2013 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe One Of A Kind Interior Black Piano on 2040-cars

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The cars of notorious dictators

It's good to be the king, at least until your people have had enough of you. Last week, we brought you famous presidential cars. This week, we're going to the opposite end of the political spectrum, looking at what history's mad men drove throughout their repressive and violent regimes. These dictators were absolutely powerful, and absolutely corrupt. More nightmares for their people than rulers, their iron-fisted control gave them the ability to satisfy any wild desire with nearly limitless funds. While they all splurged on luxury goods, cars were a particular passion of many dictators. Cars make a powerful statement to the public about wealth, status and control. It's how you are presented at ground level to your adoring masses or mortal enemies. A custom luxury car with plenty of armor plating reinforced the specialness and "otherness" of the ruler to friend and foe alike. Muammar Gaddafi, Libya, 1969 - 2011 Lybia's President for Life Muammar Gaddafi fancied himself not just a car enthusiast, but a car designer for the masses as well. He supposedly designed a car called the "Saroukh el-Jamahiriya" or Libyan Rocket. It had a 230-horsepower V6 and the nose and tail of a rocket. He was trying to produce a safer car. What makes it safe car? Tough to say. Not a lot was ever released it. Apparently the el-Jamahiriya did come with airbags and collapsible fenders in case of a collision. A spokesperson said "The invention of the safest car in the world is proof that the Libyan revolution is built on the happiness of man." We'll just have to take his word for it. When he wasn't designing his own cars, Gaddafi was ordering up custom rides, large and small. Besides a heavily armored BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes S-Class stretch limo, Gaddafi had this custom Fiat built at a cost of $260,000. The gold in the trim is real gold (of course) and comes with some touches that are pure Gaddafi. For instance, the Fiat badge was replaced with an outline of the continent of Africa, with Libya cut out in green. Rebels seized the Fiat and Gaddafi's other trappings of power after putting an end to Gaddafi's 42 years in control. Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haiti, 1971 - 1986 Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was the second-generation dictator of Hati from 1971 to 1986. He made life hell for his people for 15 long years, starting when his father died when he was just 19 years old. Imagine if Justin Beiber was given a tiny island nation to run.

2017 Rolls-Royce Model Year Preview and Updates

It's a modest year of change at Rolls-Royce. In fact, the most significant news is the discontinuation of the Phantom VII, while the world (OK, the top 1% of the world) awaits its replacement, with a scheduled debut in 2018. Even with a year of modest updates, Rolls-Royce customers and patrons needn't, as the company's CEO put it, be 'seduced by mass-luxury brands'. DAWN/WRAITH: The convertible and coupe variants of the Ghost platform receive modest updates to trim and available options. Rolls-Royce also introduces a Black Badge variant, targeting – in R-R speak – the 'darker, more assertive, confident and demanding aesthetic of a new ... Rolls-Royce customer'. GHOST: Rolls-Royce's Bespoke service, long a staple among Phantom enthusiasts, has worked its way down the food chain to Ghost prospects. To reluctantly paraphrase Burger King: Have it your way! PHANTOM: As Rolls-Royce prepared for an end-of-the-year build-out of its Phantom, the company built a total of 50 Zenith Edition Coupes and Drophead Coupes, as well as enough sedans to bridge the gap between the Phantom VII's end of production and its 2018 model year launch of its replacement.

Rick Ross crashes Rolls-Royce in drive-by attempt [w/video]

Rap star and exotic-car enthusiast, Rick Ross, had a double-close call on Monday morning, escaping harm in what appears to be an attempted drive-by shooting.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, Ross was driving his 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost (pictured) with his girlfriend, Shateria Moragne-el, as a passenger at 5:00 AM on Monday. An unnamed gunman in another vehicle opened fire on Ross' car, causing the rapper to turn a corner, lose control of the vehicle and eventually crash into the wall of an apartment complex. Neither Ross nor Moragne-el was injured, despite reports that "dozens" of ammo casings were found at the crime scene.
Ross had been out celebrating his birthday on Sunday night; at nearby restaurant Floridian and a club called LIV in Miami Beach. Reports indicate that the restaurant was also the target of gunfire - some 15 shots that "sounded like they came from a high-powered rifle."