The new Fighter Provenance Fountain Pen from London-based luxury goods firm Dunhill does not take its name in vain: the limited edition writing instrument is made from the original aluminum engine casing taken from the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine of the legendary World War II Spitfire MK1 fighter plane. Produced in very small numbers due to the scarcity of the material, the pen's details also reflect this iconic aircraft - the bolt and rivet effects in the original aluminum; the tapered edges echoing the aerodynamics; and a window feature on the side of the barrel displaying level of ink and even the pen clip design directly references the shape of the spitfire propeller. The cap is also created using plexiglass which is exactly the same material used for the bubble canopy of the late 1930's and early 1940's fighter planes. The pen nib is 18 carat gold with rhodium plating and the instrument is presented in a lacquered Alfred Dunhill display box.

[via JustLuxe]

Yes, an electric Rolls-Royce. And why not? The torque curve of an electric motor – making maximum pulling power right at zero RPM – would seem to suit the RR mission perfectly, as would the distinct lack of noise, vibration and harshness. Sounds like a match made in heaven, no?

Well, of course there are issues to overcome, not the least of which is sourcing a suitably large battery for the three-ton Phantom sedan. According to Auto Express in the U.K., that battery pack would feature lithium ion cells, which happens to be the same technology used by parent company BMW in its electric Mini E.

These rumors aren't exactly new – we last heard of an electric Roller about a year ago – but this time the addition of a possible range extender is mentioned for the first time. Such a configuration is featured in both the upcoming Chevy Volt and the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept BMW just showed off at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The unnamed spokesperson cited by Auto Express doesn't offer any sort of timetable as to when we might see an electric Phantom, but we're not exactly holding our breath.

[Source: Auto Express]

If you want to be driven around in a Rolls-Royce, the Phantom is the car for you. But if you want a Rolls-Royce saloon in which to drive yourself around, you'll want the Ghost. Closely mirroring the 200EX concept car which the most prestigious of motor marques unveiled at the Geneva show this past March, the new Ghost is smaller, more nimble and more powerful than the big limousine under which it slots in the company's range, to say nothing of the two-door Phantom Coupe and convertible Phantom Drophead Coupe variations.

Compared to the Phantom sedan, the Ghost is nearly a foot and a half shorter but offers over a hundred more horsepower than its bigger brother. But don't let its size fool you: the Ghost is all Rolls, and packs all the finest touches you'd expect from Goodwood's finest. It even has the rear-hinged rear doors with the hidden umbrella compartment, opening up on a luxurious cabin of soft leather, thick carpets and lacquered wood veneers. It's the Rolls-Royce for the next decade, and we got a closer look at the Frankfurt Auto Show where the new Rolls was unveiled for the first time in production spec. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Last month we wrote about the famed "Star of India" 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II convertible custom made for an Indian Maharaja, slated to be auctioned off by a German collector. Now the incredible car has been listed for sale via online global luxury marketplace JamesList for £8 million, or about $13 million. If it fetches that price, the one-of-a-kind Rolls could capture the world's most expensive car title (in terms of confirmed sales), beating out the 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa that recently sold at auction for $12 million. The 40/50 HP Continental "All-Weather Convertible" features polished aluminum bodywork and saffron paint evoking the Indian spirit of Hindutva. The car is being sold off by famed Rolls-Royce collector Hans-Günther Zach, who's liquidating his private museum dedicated to the marque.

The new Rolls-Royce Ghost serves to demonstrate that everything is relative. While the Ghost is less large and massive then the Phantom, at 17.7 feet long it is by no means small. In spite a slightly smaller displacement at 6.6-liters, the Ghost's all-new V12 engine takes advantage of the latest technology that it afforded to it by being part of the BMW family to produce far more power than the Phantom. Two turbochargers and direct fuel injection allow the new engine to produce 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque.

A look inside tells that unlike the Phantom this is a car meant to appeal as much to the driver as the rear seat passengers. The more supportive front seats and thicker rimmed steering wheel imply a driver might actually want to take advantage of the 4.7 second 0-60 acceleration.

But this is of course a Rolls so rear seat occupants are still coddled in a lounge style seat with power closing coach doors. Within the doors themselves, the Ghost retains the umbrellas found in the Phantom so that no one ever has to get wet. The Ghost is expected to be priced between €200,000 and €300,000 before taxes when it goes on sale.

