All Entries in the "ROLLS-ROYCE" Category
Stereotypes: The Typical Rolls-Royce Corniche Driver
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Gene Hackman in Heartbreakers (2001) ::: Rolls-Royce Corniche II
STEREOTYPES are a part of car culture. The BMW driver. The Porsche guy. For better or for worse each is classified with his/her own set of personality traits, driving styles, and general temperaments. It’s a kind of hard truth to the vain adage that you are what you drive.
If this is true, then sadly no one should want to drive a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible. Ever.
In my experience 99% of the Silver Shadow-era Corniche convertibles that I’ve witnessed have been piloted by heavy, balding old men with the most foul attitudes. Almost without exception and regardless of geography, weather, or traffic patterns.
The most recent real life confirmation happened last week when I spied a rather pompous, (bald, old, etc.) driver trying to muscle his Brewster Green Bentley Corniche through midtown Manhattan.
Why so sour? Good question. It seems over the years that Hollywood’s picked up on this stereotype as well.
Richard Dreyfuss’ puss-faced character in Down and Out in Beverly Hills seemed tone-perfect behind the helm of a white Corniche . Michael Caine was the consummate conman in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; a brown Corniche played a supporting role to his sly character. And not least, Gene Hackman was a curmudgeonly, womanizing, tobacco tycoon in Heartbreakers. We can imagine his character’s brown Corniche, Series II to be stained with as much Nicotine as bad karma.
Seems a shame that the classic, upright Corniche should be linked with such dour characters both on and off the screen. Alas, with some stereotypes it seems that the truth can be every bit as strange as fiction.
Remembering Connolly Leather
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Jaguar Cars ::: Connolly Leather
PRECIOUS few automotive experiences ranked as luxurious as stepping into a new Connolly leather interior.
Jaguar’s own specially commissioned Autolux hides were a particular slice of heaven-sent bovine. If you opened the door of an X308 gen. Vanden Plas, as I did, the most wonderful perfume greeted your olfactory senses as you slid into a seat tightly bolstered with thick hide and punctuated with perfect, oatmeal piping.
In terms of G-rated leather-fetish experiences, sitting on Connolly leather ranked somewhere above slipping on a new Gucci loafer.
Founded in 1878, Connolly was a family business that catered extensively to the British auto industry over the course of 125 years. Their reputation for the bulk of their tenure was widely viewed as beyond reproach.
Connolly provided for Ferrari drivers, Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners, Aston Martin aficionados, and even MG sadomasochists devotees. Those slatted seats in the House of Lords chamber at the Palace of Westminster are by Connolly. As were the hide bound interiors of royal coaches at the turn of the 20th Century.
Sadly, following a botched expansion scheme into the US in the late 90s, which among other missteps saw corrupt executives pilfer company funds and low-volume Connolly try to supply mass-market Ford and GM, the company fell into financial duress and then slipped the market’s surly bonds in 2002.
Luckily for those who own Connolly upholstered cars, Connolly “Hide Food” is still sold and firms like Leatherique and GAHH are go-to resources for either restoring or replacing original Connolly hides.
Seems a shame, though, that when we think of Jaguar, Bentley, Aston, or Rolls interiors now, we can no longer give credit to King Connolly. All the more reason, then, to appreciate their craftsmanship in the classics.
A Perfect Gloucester Picnic by Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Burt Glinn, Magnum Photos via Slate ::: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
LONGTIME commenter Jim forwarded us this pic today from Slate.com.
What are we looking at? Some delightful picnic in Gloucestershire, England (think cheese) that was captured way back in 1964. The photographer, Burt Glinn, demonstrates clear, pre-digital talent for capturing the loveliness that is the British countryside.
The silvery sheen of the heroic Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost seems to compliment the foggy landscape perfectly.
If the shot seems just a bit too staged for your taste – the car and the picnickers angled just so – well, too bad.
