cars & life blog
I don’t want to write a very long article for the gold covered Rolls-Royce mascot (Spirit of the Ecstasy). The photos are telling the story. This is a brand new Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead at HR Owen Mayfair, London dealer.
This is the first time I have seen a gold covered Rolls-Royce mascot. I guess, it is better to keep the lady inside its secure place when you are parking this car.
The Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired by Fashion. Yes, I wrote about this car and even spotted the high heels worn by the model. (They were from Gianmarco Lorenzi). However, I never had a chance to see the Inspired by Fashion in real life, until now.
A few weeks ago, at HR Owen Mayfair, a London dealer, I spotted the Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired by Fashion and took photos. One thing I can say, this car has very very white leather. To be honest, I would be hesitating to sit on these seats with jeans!
Inspired by Fashion is a new era for Rolls-Royce, from the motoring world to the fashion world. Therefore, the colour scheme may not be very tempting for many people, but it represents a new perspective at Rolls-Royce to interact with the contemporary world.
Unfortunately, this car is gone from the dealer now. However, there is always a chance to spot one in the streets of London, maybe at London Fashion Week!
Previous post: https://carsandlife.net/2015/05/rolls-royce-wraith-inspired-by-fashion.html
Rolls-Royce recently completed the range of the Ghost family with Dawn, the cabriolet. I managed to spot the Dawn at HR Owen Mayfair, a London dealer. Why did I spot the Rolls-Royce cars at HR Owen? I play fair by not visiting the factory to reveal the car on my blog. Actually, the factory is very far away for me, and HR Owen, Mayfair is more convenient (#IamLazy).
Sometimes it is really hard to explain a Rolls-Royce; I can’t start with its state-of-the-art gadgets or how it handles the road or how efficient it is. These subjects are entitled to other cars, When you talk about Rolls-Royce, you have to find another angle of approach. I guess that should be beauty. I can’t say the Rolls-Royce Dawn is the most technological car on the planet, but I can say one thing, it is a very beautiful cabriolet. Or a land yacht.
I’m finishing the text here and leaving you with the photos.
Rolls-Royce Peacock Mahajara Phantom Drophead Coupe is probably the longest Rolls-Royce model ever made. This is not a new model; it is another limited edition. If you are expecting to read a road test of this limited edition of Rolls-Royce, unfortunately you will need to Google it again. This car is about the heritage, not the ability of cornering on Top Gear’s circuit.
Rolls-Royce and Maharaja have a decades-long relationship, more precisely for 100 years. India’s Princes and Maharajas engaged with Rolls-Royce, and during the last five decades Maharajas purchased more than 840 Rolls-Royce cars! That’s what I call a proper brand loyalty!
Consequently, this long-term relationship is crowned by a limited edition version of the Phantom Drophead Coupe that will be only available in Dubai. Where I saw it? HR Owen, Mayfair London.
The Rolls-Royce Dawn is the convertible edition of the Wraith. The Dawn was recently revealed to the public and completes the range of the Ghost series. The BMW 7-Series based Ghost was a new path for Rolls-Royce to capture a younger audience and offer vehicles that can be driven by their owners instead of hiring a chauffeur all the time. The plan worked; the Ghost boosted the sales of Rolls-Royce, the Wraith was a great success, and especially the ‘Inspired by’ editions.
Personally, I found the Dawn to be the prettiest Rolls-Royce of its time. The Phantom family has started to age. The Ghost is a four-door and still looks pretty. However, when I think about the Wraith and Dawn, I can’t stop loving the the look of the Dawn even though I am not a fan of convertible cars. The fabric roof of the Dawn and the sleek lines when the roof is down makes Dawn one of the most beautiful convertibles on the market.
The performance figures? Dawn is really fast, but if you are planning to buy one, you won’t be bothered by these figures. Regarding driving assistance and pre-crash systems, they are all inherited from the 7-Series. So, the Dawn is safe as well!
Photo Credit | Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired by Film. The second limited edition of the Inspired by collection. I had the unique opportunity to see the Wraith Inspired by Film model a few weeks ago at HR Owen Mayfair, London.
As you would expect, the Inspired by Film edition offers an exquisite experience
Also, I really appreciated Rolls-Royce’s decision to move away from the heavy motoring mentality and engaging with the modern lifestyle and fashion. Unfortunately, internal combustion engines are not particularly exciting anymore, and people who find them exciting are part of a very niche community.
And only Inspired by Film is limited to only 30 vehicles.
The last Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed is available at HR Owen, Mayfair London dealer. Waterspeed limited edition was introduced last years on May. 33 of the Waterspeed Limited Edition are sold and this is the last one. So what is special with the Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Limited Edition, here is the story!
The Bluebird Motor Company building was commissioned in 1923 to be Europe’s largest garage and was built in the era’s characteristic Art Deco style, a style which it preserves today. The business would ultimately help fund Campbell’s pursuit to wrest the Waterspeed record from its American holders.
The car will then head to the world-renowned Concorso D’Elegenza at Villa D’Este on the shores of one of Italy’s world-famous lakes, Como, where it will be unveiled to the public for the first time. It was on the adjacent Lake Maggiore where, on 1 September 1937, Campbell established his legend, setting a world-record speed of 126.33 mph in the famous Bluebird K3 boat powered by a Rolls-Royce R Engine.
Just an additional information, it takes 10-hour to hand brush for rear metal deck. And Each piece of metal is individually panel-beaten by hand for 70 hours before the metal press!
The exterior colour is another story, it is called Maggiore Blue. Before the hand sanding process begins for the exterior colour, 9 individual layers of colours are applied to exterior body.
£458,000!
Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired by Fashion. You may not expect to see Rolls-Royce and fashion in the same sentence. Rolls-Royce is a very traditional company that sticks to its roots and rarely deviates. However, world has changed! The automotive industry must engage with the contemporary world to avoid being isolated.
Rolls-Royce does this very well, from their social media marketing campaigns to their digital advertisements. And now they have created a Wraith inspired by high fashion. This is also Rolls-Royce’s way of respecting its roots in its first showroom in Conduit Street, in Mayfair, London.
This haute couture model is forging a new path for the automotive industry – away from the realm of boring! Yes, I said it – being boring. Unfortunately, the automotive industry is stuck in a loop of boredom. Certainly, there are new driving assistance systems, cars are more efficient, they are better built, and also faster. However, you expect these notions from a brand new car. Today, an iPhone has the computing power of a 1990s super computer! And also, based on the Kano model, we expect modernity in our cars!
Despite being technologically modern, cars are still not offered in a wide range of colours; grey, black, white! Have we really moved on from the Model T in this respect? Even the premium brands still offer the same colour scheme from the 1990s. Limited editions just offer extra options and that’s all. Merchandise can make things better but people won’t buy a handbag from a car company ahead of Chanel or Louis Vuitton.
However, the way Rolls-Royce has interpreted fashion trends and developed a product is a great case study. High fashion exudes throughout the campaign; from the press coverage via Twitter’s latest live broadcasting tool Periscope, to high-heeled models pulling the cars inside the factory editorial photos. Cars should engage with fashion to break the cycle of stubborn design!
Unfortunately, many people in the automotive industry would disagree with me and would tell me how wrong I am. They were telling me this for ages but guess who was right? Answer: just have a look at these photos!
And high-Heeled sandals from Gianmarco Lorenzi. How I can know it? That’s my secret!
Photo Credit | Rolls-Royce
Few days ago, I spotted this classic car in HR Owen, London. Rolls-Royce Phantom 1930 model! I am not a fan of classic cars but when I saw this Phantom from the 1930s, I just couldn’t help but stop and stare. Unlike navigating in our contemporary driving world, the early Rolls-Royce driver needed to pay more attention whilst at the wheel.
Most of the controls for the engine are manually manipulated, so a good understanding of the engine mechanics is necessary. Additionally, though the interior really is beautiful, you won’t find any safety features. The main objective is not to crash!
In terms of interior design, there is a definite resemblance to the modern Rolls-Royce models. Even if you purchase a brand new Rolls-Royce, you won’t be straying far from the traditional design heritage.
In summary, this car looks like it came from a different planet and you can see how the automotive industry has evolved over the years.
Rolls-Royce Phantom from London (HR Owen), as usual taken with 50mm f 1.8 lens. I know this Phantom is from more than ten years ago and you might be wondering why I am writing about it. Despite its age, the Phantom is still the pinnacle of the ultra luxury car. There are no any other cars to substitute for this car.
Neither the Bentley Mulsanne nor Mercedes-Maybach S600 can offer the uniqueness of the Phantom. These competitors may have targeted the Ghost, but not the Phantom.
Interestingly, this time I found a Phantom with a short-wheel base. Until this point, I’d always spotted the long-wheel base model but I found this model was really short! You can spot the lack of space at the rear seats. However, a short-wheel base is not a bad thing; if you wish to drive a Phantom yourself, a short-wheel base will be more suitable for you.
