Category Archives: RollsRoyce

RollsRoyce

ROLLS-ROYCE DAWN: HEADING INTO THE SUNSET

“In reviving the Dawn nameplate, Rolls-Royce reinvigorated something much more than a motor car – like the glamorous convertible it drew inspiration from, the contemporary Dawn has come to characterise a modern expression of ‘la dolce vita’; a way of living that embraces the beauty and richness of life. Dawn truly reflects the joy of good company, the thrill of adventure and the peace of quiet reflection. Indeed, this motor car is a testament to the modern art of living, recalling ‘la dolce vita’ spirit in every detail. As production of Dawn draws to a close, we can reflect on an extraordinary chapter in the marque’s history. This beautiful motor car perfectly embodies contemporary luxury while celebrating the marque’s founding principles and heritage.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars signals the end of a glorious, glamorous era as it ceases production of its Dawn convertible. In this retrospective, the marque reflects on the best-selling drophead in the brand’s history as it takes its own unique place in the pantheon of great Rolls-Royce motor cars.

CONTEMPORARY GLAMOUR AND ROMANCE
Following the success of Phantom VII, and its stablemates Phantom Coupé and Phantom Drophead Coupé, an increasingly youthful, universally self-confident and sociable client base was drawn to the Rolls-Royce brand. These new super-luxury consumers required a motor car that, like the first transformative models of Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood era, captured the glamour and romance of super-luxury motoring; but did so in a fashion completely in tune with their contemporary tastes and lifestyles.

Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, recognised that there was space in the marque’s product portfolio to fulfil these clients’ desires. Accordingly, he challenged his designers to create not just a stablemate to Phantom Drophead Coupé, but an entirely new kind of super-luxury convertible. More than simply a beautiful motor car, it should evoke the romance and glamour that informs so much of Rolls-Royce’s legend, while offering a social, approachable and contemporary expression of open-top touring to an ascendant new generation.

Furthermore, it had to be completely new. Three years earlier, Rolls-Royce had launched its fastback coupé Wraith; but the idea of repurposing it was never considered. Instead, the marque’s designers found inspiration much earlier in the company’s vast and storied history. Between 1950 and 1954, Rolls-Royce made just 28 examples of the Silver Dawn drophead coupé. The Dawn nameplate, with its connotations of new beginnings, fresh opportunities and glorious vistas, was unanimously approved as the perfect candidate for a 21st Century reincarnation.

The seductively elegant original perfectly embodied the spirit of its age, immortalised in the expression ‘la dolce vita’ – ‘the sweet life’. A reminder to savour every moment and live fully in the present, ‘la dolce vita’ came to signify good company and quiet reflection ­– the importance of taking time to dwell on the pleasures of life in all its beauty and richness.

Most famously, La Dolce Vita was also the title of the classic 1960 film directed by Federico Fellini. Now widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, it made a global star of actress Anita Eckberg, and the Trevi Fountain, until today one of Rome’s most visited tourist attractions. Naturally, it also featured on mood boards within the Rolls-Royce design studio.

EXQUISITE ELEGANCE PAIRED WITH LUXURIOUS COMFORT
In the context of the film, ‘la dolce vita’ was a life filled with passion, adventure and romance. It was sensuous and sensual, a celebration of decadence, indulgence and pleasure in all its forms. It was this spirit that Rolls-Royce wanted to capture in its new drophead, expressed through timeless form language, contemporary craft and an effortless yet potent dynamic character.

The boldness of that vision was reflected in Dawn’s design. Its pure, simple form was inspired by fifties and sixties fashion, which evoked glamour by removing superfluous lines and textures, focussing instead on how it amplified the form of the wearer. Similarly, Dawn’s supple, flowing coachwork wraps around its occupants akin to raising a collar on an overcoat, affording those inside a cossetting, private and chic cabin experience.

Indeed, in creating Dawn, 80% of the panels were entirely unique, including a ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy, evoking the sensation of quietly gathering energy while provisioning drivers with a permanent vanishing point – a design feature that endures on Rolls-Royce motor cars today.

However, in one vital respect, Dawn broke with a long-established automotive design convention. Almost without exception, convertibles are designed in a 2+2 configuration, with full-size seating for the driver and one passenger in the front, plus two smaller seats for occasional passengers or children in the rear. The lack of rear-seat space, and particularly legroom, reduces the car’s comfort and practicality – a shortcoming Rolls-Royce refused to accept. Dawn was therefore a full four-seater with comfortable, individual seating for all occupants.

The very simplicity of Dawn’s design belied a host of complex engineering challenges, most notably the intricate roof mechanism, dubbed the ‘Silent Ballet’ for its precision, elegance and noiseless operation. A convertible hardtop had been briefly considered, however the marque’s designers decided Dawn’s roof should be created from fabric to retain the romance of listening to raindrops on canvas. Instead, a unique blend of materials, including fabric, cashmere and high-performance acoustic composites, made Dawn the world’s quietest convertible: with its roof closed, Dawn equalled the Rolls-Royce Wraith for noise-isolating performance.

A MODEL TESTING PROGRAMME
In quintessential Rolls-Royce style, engineers spent months optimising the convertible experience with an exhaustive testing programme – neither eliminating airflow completely nor permitting disruptive levels into the cabin. To achieve this, the test subject was a modified mannequin provisioned with a wig of long, flowing hair. It was chauffeured for hundreds of hours while a bank of sensors and cameras faithfully recorded how the hair was displaced by the moving air. The resulting data enabled engineers to make Dawn the world leader in aerodynamic comfort with the roof open.

Rolls-Royce also recognised the centrality of the driving experience for many of the younger clients Dawn was created for. Thus, beneath its svelte, minimal lines, Dawn received the marque’s near-silent 6.6-litre, 563bhp twin-turbo V12 engine. The chassis, naturally, delivered the brand’s signature ‘Magic Carpet Ride’, combining responsiveness and engagement with an almost supernatural smoothness.

Indeed, during a product experience later in Dawn’s life, an American journalist passed through an area as it was struck by an earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale, followed by a 2.7 aftershock; such was the smoothness of the ride, he learned of this only when he read about it in the press the following morning.

BLACK BADGE DAWN
In 2017, Rolls-Royce added a Black Badge variant of Dawn to its model family. Like the Ghost and Wraith that preceded it, Dawn’s alter ego derived its character from a series of engineering and design treatments. An entirely new exhaust system added a bass baritone quality to the engine note; the engine itself was tuned to deliver an extra 30bhp and boost torque to 840Nm. While appealing to the rebel spirit that attracts so many to this noire expression of the brand, Black Badge Dawn created its own singular place in the Rolls-Royce Pantheon – one characterised by the romance and seduction of the city at night.


A LASTING LEGACY
Beyond its desirability, Dawn brought the spirit of ‘la dolce vita’ to Rolls-Royce’s contemporary brand promise through an exquisite marriage of seductive design, contemporary materials, and a social, open-air driving experience. In doing so, Dawn has ensured its legacy by compelling an entirely new generation to the marque.

RollsRoyce

ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES LONDON CRAFT WEEK: FROM GOODWOOD TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showcases glorious Bespoke craft at this year’s London Craft Week
  • Inspiration for London Craft Week taken from the French Riviera
  • Remarkable pieces of craftsmanship will be on display at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, for the duration of the event, from 8 to 14 May 2023

“As a brand that has always been synonymous with luxury, refined elegance, and exacting levels of craftsmanship, London Craft Week is an important event in our annual calendar. I am delighted to unveil our portfolio of stunning Bespoke craftsmanship, which will be on display at our flagship residence in Mayfair for the duration of the event. These beautiful examples of craftsmanship are indicative of the marque’s Bespoke capabilities. The inspiration behind these magnificent works of craftsmanship, created in honour of the event, comes from the French Riviera, a destination many miles away from the Home of Rolls-Royce but a location synonymous with luxury, beauty, and elegance, just like a Rolls-Royce.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director – UK, Europe, and Central Asia

To celebrate the ninth year of London Craft Week, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will debut a remarkable exhibition of craftsmanship at the marque’s flagship residence in Mayfair. For this year’s event, the marque has selected the theme of Location, with a spotlight on the iconic, breathtaking, and lavish strip of coastline that is the French Riviera.

Having previously sought inspiration for London Craft Week directly from the Home of Rolls-Royce, on the Goodwood Estate, in West Sussex, this year, Rolls-Royce designers have sought inspiration from a place further afield, but still highly relevant and synonymous with Rolls-Royce: The French Riviera.

Part of the marque’s ongoing success rests on a deep understanding of the unique world in which the illustrious community of Rolls-Royce clientele live. Internationally renowned for its glamourous events, super luxurious lifestyle, stunning scenery, unrivalled views and sparkling hues of the Mediterranean, the French Riviera has long been a popular destination for Rolls-Royce clients, making it a befitting choice as the theme of this year’s event.

The French Riviera has also been associated with Rolls-Royce since the early part of 20th Century, when the Côte d’Azur established itself as the favoured haunt of actors, artists, musicians, and other wealthy leading lights of the Belle Epoque. There is also a highly potent connection between the marque and the area: in 1912, Sir Henry Royce built his villa, La Mimosa, in the village of Le Canadel, where he subsequently spent every winter until his death in 1933.

SHORELINE INSPIRED FASCIA

For this year’s event, artisans from the marque’s Interior Surface Centre have drawn inspiration from the beautiful beaches of The Riviera, to meticulously craft a special shoreline inspired Fascia. To replicate the idyllic golden sands, the lightest in the marque’s portfolio of veneers, Ash Burr, was selected. A special ‘candy’ paint – a light translucent paint that gradually builds up to appear darker in colour – was created specifically for the exhibition by the marque’s in-house colour experts and was chosen to mimic the deep hues of the Mediterranean waters. To showcase the movement, myriad of colours, and depths of the sea, one talented individual sketched the outline of the waves, and then carefully spray-painted layers upon layers of paint at different angles and lengths. A delicate brush was then used to gently draw on the finer details of the waves. Once the hand painting was finished, this magnificent piece of artwork was lacquered multiple times before being meticulously hand polished to achieve a perfectly smooth finish.

RIVIERA INSPIRED HEADLINER

Drawing inspiration from the local Riviera architecture, the talented Collective of artisans at the Home of Rolls-Royce have created a true work of art as the headliner. One highly creative artisan hand painted a beautiful image of a coastal town in the French Riviera onto Turchese leather, before this one-of-a-kind headliner was embroidered with stitching in four different colours – Lemon, Iceland Moss, Sheida Pink and Fame Green – to replicate the vivacious hues typical for the region. To finish this masterpiece, 3D flowers, made entirely from thread, were hand sculpted and individually embroidered onto the main canvas piece. Delicate beads were then added to the centre of the flower before being sewn onto the headliner. This magnificent headliner, with all its delicate and intricate details, took the marque’s team of talented artisans over 100 hours to create.

COACHLINE MOTIF

Continuing the Riviera theme, Rolls-Royce’s highly skilled artisans working in the Exterior Surface Centre have created four Coachline motifs: a sailing boat, gently bobbing up and down on the water; waves; a parasol; and a Riviera-style town. These beautiful Coachline motifs are presented on an Arctic White panel, with an additional clearcoat, infused with a combination of shimmering champagne and blue glass crystals.

BESPOKE UMBRELLA

To complete the exhibition, the world’s leading luxury marque has created a one-off Bespoke umbrella for the occasion. Presented in two-tone Turchese and Arctic White, this Bespoke umbrella is a truly befitting addition to this year’s exhibition.

These unique pieces are indicative of the marque’s fluency in Bespoke and will be displayed in the window of Rolls-Royce’s flagship showroom, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 8 to 14 May 2023.

RollsRoyce

£4BN FOR ‘UK PLC’: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS – THE GREAT BRITISH SUCCESS STORY

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils results of landmark Economic Impact Analysis
  • Total contribution to the UK economy since 2003 stands at more than £4 billion
  • Annual contribution to economy now exceeds half a billion pounds Sterling
  • Rolls-Royce is one of the largest employers in West Sussex, supporting 2,500+ full-time equivalent jobs
  • A further 7,500 jobs are supported in the wider supply chain
  • Major intangible and spill-over economic and community benefits
  • Includes training and education, knowledge and skills transfer within supplier companies and support for local charities and social enterprise
  • Independent study undertaken by London School of Economics (LSE)


“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a Great British success story. As we mark 20 years of production at our Home in Goodwood, we do so in the knowledge that not only have we produced some of the world’s most significant super-luxury products, we have also made a major economic contribution to the English county we are based in and, crucially, ‘UK PLC’. Today, I am delighted to unveil the exceptional results of the first ever independent survey of our company’s economic impact locally in Chichester, in the surrounding area and nationally. Conducted for us by the London School of Economics, the study confirms that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a major economic contributor and one of the largest employers in West Sussex. As the nation enters a new era with the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, we are proud to represent the very best of British excellence and endeavour. Through our rare crafts and craftsmanship, international customer base and products admired and cherished worldwide, we are sustaining thousands of skilled jobs and playing a key role in promoting the UK’s reputation as a hub of creativity and innovation.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars represents some of the very best of British design and manufacturing, and the Goodwood success story has been a proud part of Chichester and West Sussex’s heritage and local economy.

We’ve seen a whole generation of quality jobs and cutting-edge skills created over the past 20 years, and I can’t wait to see what the next 20 will hold as Rolls-Royce continues to expand and grow.”
The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan, Member of Parliament, Chichester

As Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks two decades of production at Goodwood, a landmark survey reveals the company’s full and extraordinary impact on both the local and national economies.

The independent study, the first commissioned by Rolls-Royce in its history, was led by Dr Alexander Grous of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and includes figures up to and including 2022. Furthermore, this study is clear proof that, by putting exceptional products into the hands of the world’s most influential people, Great Britain secures its place as a centre of design, craft and engineering excellence on the world stage and, by extension, the nation benefits.

OVERALL ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION
The LSE report shows that since production began at Goodwood in 2003, Rolls-Royce has contributed more than £4 billion to the UK economy, serving as a flagship of the nation’s luxury and automotive sectors and, crucially, ‘UK PLC’. This contribution is long-term and sustainable. Rolls-Royce invests around £10 million every year in its facilities and operations to support its production, reflected in a series of ‘record years’ peaking to date in 2022 at over 6,000 motor cars sold worldwide. Rolls-Royce is also able to confirm its standing as one of the largest employers in West Sussex, England.

SUPPORTING JOBS LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY
More than 2,500 people are employed at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, including 150 jobs created in 2022 alone. The company also supports more than 7,500 additional full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs within its wider national supply chain. Importantly, Rolls-Royce did not make a single redundancy during the Covid-19 pandemic – one of very few UK manufacturers to maintain its workforce entirely intact.

As one of the largest employers in West Sussex, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has a substantial positive impact on the local economy. Around 20% of its total annual contribution is generated directly within West Sussex and bordering counties, including salaries and wages of staff employed at the Home of Rolls-Royce. In addition, the company also operates its Technology and Logistics Centre (TLC) eight miles away in Bognor Regis, which supports a further 1,000 direct and indirect jobs.

INDIRECT AND INTANGIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS
Rolls-Royce contributes to the local and national knowledge economies through its leading-edge R&D in fields including hardware, software, electrification, digitalisation and vehicle connectivity. These activities are growing rapidly in both scale and importance, with Rolls-Royce committed to all-electric propulsion by the end of 2030.

The LSE study notes that Rolls-Royce encourages significant innovation, development and improvements within its wider supply chain. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have adopted new technologies, processes and practices to meet Rolls-Royce’s exacting requirements, raising standards and boosting competitiveness across a wide swathe of the UK’s manufacturing base.

Rolls-Royce also produces important intangible benefits for the local economy and population. For example, every year it supports more than 100 apprenticeship, graduate and intern positions, in partnership with local further and higher education institutions, leading to well-paid and highly skilled employment opportunities. The company enjoys close ties with surrounding communities: recent projects include developing a dedicated new car park for The March CE Primary School which adjoins the Goodwood site, and supporting local mentoring and work-based initiatives. In addition, employees nominate their House Charity each year, raising significant sums for local good causes.

A CONTINUING SUCCESS STORY
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has formally announced proposals to expand the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. It has acquired land to the east of the current site and planning permission will be sought later this year.

The project’s primary objective is to upgrade the manufacturing plant; some facilities and equipment are now 20 years old and require replacement and upgrading. The company is also looking to increase capacity for its Bespoke and Coachbuild operations, as well as preparing for its new generation of electric vehicles. The first customer deliveries of the all-electric super-coupé, Rolls-Royce Spectre, are due in the fourth quarter of 2023: all new Rolls-Royce models will be electric by the end of 2030.

The expansion does not, however, signal any shift in the marque’s fundamental approach or values: Rolls-Royce is not, never has been and never will be a volume-driven business. The new facility will reflect the fact that the marque is no longer simply an automotive manufacturer, but a true luxury house creating the world’s best, most recognised and highly prized Bespoke products.

RollsRoyce

SIR FREDERICK HENRY ROYCE, 1st BARONET, OBE

INTRODUCTION
For all his many honours and achievements, Sir Frederick Henry Royce OBE was a humble man, referring to himself simply as ‘a mechanic’. 90 years after his death, his technical genius and engineering philosophy – the pursuit of excellence – continue to inspire the company that bears his name.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Henry Royce was born in Alwalton, near Peterborough, on 27 March 1863, the youngest of five children. When his father James, a miller, went bankrupt, the family fell on hard times. By the age of 10, Royce was lodging in London, selling newspapers at railway stations: the long hours and poor diet he endured during this period almost certainly contributed to the health problems he suffered in later life.

In 1876, he became a telegram delivery boy at the Mayfair Post Office in central London. His beat included 35 Hill Street, where a certain Charles Stewart Rolls was born on 27 August 1877. It’s thus perfectly possible that Royce delivered messages of congratulation to the proud parents of his future business partner.

In September of that year, Royce made his first foray into engineering, as an apprentice at the Great Northern Railway locomotive works in Peterborough. To make up for his lack of formal education, he attended evening classes in English and mathematics. Family financial problems struck once more, however, when his sponsor, one of his mother’s sisters, was unable to pay the £20 annual fee. Undaunted, the 17-year-old Royce set off on foot in search of work, eventually becoming a toolmaker in Leeds, on the princely wage of a penny an hour (2.44 old pence)!

In 1881, he returned to London to work in the fledging field of electrical engineering. His natural aptitude earned him, aged just 19, the position of Chief Electrician to a company supplying electric lighting to Liverpool. Even so, he continued to devote his spare time to his electrical engineering studies. By 1884, the company had gone bust, so Royce decided to use the money he’d saved to strike out on his own.

MAKING HIS NAME
Royce set up a small electrical and mechanical engineering company, F H Royce & Co, in Blake Street, Manchester. Within months his friend and fellow engineer, Ernest Claremont, joined him as a partner. From making simple electrical devices such as bell sets, fuses, switches and bulb holders, the business quickly expanded, producing everything from dynamos, electric motors and winches to cranes for the Manchester Ship Canal.

Over the next 15 years, the company, which became Royce Ltd in 1894, enjoyed sustained growth and financial success. However, the Boer War (1899-1902) combined with an influx of cheap mass-produced electrical products from Germany and the USA saw its sales contract sharply. Royce’s health, never robust, deteriorated until in 1902, it collapsed completely. His wife persuaded him to take a trip to South Africa to recover. He returned 10 weeks later, mentally and physically refreshed, and ready for a new challenge.

On the long sea voyage, Royce had read a book entitled The Automobile – Its Construction and Management, by French engineer Gerard Lavergne. Royce already owned a rudimentary motor vehicle – a De Dion quadricycle – but Lavergne’s work showed him just how far Britain had fallen behind France in automobile engineering.

Royce bought a second-hand two-cylinder Decauville on which to experiment. When the machine failed to start, he quickly rectified the problem; but having entirely dismantled the car and examined each component in detail, he identified a host of other potential improvements. In typical fashion, he decided that rather than modifying the French car, he could build a better one himself.

On 1 April 1904, the new Royce 10 HP car made its first run. Three weeks later, on the opening day of the Side Slip Trials endurance event, it covered the 145.5 miles from London to Margate and back at an average speed of 16.5 mph. In an age when motor cars were both noisy and temperamental, Royce’s machine had also proved itself exceptionally quiet and utterly reliable.

A MEETING OF MINDS
The driver at the Slip Side Trials was Henry Edmunds, managing director of one of Britain’s largest electric cable manufacturers (of which Royce’s business partner Ernest Claremont was a Director). Among Edmunds’ friends was The Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls, an aristocratic, Cambridge-educated aviation pioneer and racing-driver, who sold French-built Panhard cars from his premises, C. S. Rolls & Co. at Lillie Hall, Fulham.

Edmunds persuaded Rolls to travel to Manchester to meet Royce and examine the Royce car. Despite their starkly contrasting backgrounds, and 14-year age difference, Rolls and Royce formed an instant rapport.

They agreed that Rolls would sell all the cars Royce could make, under the name ‘Rolls-Royce’. The arrangement allowed Royce to concentrate on designing and building the perfect machine, and Rolls to fulfil his ambition of selling his own line of the very finest English-built motor cars.

FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
Rolls-Royce Limited came into being in March 1906. In the same year, Royce produced his six‑cylinder 40/50 HP, the legendary Silver Ghost, and also began to design the company’s new works in Nightingale Road, Derby.

Over the next two decades, Royce continued to develop and refine his automotive designs, and also produced some of the world’s finest aero engines. Most famously, he produced the ‘R’ engine for R J Mitchell’s Supermarine S6 and S6B, which helped with the future development of the iconic Spitfire, with the ‘R’ engine the foundation for its legendary Merlin engine.

