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Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor leaves the company

Another surprise executive departure on the sceptred isle: Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor has left the car company and the parent BMW Group. Rolls-Royce's 52-word statement on Taylor's sudden exit said only that Taylor departed "to pursue alternative business interests." The news comes three days after Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales abruptly quit to become CEO of an English classic car restorer. Taylor leaves less than a month after Rolls-Royce introduced its brand-redefining Cullinan SUV, and before the auto show season where he would have been expected to lead the discussion on the Cullinan's genesis and detailing. According to his LinkedIn page, Taylor began his career with five years as an exterior designer at Peugeot, then graduated to a 14-year stint as chief designer at Jaguar; among other projects, he led the interior design of the 2003 Jaguar XJ before becoming chief exterior designer of the 2009 XJ. He moved from Coventry to Cheshire in 2011, becoming head of exterior design at Rolls-Royce. Just one year into the job, former director of design Ian Cameron left the company, and Taylor took over in 2012. His tenure has included the creation of retail products like the new Phantom and Dawn, one-offs like the Sweptail, concepts like the Next 100, and even a bespoke Paddington Bear. Rolls-Royce says it will announce a new designer "in due course." If the automaker looks in-house, it could tap Pavle Trpinac, now a senior exterior designer credited with the lines on the Wraith and the latest Phantom. Related Video: Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Rolls-Royce Luxury jean-marc gales giles taylor

Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV reveals its rear to the cameras

Last week, Rolls-Royce released some official photos of its upcoming SUV, code-named Project Cullinan. The SUV was still wearing full camouflage, and we could only see the front half, but it was our first peak at the new vehicle. Now, thanks to one of our spy photographers, we can see the rest. Immediately noticeable are the rear-hinged, suicide-style rear doors. There appears to be a dummy handle at the trailing edge of the door, but there's no hiding the real thing, which match up nicely with the front handles. Also evident is the plain and simple roof line. No flashy curves here, just simple lines and angles. In fact, the profile of the rear hatch is a bit reminiscent of the Land Rover Range Rover. The hatch drops down to a low-profile rear bumper that features squared-off cutouts for the exhaust. There are couple more details we spot in these photos as well. The unmistakable Rolls-Royce grille looks a bit more rounded than what we saw in the official photos. The result is a more familial look to the Ghost-based Rolls-Royce models. Also noticeable is the strong shoulder line found on every Rolls that runs just below the windows from the headlights to the tail. We can't quite see the tail end of the feature line because of some false body work, but it certainly appears to run the length of the car. See for yourself in the gallery above. Related Video:

Artistic Rolls-Royce Phantom challenges the Cybertruck for 2019's most polarizing ride

Rolls-Royce has been getting in touch with its artistic side all throughout 2019. With a variety of custom features, bespoke options, and exclusive partnerships, Rolls-Royce has shown a Phantom with a rose garden interior, a basket of pastel-colored rides for Pebble Beach, and a red Phantom that supports AIDS research, among others. Each model stands out for its own reasons, but none are remotely as visually eye-popping as the newest project, a Phantom by U.S. artist Bradley Theodore.  Although no official announcement was made, Rolls-Royce of Abu Dhabi posted the polarizing work across its social pages. The batch of photos might immediately look a bit, umm, messy, but the style perfectly aligns with his usual themes. Theodore, who is from Turks and Caicos and was raised in New York City and Miami, is known for his bold use of color. He and Rolls-Royce have partnered up in the past, and he previously painted a Wraith. He's also created unique interpretive paintings of other Rolls-Royce cars, the Spirit of Ecstasy, and the R-R badge. Those pieces can be seen on his website. This Phantom's new skin combines shades of blue, purple, red, yellow, and white over a dark paint job. Some lines follow the Phantom's curves and edges, while others create new shapes. Inside, there's two-toned dark blue and cream leather,  blue contrast stitching and glossy wood accents. A starlight headliner adds some sparkle to the package. Explore the full work of art in the gallery below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.   Related Video: