The Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is the basis for a privately commissioned one-off to be built by Pininfarina. The buyer/collector remains anonymous at this point, and although there aren't many details available we do know that the car will be named Hyperion (of Greek mythology) and the inspiration for the car's style will be pre-war Rolls-Royce models.

Look for the car to debut in August at Pebble Beach. Maybe then we'll get to see the who the mystery owner is? (And find out how much this baby cost!).

Okay, this doesn't seem wise: putting an enormous diamond-encrusted hood ornament on the front of your Rolls-Royce. Aren't you just asking somebody to pop it off as they run by? Well, regardless, it certainly does look sparkly and it's really just a bit of promotional bling created by a jeweler for The New York International Auto Show. It's a one-of-a-kind diamond version of the Rolls-Royce mascot designed by Manhattan jeweler Jean Kemanjian and is exclusive to Manhattan Motorcars. Called "The Spirit of Ecstasy," it measures 4"h x 2"w and consists of mostly diamonds and platinum, plus a few other rare metals. Valued at $200,000.

Via Bornrich

The oldest surviving Rolls Royce went up for auction this past Monday and sold for a record-breaking $7,275,000. Over 100 years old (built in 1904), the 10hp two-seater Rolls went to a private British collector who was obviously willing to pay more than twice the initial estimate for the vehicle -- after two phone bidders drove the price sky high. And it didn't only break the record for highest price paid for a Rolls Royce, but it also broke the record for highest price paid for any veteran (pre-1905) vehicle.

Being in the drivers' seat is so passé. Sitting in the back seat, demanding that your full-time driver "step on it," bolstered by a whopping 750+ ft-lbs. of torque, is the new black.

As heavy as they are (5,000 lbs. plus, in some cases), big luxury sedans like the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Maybach 62 S haul ass to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds -- on par with the likes of the Porsche Boxster.

Absent, of course, is the driveability of similarly-priced luxury vehicles -- a 5,000 lb. luxury sedan does not an ultimate driving machine make. Instead, execs with cash are opting for off-the-line speed to get where they're going, fast, saving driving dynamics for their weekends on the track.

On that note, visit BusinessWeek's slide show of the world's fastest luxury cars, sure to get you up to speed in under 6 seconds.

[Source: Businessweek]

The world's oldest Rolls Royce, built in 1904 and only the 4th Rolls ever made, is up for sale and looking for it's 4th owner. Car 20154 still runs, and after a little tickle here and crank there "the purchaser could get in a drive it away."

The car was originally owned by Kenneth Gillies of Tain in Scotland, then after awhile it passed to Percy Binns of Harrogate (as a 21st birthday present). Binns held onto it for 30 years until Oliver Langton took it off his hands in 1950 and restored it to it's original glory.

So now the car is looking for owner #4, with bids coming in around 2 million pounds.

Simon Cowell blew some serious cash on some serious wheels recently when he had some spare time on his hands (and apparently some spare cash) due to a week off work for the Rugby World Cup. He dropped over £1,000,000 in LA on two new cars: a £750,000 Bugatti Veyron and a £400,000 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.

Somehow this doesn't surprise me. Simon Cowell hardly seems to shy away from flash and attention, and although fast cars don't necessarily mean an ego problem (I would love to have a Veyron myself!) I think in his case they might!

A prominent Texas lawyer and car collector bought up a chunk of Rolls Royce automobiles as they sat on the auction block at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance auction in California. The seller, 82 year-old Columbus developer Richard J. Solove, put 13 Rolls Royce cars up for bid to raise money for the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, as well as Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The full slate of cars went for $14.3, just under the $15 million Solove expected to fetch for them. Eight of the vehicles, including all of the Silver Ghosts on the block except for one, were bought by billionaire Houston trailawyer John O'Quinn, who came by his success in high-profile cases such as Texas' $17.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry, lawsuits against breast-implant manufacturers, and most famously (or infamously) lately, Virgie Arthur, the mother of Anna Nicole Smith's, as she fought for custody of Smith's daughter.

Along with his 1903 Ford Model A, Batmobile, and cars used by President Franklin Roosevelt and Pope John Paul II, O'Quinn plans to open a car museum in Houston in 2009.

[Source: The Columbus Dispatch]

When I read about some of these auctions I get so envious! How fun would it be to go to one of these events with a flag or paddle to wave around and practically unlimited funds to play with! Case in point, at a recent charity auction to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe sold for $1.6 million. Not that it's not a great car, but it's since the actual value is estimated between $400,000 and $500,000 that's a pretty big jump for charity. And these Phantom Drophead Coupes are making of habit of selling high -- back in January a couple got $2 million for theirs at the Winter Wine Festival. I guess if you gotta have one then you gotta have one!

Ever since consumers gushed over the Bentley Brooklands limited edition coupe launched in Geneva last spring, Bentley has been preparing for early 2008, when the first of just 550 units of the vehicle will start reaching their owners.

At the focal point of the vehicle is the turbocharged 6.75Lengine, the most powerful V8 to come out of Crewe, England, Bentley's home of 60 years. The engine's 530bhp brings the heavy Arnage-based coupe up to 60 mph in just 5.0 seconds, boasting performance while offering unmatched luxury via 42 exterior paints, trimmed completely (even the headliner) with one of 25 hides and three veneers. The coupe joins the Park Ward Continental S1 and the Continental R and T in Bentley's historic line of coupe offerings.

Full release after the jump.

[Source: Bentley Motors]

Rolls Royce is celebrating its 100th birthday with the Phantom Silver, a special edition model commemmorating the automaker's best-known vehicle, the Silver Ghost.

The Silver Ghost was first built in 1906 as a concept vehicle promoting the six-cylinder 40/50 model. It hit production in 1907, earning massive kudos for engineering quality and reliability, not to mention its "stealthy" demeanor, hence the "Ghost" moniker.

The new "Silver" puts Rolls' money where its mouth is -- many of the accents are in solid silver, including the retractable hood ornament, key fobs and fountain pen included with the deal.

Only 25 vehicles will be built, making this Silver Ghost nearly as valuable as the first ones to hit the path.

[Source: Wheels 24]

The vehicle in which Ernest Hemingway toured the country while writing and publishing such American greats as A Farewell to Arms, The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories, and Death in the Afternoon will be auctioned off at Kruse International Auburn Spring MotorFair, held May 31 - June 3 in Auburn, Ind.

The 1929 Phantom II Short Coupled Saloon Rolls-Royce is reportedly in pristine condition, not leaving storage for the past 20 years, though it did make cameos at shows such as the '06 Amelia Island Concours and Pinmar, where it won the title of "Best Post War Automobile," as well as several documentaries and news features, such as those with the Miami Herald and CNN.com. It comes with beverage, golf and hunting storage compartments.

A 1968 movie car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be one of 2,000 other autos joining the Rolls at the auction.

[via Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly]

Richard J. Solove, real-estate developer and collector of Rolls Royce cars (among other things), is well known for his part in the foundation and generous support of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and the race to find a cure for cancer. And at 82 years old his giving spirit is stronger than ever as he plans to auction off 13 of the 14 Rolls Royce cars in his collection, with the proceeds going to fund cancer research through the James hospital and its affiliates.

Solove says that he has intended for his Rolls Royce collection to go to the hospital for years, and thought that now was the time while he was still able to enjoy the satisfaction of the contribution. He's quoted as saying "I strive to see a cure for cancer much more than I love my cars."

The auction will take place in August of this year in Pebble Beach, CA, and is expected to raise $15 million dollars or more.

Why would someone buy a Bentley Arnage instead of a Rolls Royce Phantom? How about a Chevrolet Corvette vs. a Ferrari F430? Or a Lexus LS 460 over a BMW 7-series? As we do with our clothes, hobbies and careers, we define ourselves through our vehicles in some way or another -- yes, even the Honda Accord owner -- and it never ceases to fascinate. That's why a recent article in Forbes outlining what our cars say about us caught our attention.

Forbes went out and interviewed loads of PR guys from various automakers, poured through studies about typical owners of a particular brand and model, and stirred in a little stereotyping to come up with gems like these:

-Bentley Arnage owners are likely self-made, more interested in rewarding themselves and staying anonymous, unlike owners of the Rolls Royce Phantom, who want to stand out in a crowd.

-Aston Martin owners are also self-made and discreet. According to a company spokesperson, Aston Martin owners are "the sort of people who would prefer to wear the designer brand on the inside rather than the outside."

-Unlike owners of other SUVs, Jeep Wrangler drivers actually go off-road.

-96 percent of Dodge Viper owners are men, they enjoy to drive, and they want to beat every other car out on the road.

Check out the link to see what your car says about you.

[Source: Forbes]

UK Rolls Royce enthusiasts -- at least those who were invited -- packed up their insanely valuable vintage cars and headed off to the Rolls Royce and Bentley Heritage dealership P&A Wood in Great Easton, where they celebrated the 100th birthday for the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

The Silver Ghost's centenary was truly rung in with style, with the first-ever Silver Ghost on hand, some Silver Shadows, an Austin 7 and other remarkable vintage cars, as well as flybys from some winged cousins for extra effect, including a Spitfire, Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber.

Introduced in 1907, the Silver Ghost was largely responsible for Rolls Royce becoming lauded as maker of the world's finest cars. Originally outfitted with a six-cylinder, 7036 cc engine mated to a three speed transmission, the Ghost produced 40/50 hp, according to the manufacturer, and its chassis served as the basis for a few armored car models. The "Ghost" designation referred to the vehicle's "ghost-like quietness."

You'll notice that the linked article has things a little backwards -- unless our automotive knowledge is seriously flawed, the Silver Ghost came out in 1907, while the Shadow arrived on the scene in 1965.

May-what? Car buffs certainly recognize the ultra-luxury DaimlerChrysler brand, but the super rich didn't apparently think enough of the cars to help DCX hit its goal of selling 1,000 of them a year. It's certainly a hefty feat, we'll give them that. After a warm reception for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept vehicle powered by a hefty 550 hp V12 engine, the automaker tried to revive the barely-there brand, going up against the Rolls Royce of automobiles... Rolls Royce. Out rolled the Maybach 57 and 62 models, and later the Exelero concept vehicle and sport models of the 57 and 62, but the company hasn't managed to strike any paydirt in winning over Rolls fans.

That may all change, or so rumor has it. Finally, after selling only 152 cars in 2005 and 146 in 2006, we're starting to hear some talk of new product over in the Maybach camp.

First up is a Mercedes GL-based sport utility vehicle, which, if Bentley doesn't beat Maybach to the punch, may be the next logical step for current Porsche Cayenne owners who feel like they're slumming it. The ute would have to be pretty packed with luxury amenities in order to account for what will be a hefty price premium over the GL-class, but there's certainly a market for it judging from the fact that the Cayenne quickly became Porsche's best-selling model.

Another option Maybach is reportedly considering is a "parade car" convertible based on its long 57 and 62 models. We saw something like it in the form of the Mercedes Ocean Drive four-door convertible concept, and if the Maybach follows suit, the ultra-luxury version of the Ocean Drive would be pegged along with the Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe.

Finally, the most recent thing we've heard about (by way of sister-site Autoblog.com), though also still just a rumor at this point, is a four-door coupe, based on the Mercedes CLS-class. This particular slot in Maybach's lineup is another good call -- the mid-size vehicle will provide decent competition for the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide.