, Bourne Community College and Ormiston Six Villages Academy, all close to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. The team includes some who took part in 2022 and have remained involved as ‘super mentors’.

Each mentor works with three students, all of whom are facing challenges affecting their personal lives, academic progress and future career choices. Over the course of three sessions, the mentors share their experiences and thoughts, seek to understand the student’s outlook on life and explore and challenge what they may believe (or have been told) about themselves and the world.

Helping the students to think beyond the bounds of school and home can spark aspirational ideas and the motivation to grapple with what lies ahead. By sharing their own journeys, which have not always followed conventional educational and employment paths, the mentors demonstrate that doors aren’t always closed; opportunities come with the desire to pursue things they enjoy and are interested in, however bold.

Alison Turnbull, Head of Year 9 at Chichester Free School, says: “This inspirational, impactful programme makes students aware of a variety of pathways and opportunities, while giving them the confidence to believe in themselves and make better-informed decisions about their future. The visit to Rolls-Royce was an amazing experience and sparked conversations about alternative post-16 options. Please don’t stop doing what you’re doing; you really don’t know how many lives you’re changing!”

Dare to Dream supports students at what can be a daunting time, when they are choosing their GCSEs and feel under pressure to start formulating long-term education and career plans. Mentors provide much-needed support at this crucial stage: it can be especially helpful for students to realise that adults already in the working world also face challenges and have their own doubts and uncertainties to deal with.

One participant, who’s in Year 9 at Bourne Community College, explains: “This was one of the best things I’ve been able to do yet! The Rolls-Royce employees were super-friendly and offered a wide variety of jobs and applications available for passionate and talented students. The Dare to Dream programme has been amazing and has improved my confidence and my abilities to overcome challenges in life.”

Previous mentors report seeing a noticeable growth in students’ confidence from one session to the next. As well as encouraging students to take ownership of pursuing their dreams, the mentors offer practical coaching, helping them consider what skills they might need and how they could go about gaining them.

Lydia Woodroff, HR Sustainability Business Partner, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, is coordinating the project at Rolls-Royce. She says, “We were delighted to continue our support of Dare to Dream this year, and see the programme’s continued impact on the selected participants over the year. They met some of our Apprentices and saw how we support people’s early careers; they also watched vehicles being built and experienced a ‘customer reveal’, culminating in sitting in a Rolls-Royce Phantom and having their photographs taken as a souvenir. We’re pleased to have this opportunity to show young people the range of skills we use here, and the varied roles we make available to home so close to home.”

Jack ‘The Lad’ Hayes, programme lead from the Love Local Jobs Foundation adds: “Our work in and around Chichester simply wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of our friends at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. For students, knowing that one of the world’s most prestigious brands wants to support and encourage them makes it a truly unique experience. As ever, the mentor team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars really embraced their role: their work will have a hugely positive impact on the students they worked with.”

RollsRoyce

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST EXTENDED: A WORK OF ART FROM THE PRIVATE OFFICE DUBAI

  • The first Private Office Dubai commission revealed: An exceptional two-tone Ghost Extended in Sunrise Sparkle and White Sands Bespoke exterior colours
  • Ghost Extended offers the indulgence of enhanced rear seating space with no compromise to Ghost’s driving dynamics
  • Ghost Extended is the product of an exhaustive process of consultation with a new generation of Rolls-Royce clients
  • Ghost provides the ideal blank canvas for Bespoke commissions


“ Since the inauguration last July of the Private Office Dubai, the first Private Office outside the UK, I am thrilled to say that our clients have been immersing themselves in a n unrivalled creative environment. Bringing Goodwood to the Middle East, the Private Office is a space which provides a unique experience; it’s where our clients can bring their ideas to life and explore the marque’s Home and people in real-time, via seamless technology. The success of this concept is clear to see as the Private Office’s first commission is revealed: a mesmerizing Ghost Extended work of art.”
César Habib, Regional Director Middle East & Africa, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ unrivalled Bespoke capabilities, endless creativity and excellence in engineering enable the marque’s clients to give their imagination free rein, as they commission their unique and deeply personal motor car. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Private Office – a concept which brings together clients, designers and engineers and which is being expanded from Goodwood to other major luxury centres around the world. Private Office Dubai was the first to be inaugurated outside the Home of Rolls-Royce, more will follow in due course.

Only eleven months since Private Office Dubai was opened, Rolls-Royce is delighted to present the first commission from the Office: displaying dazzling craftsmanship and great creativity, this Bespoke presentation of Ghost Extended is a true work of art.

Reflecting an evolved appreciation of luxury, one defined by purity, but underpinned by great substance, Ghost Extended embodies elegance and agility. The purest expression of Rolls-Royce, it is a motor car that inspires greatness.

Inspired by the magic of the Middle Eastern sunrise and the mystery of the Arabian sands, this Bespoke Ghost Extended radiates luxury, capturing the imagination as its Sunrise Sparkle exterior gleams against Dubai’s skyline. Guided by the Spirit of Ecstasy, and enhanced by the hand painted Coachline in Moccasin, a single, sculpted shoulder line extends from the front to back, creating a continuous silhouette. Elegantly luminous in the dark of the night, the illuminated Pantheon Grille emits an ethereal glow.

The interior of this Bespoke Ghost Extended is defined by elegance. A serene realm in Grace White and Moccasin, cocooned by the finest materials, drivers and passengers alike are transfixed by a rarefied vision of pure beauty, as the Starlight Headliner is emphasised with an ephemeral show of shooting stars.

Ghost Extended is built on the Architecture of Luxury, Rolls-Royce’s proprietary all-aluminium spaceframe that underpins every Rolls-Royce model. The marque’s hallmark Magic Carpet Ride is delivered by the marque’s unrivalled Planar Suspension System, itself the result of more than 10 years’ exhaustive testing and refinement by specialist engineers. Featuring continuously variable, electronically controlled shock absorbers, self-levelling high-volume air strut assemblies and a world-first upper wishbone damper; Ghost and Ghost Extended are the first-ever production motor cars to benefit from this spectacular technology, with Ghost Extended also offering all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering.

Power is provided by a 6.75-litre twin turbocharged engine developed exclusively for Ghost. It produces 571PS and 850Nm of torque. The requirement for silence when travelling is answered through 100kg of acoustic damping materials incorporated into the chassis, bodywork and tyres, delivering exhilarating performance without disturbing the serenity within.

“Ghost presents a world of boundless potential, and t his Bespoke Ghost Extended is another example of what we are capable of creating . Ghost, like every Rolls-Royce, presents a perfect blank canvas where we can inspire greatness with ambitious creativity and endless elegant possibilities. Whether it’s a Ghost, Ghost Extended or even Black Badge Ghost, there are no limits to what Ghost can become – all one has to do is imagine.”
Chris Hardy, Bespoke Client Experience Manager – Private Office Dubai

NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emission: 343 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.8 mpg / 15.0 l/100km WLTP (combined): CO2 emission: 348-359 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18-18.5 mpg / 15.3-15.7 l/100km.

RollsRoyce

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS CELEBRATES UK DEALER PREMIERE OF SPECTRE

  • Spectre, the first fully electric Rolls-Royce, made its UK dealer debut at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London on 1st June
  • Following on from its reveal in London, Spectre will go on tour throughout the UK
  • Clients offered a fully immersive Rolls-Royce experience and an opportunity to see this remarkable motor car

 
 “As our home market, the United Kingdom has always been, and will continue to be, a very important market for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. I am delighted to announce that from today, the most anticipated Rolls-Royce in the marque’s 119-year storied history will go on tour throughout the UK, starting in London. Clients, media, and friends of the brand first had the opportunity to see this transformative motor car in the marque’s flagship showroom in Mayfair, before Spectre undertakes a tour around the UK. The response from the world’s opinion leaders to our genre-defining all-electric super-coupé, has been unequivocally positive, and I am delighted now to have the opportunity to showcase this remarkable motor car in the country where it was built.”
 Boris Weletzky, Regional Director United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars made a historic announcement that would shape the marque’s history forever. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars declared its commitment to electric technology by both announcing Spectre, an all-electric car with first customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023, and that by the end of 2030, the marque’s entire portfolio would be fully electric. Since this significant moment in the storied history of Rolls-Royce, Spectre has been on a remarkable journey, including completing a highly demanding testing programme, spanning 2.5 million kilometres. Last October, Spectre was unveiled to the world at the Home of Rolls-Royce in West Sussex, and response from media across the globe has been overwhelmingly positive.

Now, ahead of first client deliveries later this year, Spectre made its UK dealer debut on 1st June at the marque’s flagship residence in Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London. The world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé will now embark on its UK tour, offering clients an opportunity to draw closer to the brand, viewing this remarkable motor car and thereby participating in Rolls-Royce’s electric future.

Spectre heralds the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the start of the marque’s all-electric era. Spectre represents a promise made, a prophecy kept and a remarkable undertaking. The marque has a long-standing connection with electric technologies; in 1900, Rolls-Royce co-founder Charles Rolls prophesised an electric future for the motor car. Having experienced an electric vehicle named The Columbia Electric Carriage, he foresaw the technology’s suitability as a clean, noiseless alternative to the internal combustion engine – providing there was sufficient infrastructure to support it. In 2011, Rolls-Royce showcased a fully electric Experimental Phantom concept named 102EX. This was followed by 103EX, a dramatic design study that anticipated a bold electric future for the marque.

SPECTRE CO2 EMISSIONS AND CONSUMPTION FIGURES
WLTP:    Power consumption: 2.9 mi/kWh. / 21.5 kWh/100km*
Electric range: 323 miles / 520 kilometres*
Co2 emissions 0 g/km.
*Preliminary data not yet confirmed, subject to change.

  1. Official data on fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, power consumption and electric range were determined in accordance with the mandatory measurement procedure and comply with Regulation (EU) 715/2007 valid at the time of type approval.
  2.  WLTP information takes into account any special equipment in ranges. For vehicles that have been type-tested since January 1st, 2021, the official information no longer exists according to the NEDC, but only according to the WLTP. For more information on the WLTP and NEDC measurement procedures, see WLTP: new times, new rules.
RollsRoyce

BLACK BADGE CULLINAN ‘BLUE SHADOW’: A BESPOKE JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF SPACE

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils stunning Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ Private Collection
  • Inspired by the Kármán Line – the mysterious invisible boundary 62 miles above the Earth’s surface, where outer space begins
  • Limited to 62 examples worldwide, available exclusively through Rolls-Royce Private Office
  • ‘Edge of Space’ fascia artwork finished in lacquer incorporating blue and clear glass
  • ‘Lunar’ Starlight Headliner features 250,000 stitches and 1,183 fibre-optic ‘stars’
  • Leather seating with 75,000 individual perforations creates unique impression of ‘Earth from space’
  • A matching Bespoke car cover, luggage set and 1:8 scale model replica of Blue Shadow available to commission

“With Black Badge Cullinan Blue Shadow, we venture to the fabled Kármán Line, where the constraints of Earth give way to the infinite freedom of outer space: a zone of incomparable beauty, mystery and boundless possibility. In creating Blue Shadow, the Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople captured this spirit by embarking on their own voyage of discovery, once again pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship. Blue Shadow is a testament to our relentless pursuit of perfection and a celebration of the spirit of exploration, designed for the unique individuals who expand horizons and represent the very best of human endeavour.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce is delighted to present the stunning Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ Private Collection, exploring the beauty and mystery of space. For this unique creation, leading Rolls-Royce designers drew inspiration from the Kármán Line, the invisible boundary 62 miles above the Earth’s surface, where our planet’s atmosphere ends and outer space begins.

In this mystical, ethereal region, the blue of the sky we see on Earth fades into the blackness of space, creating an intense dark-blue zone where darkness becomes visible. It is a beautiful, silent, mysterious world reserved for a select and adventurous few, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Blue Shadow.

This new Bespoke interpretation of Black Badge Cullinan is available exclusively through the marque’s Private Offices and is strictly limited to just 62 examples globally, one for every mile from Earth to the Kármán Line.

EXTERIOR: THE SHADES OF BLUE
The extraordinary, shimmering new Bespoke ‘Stardust Blue’ exterior paint captures the deep blue colour of the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. The finish of the thermal tiles used to shield homebound Space Shuttles from the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry are recalled in the satin-tinted grille surround and aero bumper insert sets.