A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT
During his long and varied career, Royce filed 301 patents – an astonishing feat for a largely self-educated engineer. He was awarded an OBE in 1918, and in 1930 he was made a Baronet – thus becoming Sir Henry Royce – for his services to aviation. With characteristic modesty, he wrote to all Rolls-Royce employees thanking them for their contribution to the honour.

THE PASSING OF A NATIONAL HERO
Sir Henry Royce spent his later years working at his homes in West Wittering in Sussex, and Le Canadel in the South of France. He died on 22 April 1933, after finally succumbing to long‑term illness resulting from poor nutrition in childhood, and a lifetime of overwork. Even on his deathbed, he sketched a design for the first adjustable shock absorber: the sketch, which still survives, is annotated by his nurse, Royce himself being too weak to write. That he was still producing original ideas in his final hours encapsulates his devotion to his craft, and the breadth and brilliance of his engineering mind.

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ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES CHINA PREMIERE OF SPECTRE AS WELL AS STUNNING BESPOKE CREATIONS AT AUTO SHANGHAI 2023

  • Rolls-Royce Spectre, the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé, celebrates its China debut at Auto Shanghai 2023
  • A Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second: Spectre is greeted by clients as a powerful step into a bold new future as the brand prepares to become fully electric by the end of 2030
  • Rolls-Royce Bespoke unveils a new colour for Spectre: Morganite is named after the rare gemstone
  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrates the luxury of handcraftsmanship with three stunning Bespoke motor cars, underlining the near-infinite personalisation possibilities offered by the marque
  • ‘Private Office Shanghai’ announced as the next step in the company’s strategy to bring the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood closer to its global clientele and cater for increasing demand for Bespoke
  • Exclusive and immersive visitor experiences offer a glimpse of the marque’s Bespoke capabilities as well as its support and interest in contemporary art.

“Rolls-Royce Spectre is perhaps the most important car in our long and storied history and I am delighted to be in Shanghai for the China premiere of this fabulous car, an important step on our ambitious journey to become an all-electric brand by the end of 2030. As one of the world’s leading NEV countries, China is a key market for Spectre and I am delighted to see that our clients here share our great excitement for this car. Rolls-Royce and electric drive are a perfect fit: battery electric power offers silent propulsion, instant torque and tremendous power – just like our beloved V12. Waftability and our famous ‘magic carpet ride’ are assured.

“Our Chinese clients also truly appreciate the almost endless possibilities offered by Rolls-Royce Bespoke. Here at Auto Shanghai, we are highlighting the power and beauty of our marque’s extraordinary and special models , where rare and luxurious materials meet world-class craftsmanship in a way only Rolls-Royce can deliver . Reflecting our Chinese clients’ ever-increasing desire to commission exquisite, highly personalised motor cars, I am delighted to announce that Shanghai will this year see the opening of a Private Office, bringing the Home of Rolls-Royce to China and marking the next step in our global strategy to bring Goodwood even closer to our patrons around the world.”
 Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Director of Sales and Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Spectre represents the dawn of a new design typology. This highly emotional, dramatic and progressive design marks a bold first statement for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ electric future, showcasing our commitment to innovation. With its groundbreaking ultra-luxury electric super coupé design, Spectre pays homage to Rolls-Royce heritage while embracing the advancements of modern technology. This extraordinary vehicle is a testament to our relentless pursuit of perfection, ensuring that every aspect of the car, from its aesthetics to its efficiency, is a true embodiment of the unparalleled Rolls-Royce experience. It is, without a doubt, a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second.”
 Anders Warming, Design Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“We are honoured to have played a significant role in Rolls-Royce achieving not only record global sales but also, more importantly, record levels of Bespoke in 2022. As we boldly embark on a transformative journey towards an all-electric future, championed by Rolls-Royce Spectre, I am confident that our discerning Chinese clientele will continue to support our success. Moreover, they will undoubtedly revel in the exceptionally high-touch encounters and authentic Rolls-Royce experiences we continue to develop. These include Rolls-Royce Whispers, the marque’s exclusive client-only application created to offer this eclectic group of people a digital world of curated luxury, and our recently updated dealer showrooms, which exude luxury and sophistication, providing our clients with an immersive and contemporary experience to view our motor cars and discuss their own Bespoke commissions.”
 Leon Li, Regional Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Greater China
CHINA PREMIERE FOR ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE

Designed and engineered to be a Rolls-Royce first, and an electric car second, Spectre marks the beginning of a new era for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. To celebrate its China premiere, Spectre is presented at Auto Shanghai 2023 for the very first time in a two-tone Morganite with Gunmetal exterior finish, creating an exceptionally elegant aesthetic. Morganite, a colour between mauve and dark rosé, was inspired by the rare Morganite gemstone and is a new addition to the Rolls-Royce Bespoke portfolio.

Combining elegance and innovation, Spectre delights in an imposing yet effortlessly refined appearance. Creating an extraordinary sense of strength, Spectre has the widest-ever grille produced by Rolls-Royce, with a proud angle and polished stainless-steel finish. The car presents with stunning proportions, revelling in its long front bonnet and graceful silhouette with a beautiful falling fastback roofline; Spectre’s presence is further underlined by the magnificent 23-inch wheels

The excellence of the uncompromising exterior design is continued within, where Spectre’s interior sanctuary offers unrivalled luxury. Auto Shanghai marks the premiere for Spectre’s exquisite Canadel doors: the interior panel is crafted from a single sheet of wood, precisely placed at an exact 55-degree angle to evoke a sense of motion within the car. Sumptuous Grace White leather upholstery is highlighted by bold Ardent Red secondary details, creating a visually stunning hand-crafted masterpiece. The joyous interior is further enhanced by delicate Peony Pink accents on the RR monograms, contrast piping and stitching on the instrument panel. Open Pore Tudor Oak veneer panels gracefully merge into the fascia surfaces, while warmth is added to the exquisite interior design through the veneered steering wheel spokes, for an ultimate lavish touch.

To ensure the famous Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet ride’, Spectre has undergone the most challenging testing programme ever undertaken by the marque. It was on the Côte d’Azur that Spectre’s digitally integrated evolution of the renowned Planar suspension system was finalised. Planar suspension is an orchestra of systems with precisely defined responses to driver inputs and road conditions, made possible by the latest software and hardware developments. Rolls-Royce’s hallmark experience of silence within the car is supported by the clever mounting of the battery, which enables Spectre’s perfectly smooth underfloor profile. This not only creates a low seating position and enveloping cabin but realises a secondary function for the battery – almost 700kg of sound deadening.

EXQUISITE BESPOKE MODELS SHOWCASE ROLLS-ROYCE CRAFTSMANSHIP

Alongside Spectre’s captivating stage presence are other specially created Bespoke models, showcasing Rolls-Royce’s world-leading expertise in handcraftsmanship and luxury excellence.

Bespoke Phantom Extended
Rolls-Royce Phantom occupies an unrivalled position at the very apex of the luxury world. Presented here in extended version and designed especially for the Shanghai Auto Show, this magnificent motor car is finished in a deep Submariner Blue with the bonnet, roof and rear pillar rendered in contrasting Silver.  Phantom Extended’s stunning exterior is further dramatised with a hand-painted single coachline and the Spirit of Ecstasy presented in stunning Rose Gold.

The exterior theme continues inside, with the front seats in Submariner Blue leather, accented with Rose Gold contrast stitching and ‘RR’ headrest monograms, and blue Piano Milori Sapphire Veneer throughout the cabin.  Phantom Extended’s generous rear suite is rendered in Cashmere Grey with Rose Gold speaker grilles and a Bespoke Starlight Headliner that emits an atmospheric blue glow.

The unique embroidered artwork in the Gallery features an extraordinary 47,943 individual stitches and takes around six hours to handcraft. It represents an abstract interpretation of a floral theme in a precise geometric pattern.

Bespoke Black Badge Cullinan
Another exceptional model is the super-luxury SUV Black Badge Cullinan, which takes the stage in Shanghai finished in a satin Iced Burnout Grey hue, reinforcing the truth that a Black Badge motor car need not be black. In this highly Bespoke commission, the Black Badge aesthetic has been extended to the smallest details: brake callipers, bumper inserts, side trims, Spirit of Ecstasy and 22” Part-Polished Black Badge Wheels are all finished in black.

Inside, the bold splash of Peony Pink over Scivaro Grey applied throughout the cabin, including the Bespoke steering wheel, provides a daring contrast to the more understated exterior. Textured Scivaro Grey boxgrain on the fascia and Technical Carbon veneers on interior surfaces provide additional depth. Each leaf of Technical Carbon is finished with six coats of lacquer before being left to cure for 72 hours and then hand-polished to Rolls-Royce’s hallmark mirror finish – a meticulous process that takes 21 days to complete.

The boundary-pushing Black Badge attitude is further exemplified by the Bespoke Starlight Headliner which features 1,344 fibre-optic ‘stars’ emitting a pink hue, given a playful extra dimension by the inclusion of ‘shooting stars’.

Bespoke Ghost
A stunning Bespoke Rolls-Royce Ghost completes the lineup of beautiful and unique Rolls-Royce motor cars. Gracing the Shanghai Auto Show in a Bespoke two-tone finish that showcases the limitless Bespoke potential of its pure, minimalist design, the main body is in rich, dark Olivin, with Diamond Black contrast above, accentuated with a single hand-painted coachline in Seashell. The matching tyre pinstripe mimics the white-banded tyres beloved by the marque’s patrons in its early days, reflecting a heritage dating back more than 100 years.

Ghost’s interior features a Bespoke colour split, with the front seats in Black Leather and the rear in Seashell, with contrast stitch and piping in Iceland Moss providing a visual connection to the exterior finish. The colour split is also carried over to the Bespoke two-tone steering wheel, which features Black outer and Seashell inner leather trims. Veneers in Stained Black Ash complete the motor car’s timeless, understated aesthetic.

THE BOUNDLESS CREATIVITY OF ROLLS-ROYCE
Beyond the display of these magnificent models, the Rolls-Royce stand offers a range of immersive experiences designed to captivate and fascinate. The Bespoke Atelier will provide guests with a unique opportunity to explore the countless personalisation alternatives that create the Rolls-Royce experience. Meanwhile, the MUSE Rolls-Royce Art Programme has a dedicated space to highlight the brand’s support for and interest in contemporary arts, showcasing the remarkable works of the three winning artists from the recent Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge. These artistic endeavours demonstrate the brand’s commitment to fostering creativity and inspiring greatness, while connecting patrons and the public to the thriving art world. 

RollsRoyce

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS CELEBRATES BESPOKE AT SALON PRIVÉ LONDON

  • Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended celebrates UK public debut at Salon Privé London
  • An elegant Ghost will also be showcased at the event

“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to return once again to one of the UK’s most exclusive concours events, Salon Privé. In recognition of the event, our talented Collective of designers, engineers and artisans, has created two remarkable commissions — a Phantom Extended, presented in Belladonna Purple and a Ghost in Sagano Green. These two vibrant motor cars will be on display for the duration of the event at the Royal Chelsea Hospital. I am looking forward to meeting our esteemed clients, dealers, friends of the marque and media at this year’s gathering. Their passion for unique luxury experiences and magnificent creations is stronger than ever, as demonstrated by these vivacious and spirited commissions.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director UK, Europe, Russia and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

From 20th April 2023, patrons of luxury will convene at Salon Privé, a highly exclusive Concours d’Élégance, in the grounds of Royal Chelsea Hospital, London. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will showcase two special commissions at the event – Phantom Extended and Ghost. Each of these commissions is indicative of Rolls-Royce’s peerless fluency in Bespoke and demonstrates the extensive scope of the marque’s craft, design and engineering competencies.

ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM SERIES II

Last year, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced a new expression for Phantom and Phantom Extended — subtle, ‘light touch’ aesthetic enhancements to the world’s most luxurious motor car. The iconic Pantheon Grille has been further enhanced by a new polished horizontal line between the daytime running lights above the Pantheon Grille, giving the motor car a new assertive modernity. The headlights are graced with intricate laser-cut bezel starlights, creating a visual connection with the Starlight Headliner inside, and adding further surprise and delight to Phantom’s night-time presence.

Phantom Extended offers the indulgence of enhanced rear seating space with no compromise to Phantom’s driving dynamics. This motor car is an exquisite sanctuary, a heaven of serenity swathed in sumptuous design — a place where ideas flourish, greatest achievements are made and thoughts form. It is truly luxuriance expanded.

Following its global launch on the French Riviera last summer, Phantom Extended will make its UK public debut at this year’s Salon Privé in London; an exclusive Phantom Extended has been curated in recognition of this moment. Conveying the creativity, imagination and tradition that exists at the heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a vibrant Belladonna Purple exterior is balanced by a Black leather interior with Grace White accents.

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST

Launched in 2020 Rolls-Royce Ghost, is the latest iteration of the most successful product in the marque’s storied 119-year history.

The exterior’s clean and simple form provides the perfect, pure canvas for personal expression. This particular commission is finished in Sagano Green and an Arctic White single coachline elegantly completes the exterior. Inside, the Serenity Green leather on the secondary panels, seat piping, seat belts and indicator stalks, echoes the exterior hue. Spanning the fascia and topping the centre console between the front seats is Obsidian Ayous with a rich open-pore texture that introduces a natural aura to Ghost’s contemporary cabin.

Phantom Series II: NEDC combined: CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.7 mpg / 15.1 l/100km. WLTP combined: CO2 emissions: 362-351 g/km; Fuel consumption: 16-15.5 l/100km / 17.7-18.2 mpg.

Phantom Extended Series II: NEDC combined: CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.7 mpg / 15.1 l/100km. WLTP combined: CO2 emissions: 365-353 g/km; Fuel consumption: 16.2-15.6 l/100km / 17.4-18.1 mpg. 

Black Badge Ghost: NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 359 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.8 mpg / 18.0 l/100km. WLTP (combined) CO2 emission: 359 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.9 mpg / 15.8 l/100km.

RollsRoyce

THE GHOST OF MANCHESTER PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manchester unveils one-of-one Manchester Ghost
  • Extensively Bespoke Manchester Ghost celebrates the historical resonance of the city for the marque, the remarkable accomplishments achieved by the people of Manchester and the city today
  • The first Rolls-Royce to be inspired by the city of Manchester

 

“I am proud to unveil the Manchester Ghost, a truly special one-of-one embodiment of artistry and skill, curated in collaboration with our Dealer Partners from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manchester. As Charles Rolls and Henry Royce first met in Manchester, the city has, and always will have, a potent historical resonance for the marque. Our accomplished artisans, designers and engineers at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex have created a truly remarkable motor car, capturing the city’s history, and the city today, as well as celebrating some of its most remarkable accomplishments. The Manchester Ghost brings together the Home of Rolls-Royce where each motor car is hand built and the city where the original idea for Rolls-Royce was born.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, United Kingdom, Europe, CIS

A unique and extensively Bespoke one-of-one Ghost has been designed for Manchester, to celebrate the city’s historical link with the marque. The northern metropolis has long been an important place for Rolls-Royce: on 4th May 1904, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce first met in the Midland Hotel, in central Manchester, and it was from this meeting that the marque’s two founding fathers agreed together to create ‘the best motor car in the world’. This is the first time, however, that the city of Manchester has been chosen as the inspiration for a Rolls-Royce commission.

