2010 Rolls-royce Ghost on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Question of the Day: What's the greatest British car ever?

The British automotive industry has produced everything from high-production econo-commuters to staggeringly luxurious oligarch-wagons, along the way winning plenty of races and building plenty of beautiful machines. The original Mini led directly to the past half-century of transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive cars built everywhere, the MGB put the sporty little convertible into everyone's reach, and the Morris Oxford became the most beloved motor vehicle in India. So many to choose from, but we want you to pick one. What will it be? Related Video:

Rolls-Royce rings up best-ever sales year

The wheeled monolith above is the 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase - a rolling demonstration of the real definition of "More." For that reason we can use it as a symbol of the firm's sales, which have not only achieved 'more' for the past three years but have also broken company records. Adding to its record-setting years in 2010 and 2011, the Goodwood-based carmaker moved 3,575 units, an increase of 38 over the year before.
The US retook its crown as the greatest consumers of Rolls-Royces, snagging it back from China. Other market movers were the Middle East, where sales rose 26 percent, Mainland Europe - the same place where mass-market makers are drowning in woe and inventory - that rose by 21 percent, and the Asia Pacific region and its 18-percent rise. Rolls-Royce is probably making more money on its cars, too, with bespoke uptake reaching 95 percent on the 10-year-old Phantom line and 73 percent for the Ghost line.
With a just-refreshed lineup and one or perhaps two more models coming, the indicators for more upward sales movement are strong, even if we don't know how soon the new models will arrive. For 2012, the brand that sells more cars above $200,000 than any other proved the saying that storms can't affect you when you live above the clouds. The press release below has more to say about the record year.

Rolls-Royce reveals Ghawwass edition Phantom Coupe

This is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe Ghawwass Bespoke Edition, the latest car to join the long and distinguished line of Rolls-Royce limited editions that have arrived over the years. With that in mind, we'll allow you one guess as to what market this limited edition is destined for.
If you said the Middle East, which is almost always the answer when talking about ultra-limited, special editions of the world's finest luxury and sports cars, then give yourself a pat on the back. As for that name, "Ghawwass" is the Arabic word for diver, and attaching it to the Phantom Coupe is meant to celebrate "the traditional method of collecting pearls from the Bahrain pearl banks," according to Rolls-Royce's Facebook page, where these pictures were posted.
Considering its nautical namesake, the color scheme of the Phantom Ghawwass makes a lot of sense, with a Turchese Blue exterior and a tan and Turchese interior that brings to mind bright blue water and sand. The veneers are pearl - although we can't see them in this photoset - befitting the car's inspiration, while a Dhow, a traditional Arabic sailboat, can be found in the coachline and stitched into the headrests.