Thanks, Jim!
eBay Watch: Santa Barbara RR Silver Wraith II
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via eBay + ADLX ::: 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II
SANTA BARBARA, CA is beautiful. There’s good reason Oprah parked herself there. Not only is the town a mountainous, seaside ode to Spanish colonial ports, but the weather matches the Mediterranean vibe; as in it’s consistently sunny and warm for most of the year.
Ideal environ, then, to preserve a 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II.
This particular bi-tone Royce features Shell Gray and Mason’s Black trim. On the inside beats a heart of a blood red Connolly hides. Previously enjoyed by two owners – inclusive of the seller – who claims to have full Rolls-Royce dealer service records for the Wraith’s 61,000 miles.
A reminder: the Silver Wraith’s the extended, long-wheelbase version of the Silver Shadow (which otherwise look identical). The 450SEL to the 450SE, in Benz sprache.
Current bid as this goes to press is $25K which is standard for well maintained Royce saloons of this vintage. One thing is for certain, whoever buys the Silver Wraith must insist, based on geographical considerations, on picking up the car personally.
Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Revisited
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Automobiles De Luxe ::: Rolls-Royce Silver Spur
RECENTLY, yours was reacquainted with an old friend – a 1988 banker’s grey over black Rolls-Royce Silver Spur with black Everflex roof. Naturally with reunions come the obligatory photo ops and this occasion with the Silver Spur was no exception.
You can almost mistake Connecticut for England in these shots – apart of course from the blasted phone poles. Needless to say, a true Royce is at home in any environ – including New England.
It’s easy to love this car.
That said, with any enduring relationship there are trifling points that arise only to lightly test the bonds.
For example, in 1988 you could safely buy two Mercedes-Benz 420SELs for the price of one Silver Spur. In almost every respect save for the obvious – the Royce’s penultimate paint finish, leather, and wood plus larger rear cabin – the W126 S-Class was the superior car. Indeed, the Austrian designer who penned this generation Rolls owes much to Bruno Sacco’s team as the two sedans look very similar.
Yet despite this grand fiscal disparity- the price of indulgent rarity we’ll call it – the Silver Spur lacks a few necessities that were standard issue in its day.
Heated seats? Nope.
Rear air vents? Uncheck (unseemly for such a limo).
Power adjustable rear seats? Nein.
And try as I might on that particularly misty day – I couldn’t find a defogger switch for the rear windscreen (Royce experts please correct).
Still this being a Mark II generation Spur, we do have the benefit of ABS (important for a car this heavy) and a self-leveling suspension system that doesn’t so much maintain”level” as it simply ensures that at all times you feel like your driving on top of a tall, fluffy cushion.
What’s most remarkable and a testament to this Royce’s enduring quality is that now in its third decade, the Silver Spur still remains a luxurious island of calm amidst an ever more frantic world.
In The Trailer Park, There’s An Importance In Keeping Up Appearances. Hence, The Silver Cloud III
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III + Trailer Park
WONDER if he’s fitted a trailer hitch to the bumper. The irony.
Many thanks, Alan!
How, In The Day, RR & Bentley Redirected “Misunderstandings” Back To The Dealer
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via IMCDB ::: Rolls-Royce & Bentley Customer Service in the 1980s
INSIDE a nifty five page pamphlet circa 1988 called the “Rolls-Royce & Bentley Customer Satisfaction Guide” is a carefully worded slight of hand.
Rolls-Royce, then “A Vickers Company” (!) sought to pre-emptively console the would-be troubled owner who, with wounded ego and feathers suitably ruffled, would remonstrate in the strongest terms by taking his grievance straight-to-the-top!
A thousand dollars for one Avon? I said I wanted Aubergine piping, not purple! How much for an oil change, again?
Lord knows the kinds of complaints they fielded – particularly in the prickly 80s.
How the buck was ever so carefully passed:
We understand and we ask you to recognize that despite our efforts and those of our dealers, misunderstandings can occur. Should a situation arise that you do not understand or is not handled to your satisfaction, we suggest you proceed in the following manner.
First- report your problem or concern to a representative of the dealer management staff. As all problems must ultimately be resolved at the dealer level, it is important to you and your dealer that he be allowed the opportunity to effect a solution to your problem. If your inquiry is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, ask to speak with the dealership owner. As it is his business, he is most concerned with your continued patronage.
Second- if your Rolls-Royce dealer has not satisfactorily resolved your problem, you may wish additional review by Rolls-Royce Motors Inc.
Oh, very well. If we must.
Pininfarina’s Rolls-Royce Camargue
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: Rolls-Royce Camargue
ONE of the great ox bow lakes in Rolls-Royce design history, the infamous Camargue stands as an example of modernity gone horribly wrong.
A product of ill-advised futuristic thinking and botched market pandering (RR had Yanks squarely in mind), the Camargue was supposed to drag Crewe’s stodgy clientele kicking and screaming into the brave new world that was to be the automotive market circa 1980.
This experiment in client stewardship backfired. Badly.
To depart from in-house tradition, Pininfarina was commissioned to design the 2+2 coupé. The Italians duly tossed aside convention and penned a straight-edged Royce with no rolling fenders or fountains of luxurious chromium. A large grille with a pre-war sized Spirit of Ecstasy were all that identified the Camargue as a Rolls.
Naturally, the RR Party faithful were irate, if not in revolt. Who but the Italians could dare tilt the famous Greek temple grille forward seven degrees? Or seek to modernize such a classic purveyor of fine chariots in such a devil-may-care way?
And despite the Cast-Iron 6.75 Liter V8 mustering a suspected but not confirmed 240 bhp, the hefty Camargues could only waft to 60 in a breezy 12.8 seconds and reach (in theory) 128 mph given adequate miles of straight roadway. Hence, no real sporting argument could be made for the coupé.
It’s not all that surprising then that just 531 one Camargues were produced between 1975 and 1986 and only 526 were sold. With currency markets in flux, the Camargue’s price leapt to nearly $600K in today’s dollars; making the odd coupé nearly 50% costlier than the Corniche.
That said, the Camargue counted innovation as a selling point alongside its avant garde style. The Camargue was the first Rolls to feature the split-level automatic climate control system.
Enough to sway critics all these years on? Likely not. But if the Camargue performed in anyway agreeable to Rolls traditionalists, those virtues remain, as one might say, well camouflaged.
CarShark: Why We Love Our 80s Cars That Much More
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via IMCDB ::: CarShark
RECENTLY, somebody asked me for advice on the pros and cons of acquiring a 1988 Rolls-Royce Corniche Series II.
For a modest $40K, this gentleman reasoned that he’d get special treatment from the valet, classic Rolls style to flaunt, and perfectly plush, comfy transport that hailed from an era when, “computers didn’t rule the car.”
I pointed to the many financial pitfalls that can hit a Corniche owner – namely maintenance: $3000 rear brake job, anyone?
That said, having read of the recent joint study by University of Washington and UC San Diego students who hacked their way into modern cars’ ECUs; suddenly, a quarter-century old Rolls seems perfectly sensible everyday transport.
BBC reports: The researchers showed how to kill a car engine remotely, turn off the brakes so the car would not stop and make instruments give false readings.
Jalopnik said that these researchers were using malicious software called CarShark.
For some hacks they used a process called “fuzzing” and sent random bits of code to disrupt them. This caused horns to blow, trunks to pop and even the brakes to stop functioning. There’s supposed to be a failsafe override for the brakes, but jamming the ABS solenoids could lock up the brakes so they’re not usable.
Right. So, then: add another bonus to the list of a 1988 Rolls-Royce Corniche II amenities – hack proof.
Preview: 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Jacqueline Borchardt for ADLX ::: 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost @ Miller Motorcars
ON foot, we’re weaving our way through a parking lot full of Bentleys and Aston Martins.
We brush past the new Mulsanne which sits – gape mouthed – like some Basking Shark ready to swallow people, cars, buses, and ancient hemlocks whole.
Speaking of trees, a veritable forest was felled and fitted to the consoles and inside-door-panels of every chariot on this lot. It’s a woody, chrome-plated, and hide-bound environ.
And it is wonderful.
This is Miller Motorcars in Greenwich, Connecticut. Our salesman greets us with firm shakes of hand. He’s young, sharp dressed and attitude-free. He says he watches Top Gear and telegraphs a love for cars.
As we proceed, there’s just one snag. Company regulations forbid him from having his name or his picture published. This is a shame as we soon discover that he’s excellent at his job. Surely excellence is worth publishing?
We find the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost in “Darkest Tungsten” over “Moccasin”. It’s lovely, if understated for a contemporary Rolls.
I comment that the greeting scent reminds me of BMW.
“But it’s not BMW leather,” our salesman assures us.
We hear the familiar BMW chime BLOOM-BLOOM-BLOOM as he says this. For the record, the Ghost uses the BMW 7-Series platform but only shares 20% of its parts with its Bavarian cousin. Rolls-Royce seems at pains to emphasize this fact.
The sales rep. opens the rear door for Jacqueline, who sits behind me armed with a camera.
“The coach doors open to 83 degrees, which is wider than Phantom,” he notes, closing the door. He adds that, “cabin space is similar to Phantom thanks to steel body construction instead of aluminum. It takes a lot more aluminum to achieve the same rigidity as steel.” More aluminum beams mean less occupant space.
Spatially, the two Royces offer similarly cavernous interiors – this despite the Ghost’s more, err, modest dimensions. The Ghost is more than a foot shorter than the Phantom (212.6″ vs. 229.6″) but larger than anything this side of Grandpa’s Town Car.
I pilot the Ghost through town and then onto 95 towards Stamford. We progress in marvelous serenity.
Larger egos may need to stick with the Phantom, though, as the new sedan blends disconcertingly with traffic. Surely a car of this wattage should announce itself in bolder tones? Still, the Ghost’s form and function leaves you feeling empowered as you gaze past the long bonnet towards the Spirit of Ecstasy which stands proud like a trophy.
You note that steering response is sharper. Throttle response, quicker. Combine the two and you understand how the Ghost is – in Rolls terms – a driver’s car. A driver’s car, even if the experience seems dampened through rolls of vicuña. Still, our ride’s a little bumpy by Rolls standards; bumps keep vibrating through to the front seats.
I ask if the 19″ rims are the culprit. Not likely, Mr. Salesman says. He’s experienced more or less the same ride in other Ghosts.
That aside, splendid isolation is the name of the game. That is until the remote exhaust note rumbles in the distance like angry hounds when your right foot finds the floor. At that point, you discover a new appeal to the most powerful Rolls-Royce yet – a 563 horsepower V12 that makes 575 lb-ft of torque at just (!) 1500 rpm.
With all this torque and very little drama, you simply bolt football fields ahead.
So, how many Ghosts will Rolls make?
“Rolls-Royce expects to sell 2,500 Ghosts this year. [Miller's] sold three and has orders for two,” he says.
Even if Ghost commissions eat into Phantom sales, this figure will almost triple Goodwood’s annual volume which positions Rolls-Royce in better competition with Bentley and on a surer trajectory for the road ahead.
Jacqueline takes her turn behind the wheel and pilots us back to Miller. She comments on how manageable the car feels and marvels how every control operates smoothly. Reposing from an electrically reclined backseat, I agree.
Which leads me to summarize that on first impression, the Ghost is an engaging, opulent, and eminently capable new Rolls-Royce. And quite distinct from BMW, too.
Ed. note: Special thanks to Miller Motorcars.