The combined talent of the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce saw designers, craftspeople and artisans collaborate over a period of two years to create this motor car. Designer Ieuan Hatherall explains:

“Manchester has always been a part of Rolls-Royce’s history. I wanted to create a highly contemporary yet elegant iteration of Ghost, honouring the significance of the city for the marque and celebrating the accomplishments of the people of Manchester whilst also incorporating the melange of Manchester’s modern and traditional architecture.”

MANCHESTER BEE

The Manchester Bee, one of the best-known symbols of the city and emblem for the city for more than 150 years, has been a source of great inspiration for this motor car. The Manchester Bee symbolises Mancunians’ strong work ethic and the city being a hive of activity. On the exterior of this unique motor car, a Bespoke motif, inspired by the Manchester Bee and presented in Turchese, is displayed on the C pillar. Inside, the Manchester Bee theme continues, with this iconic symbol embroidered on the front and rear seat inserts.

The traditional Silver exterior of the Manchester Ghost is punctuated with a coachline in Turchese, creating a contemporary accent to the car. The pinstripe wheel centre caps, also presented in Turchese, echo the design, while the brake callipers in the same hue elegantly complete the exterior.

ILLUMINATED FASCIA

For the Manchester Ghost, a truly special Illuminated Fascia, with 10,000 laser etched dots, depicts an ethereal view of Manchester from above. The largest etched dot on the Illuminated Fascia represents the location of the Midland Hotel, the very place where the marque’s two founding fathers first met at the start of the twentieth century. The Illuminated Fascia references the title of the poem ‘This is the Place’ by Tony Walsh, a sentimental tribute to the city of Manchester.

REAR SEAT EMBROIDERY

Landmark locations in Manchester are embroidered in tone-on-tone thread to the rear seat centre and demonstrate the unrivalled capabilities of the Bespoke department.

GRAPHENE HEADLINER

In 2004, two professors at the University of Manchester first isolated Graphene, an incredibly lightweight, strong and flexible material. The discovery of this material, with its unique properties, helped to reaffirm Manchester as a city renowned for revolutionary inventions, academic expertise, and research. This Bespoke commission celebrates this pioneering spirit, with the fabled Rolls-Royce headliner depicting a Graphene lattice inspired pattern.

ILLUMINATED TREADPLATES

The illuminated treadplates also celebrate Manchester’s reputation as a pioneer in the field of technology. Inside the cabin doors, the abbreviated name for the city, ‘MCR’ is inscribed in Binary. This is a tribute to ‘The Manchester Baby’, the world’s first stored programmed electronic digital computer which was successfully run at the University of Manchester on 21st June 1948 – a landmark moment in the history of computing.

“As a born and bred Mancunian, this commission is truly special and will always be highly memorable for me. From the moment we set out to design a motor car to celebrate the city of Manchester, we wanted to create something that would celebrate the city’s history and the place today. It has been great to work with the team at Home of Rolls-Royce to turn our vision into a reality.”
Jon Crossley, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manchester

NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 343 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.8 mpg / 15.0 l/100km. WLTP (combined) CO2 emission: 359-347 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.9-18.6 mpg / 15.8-15.2 l/100km.

RollsRoyce

SIR HENRY ROYCE (1863 – 1933): DRIVEN BY PERFECTION

  • Rolls-Royce marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of co-founder Sir Henry Royce
  • A look back at his remarkable life and work reveals a driven, even obsessive character and a relentless work ethic forged in childhood poverty and frequent adversity
  • The quest for perfection extended to every aspect of Royce’s professional and personal life
  • His famous maxim “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better” still informs and inspires the company’s activities today
     

“Sir Henry Royce bequeathed to the world an extraordinary legacy of engineering innovation and achievement. He also left us, his successors at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, an unequivocal instruction: ‘Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better’. Sir Henry himself lived out this maxim in every aspect of his personal and professional life. Today, as we mark the 160th anniversary of his birth, his challenge still informs and inspires everything we do. It serves as a constant reminder that perfection is a moving target: it is never ‘done’. There is always something we can refine, adjust, rework, reinvent or innovate in our pursuit of perfection; and that is what makes our life and work here so exciting.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Sir Henry Royce’s uncompromising command, “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better” is one of the most famous quotations in automotive history. It is also a maxim that rings down the ages, and still inspires and informs the company that bears his name.

As Rolls-Royce marks the 160th anniversary of Sir Henry’s birth, we look back at his remarkable life and career, in search of the origins of his most celebrated and oft-repeated exhortation. What drove his own lifelong striving for perfection; and how did his relentless, some might say obsessive, desire to improve and refine manifest itself in both his work and domestic spheres?

A LOT TO IMPROVE ON

Royce’s early life was one of hardship, poverty and disadvantage. The youngest of five children, he was born in 1863 into a family in perilous financial circumstances. Matters worsened considerably when his father, a miller, was finally declared bankrupt and, under the law of the time, ended up in prison.

It was against this unpromising backdrop that Royce’s character was formed. Yet he was determined to make a better life for himself, and by the age of just 10 was working in London, first as a newspaper seller and later as a telegram delivery boy.

Things appeared to be moving his way when in 1879, with financial support from his aunt, he secured a coveted apprenticeship at the Great Northern Railway (GNR) workshops in Peterborough. Instantly and obviously in his element, his natural aptitude for design and innate skill with tools and materials quickly become apparent. One early indicator of his talent was a set of three miniature wheelbarrows he made in brass; these pieces clearly demonstrate the exemplary standard of workmanship and quest for excellence he would maintain throughout his life.

VICISSITUDES

Royce’s drive for self-improvement came to an abrupt halt after two years, when his aunt was unable to pay his annual apprenticeship fee. Undaunted, Royce returned to London and, in 1881, began work at the fledgling Electric Lighting & Power Generating Company (EL&PG).

His decision to forsake traditional engineering for the emerging field of electricity was essentially a pragmatic one. Electricity was then so new it had no governing body or professional institutions, and thus no examinations to pass or standards to attain. Unlike in engineering, therefore, Royce’s lack of formal qualifications was no barrier to his progress.

His fascination for the subject, already formidable work ethic and commitment to study (he attended evening classes in English and Mathematics after work) meant that in 1882, the EL&PG, by now renamed the Maxim-Weston Electric Company, sent him to work for its subsidiary in Lancashire as First (Chief) Electrician, responsible for street and theatre lighting in the city of Liverpool. Yet again, however, circumstances conspired against him: through gross mismanagement in its acquisition of patents, the company abruptly went into receivership and Royce, aged only 19, found himself unemployed once more.

TAKING CHARGE

Although the parent company of his erstwhile employer chose to salvage what it could rather than sell off the remaining resources, Royce had had enough. Impelled by his innate drive, clear appetite for (calculated) risk and the abundant self-assurance noted by his contemporaries, he started up in business on his own.

