1987 Rolls-royce Corniche on 2040-cars

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Ventilator built with help from Rolls-Royce receives approval in UK

LONDON — Britain has given the first regulatory approval to a ventilator being built by a consortium of firms including Airbus and Rolls-Royce as part of efforts to combat the coronavirus. Governments around the world are trying to boost the number of ventilators — mechanical breathing devices that can blow air and oxygen into the lungs — available to their health services. The modified version of an existing device by Penlon will join a product from fellow medical firm Smiths, which is already being built by the group of aerospace, engineering, Formula One and automotive companies to fulfill a government order. “We are working closely with our supply chain partners to rapidly scale up production to achieve our target of at least 1,500 units a week,” said Dick Elsy, the chief executive of the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium. The government said on Thursday it was confirming an order for 15,000 Penlon devices. AirbusÂ’ Broughton site, which makes wings for commercial aircraft, along with FordÂ’s Dagenham engine factory and McLarenÂ’s Woking site are being used as part of the process, he said. Separately, vacuum-cleaner firm Dyson is still awaiting approval for its ventilator. Related Video:

Man drives Rolls-Royce for 78 years then makes museum donation to ensure its preservation

Mr. Allen Swift died in 2005 at the impressive age of 102, but his automotive story is even more remarkable. Not only is the gentleman credited with owning a Rolls-Royce automobile longer than anyone else in the world, but he had the forethought and funds to ensure its future preservation after his death.
In 1928, while living in Springfield, Massachusetts, Swift's father gave him a 1928 Rolls-Royce Piccadilly P1 Roadster as a graduation present (Springfield and Rolls-Royce have a history - from 1920 to 1931, the British automaker built 2,944 vehicles in the city as part of its attempt to establish a US plant). The young man was passionate about his green-over-green softtop convertible, not only driving it on a regular basis, but maintaining it meticulously over the decades (the two door-received a complete body-off restoration and engine rebuild in 1988).
Rolls-Royce acknowledged Mr. Swift in 1994, awarding him a crystal Spirit of Ecstasy award for his length of ownership. By 2005, Swift had logged more than 170,000 miles on its analog odometer and he was recognized as the oldest living person to have owned a car from new. He passed away that year.

Rolls-Royce hosts first ‘Cars and Cognac’ event in the U.K.

For more than 100 years, Rolls-Royce has produced some of the world's most desirable and expensive automobiles. The British automaker has now gone one step further, by instantly making any future "cars and coffee" gatherings pale in comparison to the brand's first-ever "Cars and Cognac" event, held June 8, in the U.K. Yes, we're guessing our invitation got lost in the mail, too. "The 'cars and cognac' meet demonstrated the wonderful spirit of our customers as well as their deep passion for the brand," said Julian Jenkins, regional director for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "This evening was reflective of the rich dialogue between Rolls-Royce and its patrons; a truly unique and extremely rare relationship, one which we are privileged to nurture." We couldn't help but notice the comment about "rich dialogue," which is fitting for a brand whose least expensive offering, the Ghost sedan, starts at roughly $300,000. The evening borrowed heavily from California car culture, where cars and coffee meet-ups can see anything from slammed economy cars, customized muscle cars, or hyper-cars with multimillion-dollar prices gather at the same place. Of course, very few — i.e. none whatsoever — have featured cognac tastings conducted out of a customized Rolls-Royce-endorsed picnic basket. That's correct, a sommelier stationed at the tail-end of a Phantom sedan was handing out quaffs of fine cognac courtesy of an official Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper. This is a thing, and you know you want one. Other cars making a cameo appearance during dinner included a Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge fitted with the new "Aero Cowling." This hard tonneau cover fits snugly over the rear seats, to give the 593-horsepower convertible the look of a true two-seater. The event was held at the Soho Farmhouse, a member's only club located on a 100-acre property in Oxfordshire, approximately two hour's drive northwest from central London. On its homepage, Soho Farmhouse details its indoor and outdoor pools, multiple club rooms for special events, tennis courts, horse stables, football pitch (that's soccer for you silly Americans), and the intriguingly named Electric Barn Cinema. The entry-level membership, called Local House, with access only to the Soho Farmhouse facility, starts at about $1,700 at current exchange rates. To have access to all Soho House properties around the globe, the price runs around $2,200 (depending on whether your membership application is accepted).