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RollsRoyce

Rolls-Royce Unveils Amethyst Droptail: An Expression of Purity, Clarity, and Resilience

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents the Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail
  • An extraordinary coachbuilt project inspired by the birthstone of the patron’s son
  • Features a celebration of craft, minimalism, and meticulous attention to detail
  • The veneer aft deck is the largest wood surface ever produced by Rolls-Royce
  • The rear section is the only aerodynamically functional wood surface on a new motor car
  • Incorporates precious amethyst gems into the interior and exterior
  • The Pantheon grille features both brushed and polished finishes for the first time
  • The design is inspired by the client’s Vacheron Constantin timepiece
  • Unveiled to the commissioning client at a private event in Gstaad, Switzerland


“This stunning expression of the Rolls-Royce Droptail truly captures the soul of its commissioning client. This distinguished and international individual exemplifies connoisseurship, and their global outlook, refined tastes, and deep-rooted heritage were a broadening pleasure to explore. The extraordinary projection of their spirit, captured in the Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail, is a clear statement of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild’s intent: to collaborate profoundly as a means to produce a historic expression of applied art. It is the client’s personal involvement that gives Coachbuild motor cars their unparalleled strength of character. These products reflect an exceptional clarity of vision, executed with absolute conviction. Amethyst Droptail captures these virtues in extremis.”
 Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“A Coachbuilt Rolls-Royce derives its identity and legend from the accomplishments, sensibilities, and character of its owner. It is this human dimension, combined with highly progressive design, that makes it entirely unique and irreplaceable. This specificity gives every Coachbuild commission a sense of timelessness and artistic endurance. Within Rolls-Royce design, Amethyst Droptail will stand in our history as a representation of how accurate our creative response can be in projecting the soul of an individual commissioning client through both literal and highly conceptual expressions of personal luxury.”
 Anders Warming, Design Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail is the epitome of quiet artistry, and its significance lies in its depth of detail. Together with a discerning patron whose character resonates throughout the commission, we explored their sensibilities, cherished pursuits, and values through masterfully curated details, each imbued with profound symbolic significance. Created for an individual with a passion for modern design, the minutia of haute horlogerie techniques, and whose family has a special connection to gemstones, Amethyst Droptail is a remarkable projection of connoisseurship, contemporary design, and personal heritage.”
 Alex Innes, Head of Coachbuild Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Amethyst Droptail

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents the Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail, a breathtaking coachbuilt masterpiece that celebrates its commissioning client’s cultural heritage, family legacy, and personal passions.

One of four unique expressions of the Rolls-Royce Droptail, Amethyst Droptail is an elevated expression of applied art, commissioned by a patron whose family business has grown from a gemstone boutique to a multinational corporation with diversified interests. The client is well-traveled, internationally educated, and draws inspiration from various sources. They are an established patron of the arts, with a collection of precious jewels, significant motor cars, and contemporary artworks housed in a specially commissioned private museum.

The patron requested an elegant expression of the Droptail inspired by the amethyst gem, which is both the birthstone of their son and a symbol of purity, clarity, and resilience. The themes of this exceptional motor car explore these qualities in extraordinary depth. Amethyst Droptail reflects the client’s passion for quiet artistry and subtle details, rewarding those who study it with beguiling elements.

Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail was unveiled at a private event in Gstaad, Switzerland, a region of particular significance for the patron.

A Flower in the Desert

The patron and co-creator of Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail wanted to celebrate the cultural heritage of their home region. Rolls-Royce Coachbuild designers responded with an inspiration point – the Globe Amaranth wildflower, which blooms in the desert near one of the client’s homes.

The exterior paint finish captures multiple stages of the flower’s bloom. The main body color is a soft purple hue with a subtle silver undertone, named Globe Amaranth as a tribute to the flower. It is enhanced with fine flecks of powdered aluminum that reflect the light and create an iridescent finish. The upper coachwork is a deep purple Amethyst contrast paint containing red, blue, and violet mica flakes that create a mauve color with a subtle metallic sheen.

In sunlight, the motor car reveals a hint of mauve paint on the inside of the 22-inch wheels, providing an elegant contrast to the mirror-polished aluminum surface. The exterior also features a complex treatment of carbon fiber on the lower sections of the motor car. The carbon fiber is finished with a fine layer of lacquer tinted with Amethyst pigment, creating a unique effect that speaks of the client’s passion for subtlety and restraint.

Depth of Detail

The client’s trust in Rolls-Royce’s artisans is expressed in the Pantheon grille treatment. The exterior grille surround and ‘kinked’ vane pieces feature both hand-brushed and hand-polished finishes, creating a precise line that demarcates each finish. This surface treatment, inspired by the client’s interest in haute horlogerie, is achieved through over 50 hours of collective work.

The front end features an intricate lower front air intake digitally designed and ‘printed’ in a lightweight composite. It incorporates 202 hand-polished stainless-steel ingots, each painstakingly painted in the Globe Amaranth hue. The front is completed with a Spirit of Ecstasy figurine surrounded by amethyst cabochons.

Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail celebrates the materials and crafts personally curated by the client and their family. The motor car features a stunning Calamander Light open-pore wood, with colors that inspired the leather treatment. The leather, in the Sand Dunes hue, contrasts gently with the wood. The interior wood parts extend from the fascia and doors to the shawl panel, center armrest, and aft deck. The wooden surface on the aft deck is both an artistic piece and the world’s only ‘raw’ wooden surface that produces downforce on a new roadgoing motor car.

The interior treatment also includes the adornment of the rotary dials with rare amethyst gems. The client personally approved each stone, ensuring their exceptional depth and clarity. The interior suite is completed with woven leather floormats, paying tribute to traditional weaving crafts.

Bespoke, Elevated

A removable hard top gives the Rolls-Royce Droptail two distinct characters – an open-top roadster and a dramatic coupé. The roof incorporates electrochromic glass that can change its color and transparency instantly. When deactivated, the glass is completely opaque with a subtle purple tint that matches the exterior finish. When activated, it becomes translucent with a hue that matches the Sand Dunes leather used in the interior suite.

A Singular Timepiece

The Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail features a unique timepiece commissioned by the client from Vacheron Constantin. Handmade in Geneva, the timepiece named ‘Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon’ has an intricate hand-wound movement and is securely housed in a specially designed holder. The timepiece combines beautifully with the motor car, with amethyst-colored inserts on the instrument dials and a hand-crafted sunburst guilloché pattern on the baseplate.

Amethyst Droptail: A Personal Place in Rolls-Royce History

The Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail is a testament to the client’s passion for quiet details and meticulous craftsmanship. It represents the harmonization of heritage, modernity, and soul in one of the most historically significant Rolls-Royces ever built.

Featured

Mecum Monterey 2023: 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4

As part of the Monterey 2023 auction, Mecum Auctions is showcasing the impressive 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4. This stunning car is not only a symbol of automotive elegance but also holds a significant place in racing history. With its captivating Nero 20-B-50 (Black) finish, vibrant Pella Orange Connolly leather seats, and complementing Red carpets, this automobile effortlessly combines style and performance in true Ferrari fashion.

What sets this particular 275 GTB/4 apart is its rarity, being one of only six originally painted in Black. It has recently been refinished in its original color scheme, perfectly blending classic aesthetic charm with contemporary refurbishment. Beneath its striking exterior lies the heart of a true racer – a robust 3286cc four-cam V-12 engine.

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The car’s lineage is as remarkable as its aesthetics. It was originally owned by Dr. Luigi Ravizza of Verona, Italy, who raced it in various Italian gentleman hillclimb races under the pseudonym “Meo.” Vintage photos from 1967-68 beautifully capture these racing adventures.

Throughout its time with Ravizza, the car received regular maintenance and servicing at the Ferrari factory’s Assistenza Clienti in Modena. Its significance in Ferrari’s illustrious history was further solidified by being featured in the Ferrari 1968-69-70 Yearbook.

In 1971, the 275 GTB/4 made its way to the United States, specifically to Gerry Sutterfield of Mount Vernon, Ohio, a prominent figure in the Ferrari enthusiast community. Sutterfield, a member of the first Ferrari Club of America Board of Directors, served as the National President in 1969-70 and gained recognition for his participation in vintage racing with a Porsche 917.

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The car’s third owner, Don Vitale, an attorney from Southbury, Connecticut, purchased it in 1984. Under Vitale’s ownership, the Ferrari underwent a restoration, receiving a new Red finish and Black interior. The restoration was completed in 1990, and the car proudly participated in the 1990 FCA National Concours in Watkins Glen, New York, as well as the 1991 FCA National Concours in Washington.

In 1999, the Vitale family sold the car to Rick Grant III through Peter Sweeney’s Forza Motors. The 275 GTB/4 continued to dazzle spectators at prestigious events, including the 1999 Cavallino Classic Concorso D’Eleganza and the Cavallino Classic track event at Moroso Motorsports Park.

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Now, this beautifully restored 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 will be one of the highlight attractions at Mecum Auctions’ Monterey 2023 event. Its captivating history, rare original color, and outstanding provenance make it an irresistible opportunity for serious car enthusiasts and collectors alike. As this remarkable vehicle heads to auction, it carries with it a rich heritage of speed, elegance, and the finest Italian craftsmanship.


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Featured

Bell & Ross’ New F1-Inspired BR05 Chrono A523 Celebrates Alpine F1

Bell & Ross is known for its high-performance timepieces and they are now introducing the BR05 Chrono A523 to their sport-driven collection. This chronograph is designed in vibrant Alpine F1 team colors, reinforcing the long-standing partnership between Bell & Ross and the F1 team. The watch pays great attention to detail, featuring the French flag and Alpine logo, along with a black dial for optimal readability. It combines sportiness and elegance with a 42mm case that has polished and satin finishes, creating a beautiful play with light. The BR05 Chrono A523 is water-resistant up to 100 meters and is available in a limited edition of 500 pieces.

You have the option to choose between a steel bracelet for a sporty look or a black leather strap for a more sophisticated touch. The BR05 Chrono A523 is powered by the resilient BR-CAL.326 caliber self-winding mechanical movement. This timepiece mirrors the high-precision engineering of the Alpine 523 racing car, which boasts 950 horsepower, weighs 1,695 lbs and has a top speed of 220mph. With this exciting launch, Bell & Ross continues to demonstrate their commitment to combining powerful performance with avant-garde style. The all-new Bell & Ross BR05 Chrono A523 is currently available through authorized dealers starting at $6,700.

You have the option to choose between a steel bracelet for a sporty look or a black leather strap for a more sophisticated touch. The BR05 Chrono A523 is powered by the resilient BR-CAL.326 caliber self-winding mechanical movement. This timepiece mirrors the high-precision engineering of the Alpine 523 racing car, which boasts 950 horsepower, weighs 1,695 lbs, and achieves a top speed of 220mph. This exciting launch solidifies Bell & Ross’s commitment to combining powerful performance with avant-garde style. The all-new Bell & Ross BR05 Chrono A523 is currently available through authorized dealers starting at $6,700.

 
Featured

Audi Unleashes The Fastest RS 6 Avant And RS 7 Sedan Yet

Unleashing unparalleled speed and power, Audi presents the fastest, most potent RS 6 and RS 7 models ever – the RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Performance. These dynamic powerhouses offer thrilling enhancements, from an increased 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque to improved self-locking differential and steering. Sound insulation has been reduced, enabling the powerful 4.0-liter biturbo V8 engine’s music to permeate the cabin, accentuating the ride. Audi’s advanced engine now accommodates larger turbochargers, boosting power by an extra 30 horsepower and 37 lb-ft of torque, resulting in a breathtaking 0-60 mph in just 3.3 seconds.

View All Audi RS 6 Avant For Sale

View All Audi RS 7 For Sale

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Setting them apart from previous models, the new RS 6 and RS 7 feature standard RS exterior trim components in matte gray. An expanded palette of eight exterior colors, including the new Gerenadier Red metallic and Ascari Blue metallic, bolsters their appeal. Both models also come with three additional 22” lightweight forged wheel options with Continental Sport Contact 7 summer tires, enhancing handling and braking efficiency.

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Dynamic driving experience steps up with the fully mechanical self-locking center differential, now compact and lightweight. The updated transmission control unit software quickens shifting times, enabling precise cornering control and enhanced driving dynamics. Audi Sport underscores the ‘performance’ designation by reducing sound insulation, allowing the roar of the 621 horsepower V8 to echo in the RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Performance. The optional RS sport exhaust further enhances this auditory excitement.

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On the inside, the new RS design package plus, available in gray, red, and blue, adds a vibrant touch. Standard 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus introduces new features like the motorsport-style blinking shift indicator and Launch Control, taking the driving experience up a notch.

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For the customer seeking exclusivity, the Bronze edition, limited to 125 units, presents an exclusive Sebring Black crystal effect paint matched with motorsport-inspired matte neodymium gold 22” 5-Y-spoke wheels. Experience the zenith of dynamic, engaging performance with the new RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Performance from Audi of America. The newly updated Audi RS 6 Avant Performance and RS 7 Performance are expected to be available this fall starting at $125,800 and $127,800. View all Audi RS 6 Avant and RS 7 models currently for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the links below.

View All Audi RS 6 Avant For Sale

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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 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.

DSAutomobile

NEW DOCUMENTARY ‘THE ART OF TRAVEL – A FRENCH REINVENTION’ FEATURING NEW DS 7 TO DEBUT ON PRIME VIDEO

  • DS Automobiles presents a documentary devoted to the French art of travel, broadcast from 11 May on Prime Video
  • ‘The Art of Travel – A French Reinvention’ celebrates the French art of living with new DS 7 and touches on the model’s development
  • Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO and Thierry Metroz, DS Automobiles Design Director, take part in this documentary with experts including renowned journalist Seamus Kearney and progressive designer Ramy Fischler

A new documentary by DS Automobiles celebrating the French art of travel will be broadcast from 11 May on Prime Video.

In ‘The Art of Travel – A French Reinvention’, globe-trotting journalist Seamus Kearney goes to meet the women and men who make travel an art. Driving new DS 7, Kearney immerses himself in the French art of travel during his encounters, which also see him journey by hot air balloon and in a carriage on the Orient Express.

As he showcases the future of luxury travel, his trip is punctuated by commentary from Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO, and progressive designer Ramy Fischler.

A freelance journalist with dual Irish and New Zealand nationality, Seamus Kearney has spent the last thirty years travelling the world. For ‘The Art of Travel – A French Reinvention’, he took the time to find places like no other with extraordinary stories from different regions.

‘The Art of Travel – A French Reinvention’ embodies the DS Automobiles conception of the French art of living and illustrates the brand’s vision for reinventing the travel of tomorrow.

Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO, said: “This documentary reflects our vision for the future of premium travel, which will be more authentic, more grounded and slower. It will be more personalised, shaped for the traveller. It will be more sustainable, environmentally oriented, but also more high-tech, embedded in the era of services. This reinvention is being driven by DS Automobiles with the French art of travel, characterised by hospitality, personalisation and sustainability.”

The 46-minute documentary will debut on 11 May on Prime Video and will be available for three months.

With unparalleled comfort and electrified power units of up to 360hp, new DS 7 combines technical expertise with elegance. Available to order online or in store, prices for new DS 7 start from £36,785 OTR.