In late 1884, he founded F H Royce & Co (he was christened Frederick Henry) in Manchester. Initially producing small items such as battery-powered door bells, the company progressed to making heavy equipment such as overhead cranes and railway shunting capstans.

But while the business was thriving, Royce himself was not. By 1901, his years of overwork and a strained home life were taking a severe toll on his health, which had probably been fundamentally weakened by the privations of his childhood.

His doctor persuaded him to buy a De Dion quadricycle as a way to escape the office and enjoy some fresh air; but before long, Royce’s health collapsed. A major contributing factor was his growing concern that the company was heading into financial problems; something that would perhaps have had particular significance for him given his father’s experiences.

The company owed its dwindling fortunes to an influx of cheap, or at least cheaper, electrical machinery from Germany and the USA that was able to undercut Royce’s prices. Ever the perfectionist, Royce himself was not prepared to enter a race to the bottom or compromise the quality of his products.

Complete rest was required, and he was eventually persuaded to take a 10-week holiday to visit his wife’s family in South Africa. On the long voyage home, he read ‘The Automobile – its construction and management’. The book would change his life – and ultimately, the world.

MAKING THE BEST BETTER

On his return to England, Royce ­– now fully revitalised both mentally and physically – immediately acquired his first motor car, a 10 H.P. Decauville. Given the still-parlous state of his company’s finances, this might have seemed a frivolous squandering of precious funds; but in fact, this purchase was a shrewd and calculated one that, in his mind, held the key to the company’s future prosperity.

The story usually goes that this first car was so poorly made and unreliable that Royce decided he could do better. In fact, his holiday reading had already focused his mind on producing his own car from scratch; he had already supplied a limited number of electric motors for the ‘Pritchett and Gold’ electric car. So contrary to the received wisdom, he chose the Decauville precisely because it was the finest car available to him, in order to dismantle it and then, in his most famous phrase, “take the best that exists and make it better”.

He began by building three two-cylinder 10 H.P. cars based on the Decauville layout. That he was the only person who believed this new direction could save the company is another sign of his tenacity and self-belief. Just as importantly, his attention to detail in design and manufacture, accompanied by a continuous review of components after analysis, set the production template he would follow until his death.

These first examples were followed by the three-cylinder 15 H.P., four-cylinder 20 H.P. and six-cylinder 30 H.P. – each of which represented significant advances in automotive design. In 1906, two years after the founding of Rolls-Royce, Managing Director Claude Johnson persuaded Royce to adopt a ‘one model’ policy. In response, Royce designed the 40/50 H.P. ‘Silver Ghost’, the car that rightly earned the immortal soubriquet “the best car in the world”.

The Silver Ghost demonstrated Royce’s almost uncanny instinct for using the right materials for components, long before scientific analysis could provide reliable data. He also worked out that the properties of fluids alter with speed, so designed the Silver Ghost’s carburettor with three jets that came into play at different throttle openings, thereby eliminating ‘flat spots’.

HOME AND AWAY

By 1906 it was obvious that Rolls-Royce’s Cooke Street works in Manchester could no longer accommodate the company’s rapidly expanding motor car production. Rolls-Royce acquired a site on Nightingale Road in Derby, where Royce designed and oversaw the building of a brand-new, purpose-built factory. He undertook this enormous and technically complex task on top of his normal workload, and demanded his customary exacting standards from all concerned, not least himself.

Given the relentless volume and pace of his work, Royce’s second serious health crisis in 1911 came as little surprise. Rest was again prescribed, and during the summer and autumn, Johnson drove him on a road trip that extended as far as Egypt. On the return journey, they stopped in the south of France, where Royce took a strong liking for the tiny hamlet of Le Canadel, near Nice. Ever the man of action, Johnson bought a parcel of land and commissioned a new house for Royce, plus a smaller villa for visiting draughtsmen and assistants. Royce himself naturally took a keen interest in the building work, basing himself in a nearby hotel.

His health, however, remained fragile. After a relapse which led to emergency surgery in England, he returned to the now-finished house to recuperate. For the rest of life, he (very sensibly) spent his winters at Le Canadel and the summers in the south of England.

From 1917, his English residence was Elmstead, an 18th-Century house in the village of West Wittering on the Sussex coast, just eight miles from the present-day Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Elmstead had some adjoining land, where Royce resumed his long-standing interest in fruit farming. Inevitably, he brought his desire for perfection to this activity, too, and he quickly became a leading expert in many aspects of farming and horticulture.

His domestic life at Elmstead throws further light on his perfectionist nature, which focused his attention on even the smallest actions of others. For example, any aspiring cook would be employed only if they boiled potatoes in the ‘right’ way – just as an unfortunate labourer in the Cooke Street works was once admonished and shown how to use a broom correctly.

A REMARKABLE LEGACY

Whether he was designing car components or aircraft engines, Royce’s search for perfection never waned; yet even he acknowledged that it was, in fact, unattainable. His mantra for his drawing-office staff was ‘Rub out, alter, improve, refine’, and that process of constant improvement and development led to some of his greatest engineering achievements. Under his direction, the Buzzard aero engine built in 1927 with an initial output of 825 H.P. was transformed in just four years into the Schneider Trophy-winning ‘R’ engine that, in its final form, was capable of producing 2,783 H.P. And his outline design for a V12 engine would appear almost unaltered in the Phantom III of 1936, three years after his death. An instinctive, intuitive engineer, he was a firm believer that if something looked right, it probably was right. His extraordinary ability to assess components by eye alone proved infallible time and time again.

Royce’s tendency to overwork, often at the expense of his own health, was a symptom of his quest for perfection, and a will to achieve it forged in hardship and adversity. He was a highly driven – some might say obsessive – man who overcame many setbacks and misfortunes, and applied his meticulous engineer’s eye, inquisitive mind and relentless work ethic to every aspect of his life. And such is the power of his ethos and legend, they still inform and inspire the company that bears his name 160 years after his birth.

RollsRoyce

ROLLS-ROYCE BLACK BADGE WRAITH BLACK ARROW: A MAGNIFICENT END TO A TRANSFORMATIVE ERA

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection
  • The final examples of Wraith, the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history
  • Collection of 12 cars celebrates Wraith, which transformed perceptions of Rolls-Royce
  • The last V12 coupé the marque will ever build ahead of its all-electric future
  • Introduces Gradient Paint, one of the most complex surface finishes Rolls-Royce has ever produced
  • Design concept inspired by Thunderbolt,which set world land speed records in the 1930s
  • Incorporates illuminated Thunderbolt Speedform between front seats
  • Record-breaking Bespoke Starlight Headliner, featuring 2,117 fibre-optic ‘stars’
  • Each interior door panel made of 320 marquetry pieces to create dramatic, tactile surface
  • Debuts new ‘Club Leather’ interior surface treatment


“Wraith is one of the most significant and influential cars we have ever made at Goodwood. Its extraordinary power, performance and presence opened the Rolls-Royce brand to an entirely new group of clients. It created its own following within contemporary culture and then expanded that further in its alternative Black Badge guise. As the last examples of this landmark motor car get ready to leave Goodwood, we commemorate Wraith’s status as the last series V12 coupé we will ever make. Both Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow and its inspiration, the V12-powered land speed record-holding Thunderbolt of the thirties, represent the culmination of many long years of achievement, and the end of their respective eras. This magnificent final V12 coupé Collection captures both the significance and spirit of Wraith through the marque’s hallmark and peerless Bespoke capabilities. A fitting finale for this transformative motor car.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today unveils Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow to mark the end of production of one of the most transformative motor cars in the marque’s history. This Bespoke masterpiece, limited to just 12 examples worldwide, is also the last V12 coupé Rolls-Royce will ever make, as it embarks on its bold new electric era.