Drawing further from the materials used in spacecrafts, the Spirit of Ecstasy is created using 3D printing techniques in titanium and finished with a thin layer of blue-tinted lacquer which adds pearlescence while revealing the titanium’s grained texture. The Black Badge infinity logo and ‘Blue Shadow’ Private Collection name are engraved on the Spirit of Ecstasy base and infilled with Charles Blue. Completing the exterior aesthetic, Blue Shadow’s wheels are subtly darkened using a translucent lacquer.

INTERIOR: ELEVATED PERSPECTIVE
At the Kármán line, the visible edge of Earth’s atmosphere appears as an ethereal blue halo. This transition from blue sky to the inky darkness of space is captured on Blue Shadow’s unique painted fascia and door panels. These were created using six layers of paint, combining five different shades of blue with a deep black hue to produce a mesmerizing three-dimensional effect. The final touch is a clear-coat layer incorporating blue and clear glass particles to add further depth and lustre – the ratio was precisely identified down to a fraction of a percent: it is exactly 0.05%.  The fascia is completed with a Bespoke clock, unique to the Private Collection, which features light blue anodized details and ‘Blue Shadow’ engraving.

‘EDGE OF SPACE’ HEADLINER
With ‘Blue Shadow’, Rolls-Royce have taken the marque’s fabled Starlight Headliner to an even more stellar level: an intricate Moon embroidery, surrounded by an array of ‘stars’, teleports the passengers to the edge of space.  Representing the Moon’s surface with its multitude of craters in three dimensions, the embroidery incorporates five different colours of thread, each applied with a different technique to produce a distinctive texture. In total, the embroidery is created from 250,000 separate stitches – a process that takes two entire days to complete.

Filling the cabin with a gentle glow and a sense of wonder, the Starlight Headliner contains a total of 1,183 ‘stars’ – 799 white and 384 blue – each individually placed in the leather canvas through perforated holes, precisely chalked and punched by hand. To add to the Headliner’s mystique and ambiance, the twinkling effect of the fibre-optic ‘stars’ is further enhanced for an even more enchanting glow.

NEW ART CANVAS: PERFORATED LEATHER
In a first for Rolls-Royce, the front and rear seats feature a unique perforated artwork, inspired by the view of Earth from space. Formed from a multitude of tiny perforations in the leather, the pattern conjures up the impression of organic, ever-shifting clouds swirling over the continents and oceans.

These perforations are made in two different sizes: the smaller (just 0.8 mm in diameter) form the land, while the slightly larger (1.2 mm) define the sea; the blank spaces of leather in between represent the clouds. Each seat has over 75,000 perforations, all individually placed. The pattern took two weeks to design and underwent five trials before it attained the exceptional level of quality required by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective. The result is perfect alignment of the design, ensuring a cohesive, uniform appearance across all four seats.

The seats’ perforation pattern is extended to the picnic table backs. Once lowered, the picnic tables themselves are finished in Piano Black veneer and incorporate a glass sparkle finish, evoking the view into the darkness of space. Each table also includes the Collection theme text, inlaid in polished aluminium beneath the top lacquer layer – ‘The Blue Shadow occurs at the outer extremes of our world, affording an extraordinary perspective, and the ability to touch the stars’.

BESPOKE ACCESSORIES
The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective created a series of unique accessories to complement Black Badge Cullinan Blue Shadow. The exclusive indoor car cover echoes the pattern seen on the seats. To accompany the driver and passengers on their adventures, there is a unique luggage set that continues the Private Collection’s colourway. Clients can also commission an exact 1:8 scale replica of their full-size Black Badge Cullinan Blue Shadow, featuring fully functioning exterior and interior lights, opening and closing coach doors and an interior recreating all the Collection details, including the Bespoke Illuminated Collection Treadplates.

Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ is available exclusively via the Private Office. All 62 examples have been allocated to clients worldwide.

Black Badge Cullinan: NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 343 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.7 mpg / 15.1 l/100km  WLTP (combined) CO2 emission: 377-370 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.0-17.3 mpg / 16.6-16.3 l/100km.