The full press release is after the jump.


[Source: Rolls-Royce]

As ironic as it may seem, the world of classic automobiles moves at break-neck speed. So while the doors have barely shut yet at Pebble Beach, notable auction house RM is already gearing up for another event in London, where it will be auctioning off a number of notable classics.

Along with a rare 1962 Chaparral 1, the only right-hand drive Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster built, a graceful 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 and a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Zagato, to name just a few, the Automobiles of London event will feature a rare 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I (pictured above) and a storied 1950 Aston Martin DB2 (pictured at right).

Nicknamed the "Jarvis Torpedo", the award-winning Phantom once belonged to the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, and has since gone on to appear at numerous prestigious concours. The Aston, in contrast, raced at Le Mans and the famous Mille Miglia and acted as personal transport to company chairman David Brown. Both are considered highly collectible and very valuable and promise to command high prices when they cross the block at the Automobiles of London event on October 28, 2009.

We can understand the frustration. You drop a third of a million dollars on a new Rolls-Royce and then you pull up next to one just like yours at the traffic light. Nobody wants that, especially not oil-rich sheikhs in the Persian Gulf, where spotting Rolls-Royces is as common as spotting celebrities in Hollywood. So to satisfy one of its most demanding clienteles, the luxury automaker has launched a new limited run of special edition Phantoms specifically for the Middle Eastern market.

Called the Phantom Bespoke Collection, the service allows wealthy customers in Gulf states to specify from an endless array of unique trims and colors outside the usual catalog. The example pictured here is outfitted in Arizone Sun and English White two-tone paint scheme, echoed inside with Creme Light and Saddle Tan leather together with hand-woven silk rugs and mother-of-pearl inlays. Only six examples will be made, and we don't doubt they'll all find very elaborate homes.

Luxist readers will be familiar with the ultra-luxe customized Rolls-Royce motorcars made by bespoke British auto conversions house Project Kahn, such as the White Pearl Phantom and Drophead Coupe we wrote about previously. Now they've announced their newest model, the McLaren SLR Carbon. Based on the amazing Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR supercar, Project Kahn's version adds "stealth" exterior styling and carbon fiber features making it even more exclusive. Bonnet vents and badges blended black and smoked rear lights augment the stealth aspect, as does the privacy tinted glass. Kahn carbon F1-X wheels, a combination of carbon fiber with light magnesium alloy and Kahn valve caps complete the look. Inside a high gloss piano black or carbon fiber finish steering wheel complements front seats, door panels and dashboard finished in full beautiful Nappa leather or Alcantara.

Back in May we reported that a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa had sold at auction for $12 million, setting a new world record and becoming the de facto most expensive car in the world. Now that record is quite possibly about to be shattered by a bespoke, one-of-a-kind 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental "All-Weather Convertible" custom made for an Indian Maharaja. The incredible car (above), known as the "Star of India", is being sold off by famed Rolls-Royce collector Hans-Günther Zach, who's liquidating his private museum dedicated to the marque in Germany. It's expected to fetch as much as €10 million or $14 million, beating the Ferrari by a wide margin. The Star is just one of classic and collectible 24 Rolls-Royces Zach is accepting bids for until Sept. 15th.

[via JamesList]

Check out a video of the Star of India after the jump.

As we get closer to the Frankfurt Motor Show debut of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost, the automaker is gradually teasing us with more and more information. Today, the folks at Rolls have revealed that the Ghost will definitely be the strong-silent type, thanks to a very powerful new V12 engine. The silent part of course is expected of any Rolls-Royce, hence model names like Ghost and Phantom.

What we don't typically expect is acceleration from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Motivating a big luxury machine like the Ghost in that manner takes 563 hp which in this case is generated by a new 6.6-liter V12 with twin turbocharging. This engine is derived from the unit in the new BMW 760Li but will be uniqe to Rolls-Royce. The top speed of the Ghost is electronically governed to 155 mph, but with that much power on tap, it could surely go significantly faster. The Rolls-Royce press release is after the jump.


[Source: Rolls-Royce]
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Looking for that elusive part for your vintage Bentley or Rolls-Royce? Your chance to find it may be coming up as the Bentley factory warehouse in Crewe, England, is opening its doors to the public for a unique event. The factory produced both Bentley and Rolls-Royce motorcars between 1955 and 2002 when the two stoic British premium auto marques went their own separate ways, and ever since, Bentley's been stocking parts for both brands. But with the new Grand Bentley on its way next month, they're cleaning house to make space for a whole new set of parts. Everything from engine blocks to indicator lights are for sale, according to Bentley, at the event in late September, so if you're an owner, enthusiast or trader, better book your ticket now.