WRAITH: A CULTURAL ICON

Launched in 2013, Wraith is one of the most important and influential models ever designed and built at Goodwood. More performance-focused than its predecessors Phantom and Ghost, Wraith fundamentally altered perceptions of Rolls-Royce and brought new, younger customer groups to the brand for the first time. Its wider cultural significance is underlined by countless references to the Wraith in music, cinema, art and fashion.

THE V12 CONNECTION

Wraith’s dramatic ‘fastback’ silhouette signalled the motor car’s dynamic intent, which was further amplified in 2016, with the introduction of Black Badge Wraith: a potent, subversive and even more powerful expression of this transformative motor car, offering some of the highest levels of performance ever achieved by a V12-powered Rolls-Royce.

Yet when considering how best to mark the end of the Wraith era, Goodwood’s designers and engineers took inspiration for the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection from an equally significant V12 in Rolls-Royce’s long and storied legacy. In 1938, Captain George Eyston – whose bold, brave endeavours encapsulate the Black Badge spirit – set a world land speed record of 357.497 mph (575.335 km/h) with Thunderbolt, a seven-tonne, eight-wheeled leviathan equipped with two Rolls-Royce V12 ‘R’ Series aero engines. The outbreak of the Second World War in the following year ended Eyston’s endeavours; all subsequent records have been set with different engine types and configurations, enshrining Thunderbolt in perpetuity as the fastest V12-powered motor car ever built.

Thunderbolt’s record attempts took place on the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Against the glare of the brilliant white surface, and under a blazing desert sun, the reflections from the car’s polished aluminium body made it almost impossible to tell precisely when it passed the timing equipment. Eyston’s simple but ingenious solution was to paint a large black arrow on the car’s sides, incorporating a yellow central circle motif that could be seen clearly even at high speed. This is what gives today’s Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection both its name and unique historical context.

GRADIENT PAINT

Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow’s exclusive Bespoke finish features a full colour graduation between two tones – Celebration Silver and Black Diamond. A glass-infused ‘Crystal’ paint over layer has been applied to the Black Diamond paint to enhance the transition between the two colours, achieving a striking motion blur effect from front to rear. This exclusive Bespoke technique also gives the coachwork a subtle texture inspired by the crusted surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats, set beneath a high gloss lacquer, which is polished for more than 12 hours to achieve a glass-like finish.

The realisation of this extraordinary finish required the marque to undertake 18 months of surface testing and development before the marque’s Bespoke Collective of engineers, craftspeople and designers achieved a result befitting to Rolls-Royce standards. The total investment in time developing the material chemistry, application technique and surface finishing makes Gradient Paint one of the most technically complex paints that Rolls-Royce has ever created.

CONTRAST PALETTE

Contrast to the Gradient Paint is provided by Bright Yellow bumper inserts and Bespoke wheel pinstripes, subtly recalling the yellow circle within Thunderbolt’s black arrow. In another Rolls-Royce first, Black Arrow’s V-struts, located behind the radiator grille and in front of the engine, are also finished in Bright Yellow, subtly drawing the eye to the V12 engine behind the Black Badge dark chrome grille surround. This use of Bright Yellow extends to the base of the motor car’s layered carbon fibre Spirit of Ecstasy, which incorporates a Bright Yellow ring detail and an engraving of the Collection name.

V12 LEGACY FASCIA

To commemorate Rolls-Royce’s last-ever V12 coupé, the marque’s Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers collaborated to create a unique artwork for Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow’s fascia. The intricate, tactile design skilfully depicts the contemporary V12 engine in Wraith. In keeping with the Black Badge family’s noir ambience, the highly complex design – itself the product of two months of development – is engraved in a single sheet of black-coated aluminium to reveal the gleaming metal beneath, providing a bold visual link to Thunderbolt’s polished aluminium body.

BESPOKE VENEER

Black Arrow’s coach doors are lined with open-pore Black Wood, in a complex design comprising over 320 multi-directional and lasered marquetry pieces that mimics the cracked, irregular surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats. This extraordinary feature also extends onto the rear ‘Waterfall’ panel, which separates the two rear seats.

CONSOLE SPEEDFORM

Thunderbolt underwent a series of design iterations during its lifetime. Its final shape, in which it captured the records commemorated in Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow, is preserved forever in the illuminated, polished aluminium Speedform encapsulated behind glass on the front console.

NEW ‘CLUB’ LEATHER

Inside, Black Arrow’s interior is provisioned with a new material type developed specifically for the Collection. The armrests, seat gussets, transmission tunnel, door detail, door panniers and lower dashboard panel are all finished in ‘Club Leather’ – its intentional greater sheen and even deeper black colouration provide a subtle contrast to the matte Rolls-Royce natural-grain black leather. The leather’s natural markings are intentionally emphasised to give the interior more visible ‘life lines’, and a closer resemblance to what was described at the time as “the club-armchair type of driving seat which George [Eyston] prefers above all others”. In keeping with the Black Badge series’ use of daring pulses of colour, Bright Yellow is employed for the front seat leather. Atop the seat, the outer headrest features an arrow embroidery motif, providing rich, tactile detail and referencing the arrow symbol painted on Thunderbolt’s aluminium body to enable the electric timing equipment to ‘see’ and capture the car at full speed.

TRACK GUIDE

When the steering wheel is set in a straight-ahead position, a dark marking at the twelve o’clock position aligns with a similar pattern in the seats. This references the black lines Eyston’s team painted on the white Salt Flats to help him maintain direction – his sole point of reference at speeds of over 350 mph. In recognition of the significance of this marking, this track guide flows in a deliberately asymmetric line from the steering wheel to the driver’s and rear passengers’ seats.

RECORD CONSTELLATION

Given Thunderbolt’s record-breaking status, it is only fitting that Black Arrow incorporates a record of its own. Casting a dramatic night’s-sky ambience over the interior suite, Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow’s Bespoke Starlight Headliner incorporates 2,117 fibre-optic ‘stars’ – the greatest number ever seen in a Rolls-Royce motor car. All individually arranged by hand, the ‘stars’ depict the Milky Way as seen from vast open spaces, and the constellations precisely as they would have appeared over the Salt Flats in Utah on 16 September 1938, the date of Eyston’s final, immutable record.

BLACK ARROW CLOCK

Inspired by the analogue instruments of the 1930s, the fascia clock bezel references the raw, technical aesthetic of Thunderbolt’s interior, enhanced by black hand-tips that mimic the originalcar’s side-arrows; the surround is inscribed with the legend ‘Bonneville’ and Thunderbolt’s everlasting record speed for a V12-engined car of 357.497 mph. A further ‘arrow’ detail appears on the motor car’s Bespoke treadplates.

ENGINE BADGE

An exclusive Bespoke plaque is mounted on the engine cover to signify this as the last V12 ever to be fitted to a Rolls-Royce coupé. Machined from a single piece of polished metal, the plaque is inscribed with the V12 monogram in Bright Yellow, and the legend ‘Final Coupé Collection’ in Black.

All 12 motor cars in the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection have been allocated to clients around the world.