Rolls-Royce

The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, codenamed 103EX, today made its North American debut at the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. 103EX is the marque’s first ever pure ‘Vision Vehicle’ and defines the future of luxury mobility. It presents an intriguing and aesthetically dynamic vision of the future of luxury mobility – a completely personal, effortless and autonomous Rolls-Royce experience, wrapped in a design that ensures a ‘Grand Sanctuary’ for its occupants and a ‘Grand Arrival’. 103EX is one of four visionary creations announced by the BMW Group in Munich on 7 March 2016, as it launched its centenary celebrations.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars supported Mission Motorsport at the charity’s annual invitational track day, held this year at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Mission Motorsport was set up to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by military operations by providing opportunities through motorsport. More than 50 servicemen and women and their families were given the opportunity to be chauffeured around the glorious Goodwood Motor Circuit in a Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge, the most powerful Rolls-Royce in the world. Also displayed was the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, presented in Midnight Sapphire with a Mandarin leather interior.

A luxury Rolls-Royce formerly owned by the late Kenny Baker will be offered for sale at Classic Car Auctions’ (CCA) September Sale on 24th September at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre. As one of the most recognisable and popular actors of the Star Wars franchise for his role as robot sidekick R2-D2, Kenny Baker appeared in six of the blockbuster films.

Rolls-Royce will celebrate the 2016 Goodwood Revival with a significant presence at the legendary motor circuit. The centrepiece will be The March Motor Works, which this year is transformed into a period Rolls-Royce showroom, recapturing the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the marque’s glamorous Berkeley Square and Park Lane premises in London’s West End during the 1950s.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will celebrate the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed with a dark and edgy presence on the famous Hillclimb. Wraith Black Badge and Ghost Black Badge will be on familiar turf, with Goodwood House in sight of the Home of Rolls-Royce. Wraith Black Badge. Wraith Black Badge can be seen on the Supercar Run up the hill and in between Hillclimbs in the Supercar Paddock. Already the most powerful Rolls-Royce in the world at 624hp (465kw), Wraith now benefits from 70Nm more torque, tweaked air suspension and upgraded gearbox leading to more spirited driving. The car presented is finished in Black Badge Black, with the interior in Black and Mugello Red contrast leather, and the facia in aerospace-grade aluminium-threaded carbon fibre composite surfacing. Wraith Black Badge will be driven by Festival of Speed favourite, Justin Law. 

ZENITH: The pinnacle, the best of its kind. The highest standard achievable by which everything is judged. “As we begin to write a bold new chapter in Rolls-Royce history, I am delighted to present a Bespoke Collection that so elegantly celebrates two of the world’s rarest and most celebrated luxury goods; Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé. Phantom Zenith Collection motor cars speak of the marque’s unrelenting commitment to setting and advancing the standard by which all other luxury goods are judged.” Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. From its foundation 112 years ago, the story of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been defined by a restless commitment to setting and raising the standard by which all other luxury goods are judged. On January 1 2003, this philosophy was realised emphatically with the handover of the first seventh generation […]

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow & Bentley T-Series were a revolutionary step forward when launched in 1965. This book tells the full story and gives details of models, history, and design of these classic British cars, including related coach-built cars, the Silver Wraith ll, Corniche & Camargue. Malcolm Bobbitt also uses his extensive motoring experience to provide valuable advice for buyers, owners and restorers. This new Fourth Edition has been fully revised and contains much new and updated information as well as several new pictures. Malcolm Bobbitt is the author of more than thirty marque histories and general automotive books, a number of which have been published as foreign language editions. As a regular contributor to several periodicals and newspapers, his work and photography have appeared worldwide. A member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, Society of Automotive Historians and Society of Authors, […]

The extraordinary craftsmanship that goes into realising Bespoke customer commissions is set to be showcased at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, during London Craft Week. Bespoke masterpieces including the Maharaja Phantom Drophead Coupé, Wraith ‘Inspired by Music’ and Wraith ‘Inspired by Fashion’ will take centre stage at the iconic showroom as part of London Craft Week on Thursday 5 May 2016.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn has been named 2016 ‘Design of the Year’ by Robb Report in its inaugural Cars of the Year awards, just weeks after the new convertible received global acclaim during its international launch in Cape Town, South Africa. The world’s most uncompromising open-top motoring experience, Dawn redefines the notion of a true super-luxury drophead and has won plaudits from some of the most highly respected international commentators.

Our Video of the Week (VotW) is a history of Rolls-Royce. In many ways, the Rolls-Royce is one of the more hidden British cars. It isn’t that they are that rare or invisible, but they have such a personality all their own that sometimes we forget about them in the midst of the MGs, Triumphs, Austin Healeys, and even Jaguars. However, if you were to ask the random man-on-the-street who is not an English car buff to name a British car, chances are that Rolls-Royce would be the first name off the lips. The history of the marque, its names, and its branding with Bentley, can be more than a bit confusing. But Rolls-Royce as most of us know it, formally named Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973, began in 1906 with the business partnership of Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Frederick Henry […]

International auctioneers COYS return to the famous Ascot racecourse with more than 50 classic and sports cars going under the hammer at their long-established auction on Saturday 16th April. Chris Routledge, CEO of COYS, said: “Ascot promises to be a great auction. Held in the grounds of the Ascot Racecourse, a true British sporting establishment, we have lined up a fine selection of historic and sports cars with everything from Jaguars and Aston Martins to Bentleys and Ferraris.”

The Rolls-Royce Dawn has earned BBC Top Gear Magazine’s coveted 2016 ‘Luxury Car of the Year’ award, just days after the international launch of the car began in the winelands around Cape Town, South Africa. The most uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world, Dawn has won plaudits from some of the most highly respected international commentators, with many declaring that the new Rolls-Royce redefines the notion of a true super-luxury drophead. Dawn, the fourth distinctive model in the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars family, is powered by an effortlessly smooth 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine and features a multi-layer foldaway fabric roof that, when in place, makes the Dawn the world’s quietest convertible car. Addressing the desires of a significantly younger customer base, Dawn delivers timeless refinement and is the most social car the marque has ever produced. Naming the Rolls-Royce Dawn […]

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, has announced that the current Phantom will enter the last stages of its celebrated life in 2016.

Barons is adding three specialist auctions to its 2016 calendar, including a Rolls-Royce, Bentley and prestige classic car and memorabilia sale at the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club rally at the magnificent Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire. Entries are now invited for the sale, which takes place on June 25th at the RREC’s biggest gathering of the year. The three-day international Annual Rally and Concours d’Elegance attracts thousands of cherished Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, and their enthusiastic owners, from all over the world. “We were delighted to be invited by the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club to hold a classic car auction at their very special event,” said Barons’ director Peter Gascoigne. “Barons has a strong history with Rolls-Royce and Bentley at auction; for example, in 2015 we achieved £739,000, nearly double top estimate, for a 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback ‘barn find’ restoration project. Whilst […]

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars debuts Ghost Eternal Love this evening at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing. Embodying the theme of love, the new Bespoke collection is exclusively designed for the China market, coupling modern design elements inspired by the white swan with remarkable Rolls-Royce craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. Leon Li, Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars China, explained the significance of the latest design, “The Ghost Eternal Love demonstrates to our customers the unparalleled creativity of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke team while it meets the needs of our customers for exclusive personalisation. Embodied in this latest masterpiece is the emotional inheritance of the Rolls-Royce brand, a representation of our undying passion for creating the best cars in the world. More than this, it symbolises the Chinese New Year gift to customers from Rolls-Royce.” Ghost Eternal Love Collection The swan design, […]

Editor’s Note: Our “expert of the auctions”, Bob Seidler, recently visited the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and sent in this report. This was only after texting me far more photos than I can run and making me extremely jealous in the process. For all of us car buffs out there, be sure to add the Petersen Automotive Museum to your must-see list.  Over the years, I had heard it was a pretty cool place, and I can now confirm…it is the best automotive viewing experience I‘ve ever had.  While many of us have visited museums where the cars are lined up and little ID plates tell the basic facts, The Petersen takes visitor engagement to a new level.  Lots of detail and the cars are displayed in a manner that you can walk around them.  Most are on […]

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced Monday that its 2015 sales were the second-highest ever recorded in its 112-year history. A total of 3,785 hand-built motor cars were commissioned by customers worldwide last year. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, said, “2015 was a year of tremendous challenge for the entire luxury industry. I am very proud of our success which was achieved against a backdrop of considerable global uncertainty. We have proven that our long-term strategy of globally balanced, sustainable and profitable growth is delivering and we have maintained our position as the world’s leading luxury manufacturer. I am quietly confident of a strong year in 2016.”

In February 2015, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the development of an all-new aluminium space-frame architecture that will underpin all future Rolls-Royce models arriving in market from early 2018. The company today announced that it has begun the testing phase of this new architecture, with early preparatory activity seeing new engineering mules tested in public around the world. The Architecture of Pure Luxury The future of pure luxury motoring is already taking shape as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars begins testing its new aluminium space-frame architecture which will underpin all future Rolls-Royce model lines. The architecture will arrive in market from early 2018.