Rolls-Royce Phantom News

Well, you will in 2010 when the newest Rolls-Royce hits the road. The baby brother of the hulking Phantom has just been named, and it's officially the Ghost. The name takes over from the RR4 tag used during development of the compact new Rolls-Royce and was announced today at the opening of the Shanghai Motor Show. The Ghost name has a long history at Rolls-Royce, starting from 1906, although it has not been used since 1925. The company's best-known car is the original Silver Ghost. The Ghost will become Rolls-Royce's fifth model when it joins the Phantom, Phantom extended wheelbase, Phantom Drophead coupe and Phantom coupe. It will be built on a dedicated production line at the Rolls-Royce factory at Goodwood in the UK, and is expected to more than double sales from the 1212 sold in 2008.  

The world's only metallic white Phantom Pearl Rolls-Royce, one of 11 Rollers delivered to Australia last year, is being auctioned online.It is from the exclusive bespoke collection, with mother-of-pearl inlays adorning the dash and centre console.CEO of graysonline, Cameron Poolman, said it was the company's first world-exclusive sale.The car, which was part of a liquidation, cost about $1.1 million new and is expected to fetch more than $600,000, he said.“This is a business asset and so due to downturn in the financial markets the business is in liquidation,” he said. “It is currently registered in Victoria but will be sold unregistered.”Features include 21-inch chrome-vaned alloy wheels and the Phantom aluminium 6.75L, V12 engine.The vehicle has travelled fewer than 6000km and log books are included.“We are expecting mainly local interest, however, overseas parties are welcome to bid,” Poolman said.The auction closes on Friday.Visit: www.graysonline.com.au 

And, for them, it will be a relative bargain with a price tag of around $500,000A cut-priced Rolls-Royce sounds like a contradiction, but the all-new RR4 - with a final name still to be revealed - will be less than half the price of today's Phantom limousine.The British brand has just revealed the first sketches of its new 'baby', but they reveal very little beyond the basic outline.What is already known is that RR4 will be smaller than a Phantom but larger than a BMW 7-Series, which could be the donor vehicle for at least some of the car's components. After all, BMW Group does own Rolls-Royce.However a company spokesman says the majority of components will be uniquely Roller.“There is a sizeable amount of hand-built components along with a high level of individual skill required to build this new series,” says Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific corporate communications manager Hal Serudin“Also, unlike other brands, a vast majority of the componentry along with all significant parts – engine, chassis, wheels etc, will be unique to Rolls-Royce.“Although this car will be lower in price than a Phantom, it will be still one of the most exclusive cars available.”The car will have a new engine, expected to be a V8, a move confirmed earlier this year by outgoing RR chairman Ian Robertson.The sketches of RR4 come just a month before Rolls-Royce goes public with its third model, the Phantom Coupe. It follows the original four-door limousine and the Drophead Coupe, which has been a sell-out for close to a year despite a $1.2 million pricetag. 

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It may not be a lot by most motor companies' standards, but Rolls-Royce last year sold 1010 cars worldwide which was a 25 per cent increase and the first time the bespoke builder had reached four figures for a year.It was also the fourth successive sales increase since the company was re-launched in 2003.Australia joined in on the record-making with 17 sales, representing 42 per cent growth from 12 in 2006 and more than double the 2004 figures.Australia is the third largest market for Rolls in the region behind China and Japan with Australian dealer Trivett Classic delivering two Phantoms pictured right, to Queensland and two Drophead Coupes to the Gold Coast.Trivett Classic general manager Bevin Clayton said they expected the growth to continue in 2008.“Already, we are beginning to see inquiry rates on the up, compared to last year,” he said.“We have six confirmed orders at the start of the year.“We have every reason to be optimistic, because Rolls-Royce is expanding its model range to add a two-door, four-seat coupe by the end of the year giving our customers more choice.”This model will complete the Phantom family line-up alongside the Phantom, Phantom Extended Wheelbase and Phantom Drophead Coupe.“We view the (economic) situation as positive but understandably with a little uncertainty due to the changeover in government,” he said.“Our clientele is also optimistic about the economy for the year ahead, the only concern being the continuing rise in interest rates.”A new Rolls-Royce model series will be launched in 2010, currently named RR4. 

In a new sales record for Australia, 17 cars were sold last year - netting the company in the region of $17 million.Sticker prices for the exclusive cars start at $915,000 for a base model Phantom, and rise to $1.2 million for a drophead coupe.Australia recorded 12 sales for the whole of 2006.The strong demand pushed sales growth to 10.4 per cent in the Asia Pacific region.Australia is the third-largest market in the region for the BMW subsidiary, following China and Japan.Sales in China grew by about 70 per cent, while sales to the Arab Emirates increased by about 50 per cent.Worldwide, Rolls-Royce sales increased by 25 per cent, with 1010 cars sold in 2007.North America remained the biggest single market for the luxury vehicles and accounted for 40 per cent of last year's total sales.Porsche also enjoyed a good year during 2007.The company's sale of 1380 cars included 47 sold in December alone.Just 20 sales were made in the same month in 2006, with a total of 1154 sales.Close to record sales were recorded across the automotive industry in general in Australia last year. Why do you think Rolls-Royce sales have jumped? Are we getting richer? 

Rolls is boosting its manufacturing capacity and adding a new model. The BMW-owned marque has announced development plans for its Goodwood headquarters and manufacturing facility in the UK to cope with a new Phantom coupe, a production version of the 101EX two-door, four-seat experimental car.The purpose-built plant will add a second assembly line, with the two running simultaneously and some areas 24hoursa day.One will produce the existing Phantom models and the other will build the new model series. A second working shift will be introduced in 2009.The wood and leather shops also will expand, allowing for installation of new equipment including an automated wood-lacquering system.Manufacturing capacity will also be increased to keep pace with demand for Phantoms. The company sold 22percent more cars by the end of September compared with the same period last year. Forward orders for the four-door models stretch well into 2008, with the Extended Wheelbase model accounting for a quarter of all Phantom four-door sales in 2007.Orders for the new Phantom Drophead Coupe extend right through next year. Rolls-Royce sold 805 cars last year in more than 50 countries, the highest number for 16 years.It was the third successive year of growth for the company. Meanwhile, Bentley board member Stuart McCullough said at the recent Tokyo Motor Show that booming sales could force the company to expand.“In four years our volume has grown from 1000 to 10,000 cars,” he said. “The current volume is closer to where we want it to be, but we may have to change the way we produce cars.“But we won't make those changes until we are certain the volumes are safe. We're reluctant to push too many cars into the marketplace and cheapen the product.”

So what do you buy when you've got a lazy million or so to drop on a ride? A sensible answer to that question may be several cars to cover all occasions — say, a BMW 335i coupe, a 911 Carrera S, a Maserati GranSport and a Bentley Arnage. Not much chance of getting caught short with that combo.But for 200 people on this planet in the next 12 months, it will be a Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, the two-door/four-seat convertible whose local launch was held in Melbourne.For the truly selective, just 25 will be built, only a Rolls-Royce Silver Phantom will make the grade.Two of these ultra-exclusive Rollers, produced to mark the 100th anniversary of the original Silver Ghost, have been designated for Australia.One is already sold, and the other is the subject of intensive inquiry at Trivett Classic Sydney.Price, as they say, on application.This modern homage to the Silver Ghost, which was built between 1907 and 1925 and attained legendary status in its own lifetime, is finished in a new bespoke paint, Metallic Ghost Silver.Its 21-inch wheels have chrome centres, and on top of the grille sits a hallmarked, solid-silver Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.Inside, Rose Leaf or Creme Light leather is accompanied by seat piping and headrests embroidered with the R-R emblem.Straight-grained Santos Palisander wood veneer is used throughout. The same veneer is also used on a specially designed presentation box that contains the key, two solid-silver key fobs and a specially commissioned solid-silver Conway Stewart fountain pen.Don't, in other words, go parking it overnight on the street.Comparatively commonplace, the Drophead Coupe is the real-life manifestation of the 100EXconvertible concept.“It has received an overwhelming response, with our 2007 production fully allocated and only a few build slots left for 2008,” Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific regional director Colin Kelly says, reassuring those who may have thought it in danger of Corolla-like ubiquity.“It's entirely true to the values of Rolls-Royce and attracts a new segment of discerning clients.”Although R-R reckons more than half the orders placed for the Drophead are from customers who have never owned a Rolls-Royce, it's some way beyond your and my humble understanding of 'entry-level.'The Drophead is, of course, hand-crafted using top-drawer materials to R-R's exacting standards and is modelled on the J-class racing yachts of the 1930s.Indeed, there's a rear deck of teak. The bonnet is machine-brushed before being hand-finished to ensure a uniform grain throughout.A picnic boot has a split tail compartment that opens in two parts, giving easy access to 315 litres of space. The lower tailgate provides a comfortable seating platform for two adults when it's folded down.A fabric hood, the largest on any modern convertible car, uses five layers of material to insulate the interior.Coach-style, rear-hinged doors let you step aboard elegantly rather than fall into the the car.At the heart of this uber-ragtop is a 6.75-litre V12 that produces most of its 338kW from just 1000rpm. Shorter than the existing Phantom, the Drophead should also outstrip its 6.1-second sprint time to 100km/h.Price? If you have to ask, you can't afford it.But, since you did, it's $1.19 million. Plus on-roads, of course.