Rolls-Royce. An English aristocrat
The spirit of aristocratism, the spirit of success, the spirit of refinement, and, of course, the ecstasy. It’s not easy to describe the class of cars Rolls-Royce. Luxury? Premium? Business-class? These words can’t deliver a message about the entire splendor that only a Rolls-Royce passenger knows. Yes, exactly a passenger! The owner of this masterpiece is not supposed to drive. Such a car is rightly considered a fabulously expensive toy. It’s a high-profile car, emphasizing the social status of its owner. It’s the car for the ruling class. For billionaires. For monarchs. All the members of the English royal family had Rolls-Royce Phantoms. Today Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd is a British company producing cars of Rolls-Royce brand, which belongs to the largest German carmaker concern BMW.
‘A graceful little goddess, the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies’. This is what Charles Sykes said about his creation, a statue known as Spirit of Ecstasy. These words are perfectly suited to the car associated with this figure. Rolls-Royce. The spirit of aristocratism, the spirit of success, the spirit of refinement, and, of course, the ecstasy. Since 1923, the Spirit of Ecstasy is on the hoods of Rolls-Royce cars of 1904 or later production.
You can hardly ever meet a Rolls-Royce car on the street. If you see one, it is either parked at a yacht or a golf club or is driving out of the gates of some luxurious residence. Every year, only a few thousands of these cars are bought all over the world. All Rolls-Royce cars are exclusive hand-assembled one-off production. Each car of the company passes on a testing track two thousand kilometers. After that, the car is dismantled, each car part is checked, and then it’s painted in 12 layers of paint. Only after that, Rolls-Royce is finally reassembled with account taken of all the wishes of the customer.
All Rolls-Royce cars are exclusive hand-assembled one-off production. Each car of the company passes on a testing track two thousand kilometers. After that, the car is dismantled, each car part is checked, and then it’s painted in 12 layers of paint.
All Rolls-Royce cars are considered the best, most reliable cars of all existent. And we can’t argue with that because no matter how long is Rolls-Royce in use, it won’t break down anyway.
The Rolls-Royce brand came into sight as a result of the successful business alliance of two Englishmen - Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. The first one was a nobleman from a wealthy family, while the second was originally a rather poor man with only one class of school education. Together, these people managed to create a car that eventually became a real symbol of success. Rolls and Royce are an example of an effective partnership between a talented inventor and an equally talented investor.
There is only one car brand in the world which is comparable to Rolls-Royce. It’s also British, but today it belongs to another German car giant – VW concern. This is Bentley, which for a long time, until 1998, was a division of Rolls-Royce.
And an interesting fact… Volkswagen, an owner of the Bentley brand, really wanted to buy Rolls-Royce, and even offered a much bigger sum than BMW, and bought the rights to the statue of Spirit of Ecstasy, Rolls-Royce branded grille, models (including documentation on them), production and production facilities. But VW failed to own the Rolls-Royce brand and logo in the form of combined letters RR, which BMW took over. Two German car giants nearly fought for possession of Rolls-Royce. BMW did not want to give in either; moreover, BMW supplied engines and components for the Rolls-Royce Motors and could stop deliveries at any time. But the solution had been found!
VW sold BMW the rights to the grille and Spirit of Extasy but continued producing cars under the Rolls-Royce brand until 2003, and BMW kept supplying engines, but built a new factory and developed a completely new Phantom model. And since 2004 the Rolls-Royce brand is fully owned by BMW. With the control of BMW, Rolls-Royce cars began a new super-technology era. And new bright models appeared.
Popular models
Rolls-Royce Phantom, the flagship car, produced since 2004, has preserved not only proportions and lines typical for classic Rolls-Royce cars, but also a historical spirit of English aristocratism. It’s decorated with a massive vertical grille with a recognizable Spirit of Ecstasy, but now the famous figure is removed into a special hovel with the help of an electric mechanism if necessary. A saloon of the Phantom is finished with high-quality leather and panels made of precious woods in the best traditions of Rolls-Royce. And, of course, the ceiling imitating the starry sky! It’s the hallmark of the Phantom.
The car is equipped with a 6.75-L V12 engine manufactured by BMW. And most of the fitting is also made in Germany, although the assembly work and running tests are carried out at the factory in Goodwood. In the basic version, sliding umbrellas are built into the rear doors, which can be removed and opened. The Phantom can also be found in the limousine bodywork version. Most cars are rear-wheel drive, but sometimes 4WD versions are custom-made. The rear doors of the car open backward, providing a more comfortable and spectacular exit from the saloon. The second row of seats is recessed deep into the interior so that people sitting at the back have their heads at the level of the rear pillar.
Rolls-Royce logos in the form of two letters ‘R’ in the center of the wheel rims do not rotate with the wheels, but constantly maintain the upright position, in which the emblem is ‘read as usual’.
There is also a limited edition of 25 Rolls-Royce Phantom sedans, painted in the unusual white color Metallic Ghost Silver, with a silver statue of Spirit of Extasy and with a special interior trim. The release of the series is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost model. There is another interesting fact! Rolls-Royce logo in the form of two letters R, built into the center of the wheels, do not rotate with the wheels, but constantly keep the upright position in which the logo is normally read.
In 2013, a Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe, based on the chassis of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, was introduced. It has become the most powerful car ever made by the company. Equipped with a V12 6.6 Twin Turbo engine with an output of 632 hp, it accelerates to the hundred in 4.6 seconds, and its top speed is limited to 250 km/h. And the Rolls-Royce Wraith tuned by Mansory has a 740 hp engine and can reach speeds up to 300 km/h! By contrast, the Ghost sedan, the Wraith’s base is 183 mm shorter, and its center of gravity is lower, which gives it better handling. As for Wraith, the record of speed and power of the Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan, released in 2009. Its engine had an output of 563 hp.
In 2018, the world saw the first crossover from Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which received its name after the largest diamond in human history – Cullinan or the Star of Africa. The car is based on the aluminum platform with an integrated frame, on which the Rolls-Royce Phantom is also built. Cullinan has a V12 engine with a capacity of 6.75-L and an output of 571 hp, 8-speed automatic transmission, and a permanent all-wheel drive. The length of the car is more than 5 meters, but it’s shorter than the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Nowadays Rolls-Royce is one of the most expensive cars in the world. It’s valued not only as a reliable vehicle but also as a symbol of high social position. Thanks to the efforts of BMW, the brand was renewed, became more modern, but it kept its uniqueness.
The first Rolls-Royce motorcars did not feature radiator mascots; they simply carried the Rolls-Royce emblem. Baron John Montagu, one of the first owners of the Rolls-Royce, was the first to put the figure of Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood of his car. He commissioned his friend, sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes, to make it. Sykes chose Eleanor Velasco Thornton, John Montagu’s secretary and mistress, as his model. Now, it is a popular symbol of wealth and success. This way, John and Eleanor’s love story begin the success story of Rolls Royce.
