A Rolls by Any Other Name

How I love to hear about the United Arab Emirates’ record breaking feats;  its “firsts”, “biggests”, and “largests”, whether it be buildings, hotels or skyscrapers. Well this time its the fact that the UAE is the biggest market for Rolls-Royce bespoke models. That is, the creation of a truly unique model, made to measure, at the whims of the cashed-up customer.

Rolls-Royce D3000 f/4.5; Exposure Time 1/400sec; ISO-400 Aperture Priority

And who is Rolls-Royce to deny the wealthy and influencial their fancies? Bright colours and blinged-out dashboards; their imagination is manifest in a dreamcar…

Rolls-Royce D3000 f/8; Exposure Time 1/200sec; ISO-400 Aperture Priority

Both the Phantom and the Ghost models are on offer to be built up with everything from the body and interior colour to stitching in the leather seats. Even the gear stick can be customised. In 2010 Rolls-Royce built 2,711 cars for finicky clients globally.

Rolls-Royce D3000 f/8; Exposure Time 1/125sec; ISO-400 Aperture Priority

Here’s some dinner-table-talk that may have you being surrounded by hungry ears: the Beatles used the Rolls exclusively in their heyday from 1966 to 1969. John Lennon’s Phantom V measured 19 feet long and weighed three tons! The car had the rear seat modified to convert to a double bed and a refrigerator installed.

Rolls-Royce D3000 F/4.5; Exposure Time: 1/320sec; ISO-400 Aperture Priority

Michael Jackson’s 1990 Silver Spur II featured a gold kneeling Spirit of Ecstacy and a gold crest on the door. Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Silver Shadow‘s last public appearance was at the London premier of We Will Rock You and came with a Kleenex Mansize Tissues Box Freddie kept in the car (unopened!) Ah-choo!

Rolls-Royce D3000 F/10; Exposure Time: 1/30sec; ISO-400 Aperture Priority