On August 13-15 RM Auctions is holding its annual Sports & Classics of Monterey auction in California, starring an historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type sports racer (above) that was driven to victory in 1952 by the legendary Phil Hill and is expected to fetch over $3 million. 26 Ferraris and several other rare and valuable autos will be part of the 200 vehicles crossing the auction block over the course of the three-day event. The beautiful and rare C-Type (a precursor of the modern-day XK we wrote about recently), designated XKC-007, was one of just 53 examples built and one of the first Jaguar C-Types delivered to the United States.

Shipped to New York in 1952, this example was immediately driven to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where it, along with XKC-009, made their competitive racing debuts as part of the company's North American sales effort for the model. It was at this meet that XKC-007 made Jaguar history when the eventual World Champion driver, Phil Hill – then just 25 – drove it to victory in the Sheldon Cup. Presented in period correct condition, it notably displays the signature of the great Phil Hill and retains its original, numbers matching engine.

The star amongst the stunning selection of 26 Ferraris is a 1953 166MM Spider Scaglietti estimated at $1.4 million - $1.8 million. The important car was given by Enzo Ferrari to his son Dino for a design project with Scaglietti. It is known as the first Scaglietti-bodied competition Ferrari and its attractive, rakish styling resulted in the prototype for the subsequent 750 Monza and 500 Mondial models. It was restored first in the 1960s and again prior to running the Mille Miglia Storica in 2005.

Customers of extreme wealth have come to expect more from their purchases. Three-floor bedroom suite? Mobile home gym and spa? Helicopter pad and hangar? Submarine garage? Big as they are, there's only so much you can fit in a Rolls-Royce. So the revered British marque has teamed up with renowned shipyard Palmer Johnson on what could be the ultimate globe-trotting mega yacht the world has seen yet.

With 82 meters (267 ft) fore to aft and six decks of living space, the PJ World Yacht packs all the features we listed above and then some. It's even got an anti-piracy system – we're talking about real pirates, not copying DVDs here – and an environmentally-friendly diesel-electric propulsion system. At the moment, this Ice Class cruiser – enabled by Palmer Johnson's acquisition of Noway's Flekkefjord & Slipp shipyard – is just a concept, but at this level, all it takes is one wealthy customer to turn the idea into reality. And something tells us that customer already has a Rolls-Royce or two in the garage.

If you've been getting anxious for Rolls-Royce to get its highly anticipated upcoming "junior" model on the market already, here's something to keep you occupied in the meantime. Rolls unveiled the 200EX concept to forecast the upcoming Ghost model at the Geneva auto show this past March, but while the production model isn't anticipated to debut until the Frankfurt show this coming September, the company has already launched an online configurator on its website to let prospective customers and curious enthusiasts alike play around with the various color and trim options likely to appear on the production version. Called the "visualizer", the website allows you to select from a palette of exterior paint colors, interior leather trims, dashboard wood veneers and even the brushed aluminum front bonnet trim. Not quite as exciting as pulling up at the hottest new club or restaurant in a Rolls-Royce of your own, but it will help you imagine it.

Rolls Royce recently came to town with its Drive of Distinction event for customers and media alike. It's not every day you get to sample every variant in the Phantom lineup, and we spent plenty of time peppering Rolls Royce's representative with all manner of question about the cars he'd brought up for us to try out. While trying out the standard Phantom, Phantom Coupe, Drophead Coupe, and Extended Wheelbase, we got to thinking that even in a poor economy, there really isn't a bad time to purchase a Rolls Royce.

A luxury purchase through-and-through, it's also one of the finest products you'll find to buy. The cars certainly require means to acquire, but the allure is obvious, and if you're going to buy an investment-grade car of any stripe, there's a lot of sense to an expensive, handcrafted automobile that can see everyday use. Vehicles weren't meant to sit in museums, and while some historical autos belong in that setting, most beg for the road - old or new. So, you could be totally selfish and drop $1 million on purchasing and restoring a Lamborghini Miura, or you and the family can take a relaxing trip across the continent and enjoy what life has to offer.



Also check out more images from the event: