1973 Rolls-royce Silver Shadow Lwb on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce Wraith and Dawn: going, going, soon to be gone

Fans of fabulously expensive two-door coupes and convertibles will be saddened to learn that the Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe and Dawn convertible will be departing the U.S. market at the end of the 2021 model year. The dispiriting news was first reported by Motor1 and has been confirmed by a Rolls-Royce spokesperson. Time passes more slowly in the ultra-luxury segment, where vehicle life cycles can stretch far beyond the norm. But even given that reality, the debonair duo are getting on in years. The Wraith was introduced for 2013, and the Dawn made its debut in 2015. Both models are based on the even-older F01-generation BMW 7 Series platform that also underpinned the previous-generation Ghost. The models will continue to be sold in other markets and will not be immediately replaced in the U.S. That leaves the brand with a three-model lineup here in the U.S. with the Ghost and Phantom sedans and the Cullinan SUV. Granted, as of late U.S. car buyers have been shunning coupes and convertibles in droves, but the Rolls-Royce lineup loses a measure of glamour without the extravagance of the less-practical but more statement-making two-doors. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ultra-luxury automakers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce need to hurry up with EVs

In the five years that I've worked at Autoblog, I've read a lot of press releases. They're all pretty flowery and self-serving, but the ones that go the extra distance with lavish words and pompous phrasing tend to come from the most luxurious brands, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. And something that they both love talking about is sustainably sourced materials for their vehicles. The descriptions read like they've seen the light about using resources responsibly. That would be great, except for one thing: There's nothing sustainable about multi-ton land yachts with eight or more cylinders. Only one of Bentley's models can be had with fuel economy better than 20 mpg combined when running on gasoline, and guess what, it's not one of the brand's two plug-in hybrids (which are to be commended, but still seem half-hearted when we're talking serious sustainability). And Rolls-Royce is even worse without a single model even hitting 15 mpg combined. These automakers should have at least one EV model apiece. Apparently, there are some coming, but they're still years away, and that frankly shocks and frustrates me for a number of reasons. One of the big ones is that these brands couldn't be better suited to electric propulsion. What makes these cars impressive is their refinement and performance. You can't get much better in either of those categories than with beefy electric motors, which provide nearly silent operation with no gear changes and enormous power and torque ratings. And it's all achievable with a lot less effort than making an 8- or 12-cylinder internal combustion engine quiet and smooth. Sure, battery technology is complicated, and it's expensive and heavy, but all of that is covered by these brand's typical products. They can command prices that would easily absorb the cost of batteries. And the size and weight of current cars mean that loading them up with batteries to achieve range comparable to their gas models wouldn't be a problem, either. Heck, that's the exact strategy being used by GM and Ford to get huge range in their electric trucks. 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S View 41 Photos And the cost of the EV technology shouldn't even be that great for Bentley or Rolls-Royce, since they're both owned by companies that are leaders in electric car development with existing technology and the ability to spread costs out over various brands.

Rolls-Royce delivers 6,000 cars in '23, the most ever in one year

It's good to be Rolls-Royce: In the year just passed, the British automaker sold more cars than ever. Rolls delivered 6,032 cars around the world — the most in its 119-year history — "despite continuing economic uncertainties and market volatility," the company said in a statement. The manufacturerÂ’s largest market last year was the United States, followed by China. The biggest-selling model was the Cullinan SUV, followed by the Ghost, the smaller of Rolls-RoyceÂ’s two saloons. In 2023, affluent buyers began taking possession of Rolls' first all-electric Spectre model in the autumn. Production of Spectre followed the expected demise of the brandÂ’s Wraith and Dawn models. Rolls-Royce cars are produced in Goodwood, southern England. The high-level brand became part of BMW in 1998. It has lately been emphasizing its custom Bespoke division, which generally accounts for higher profits builds. Treatments offered at extra cost to dress up a Rolls include special paint, styling cues and interior "scents." Current Chief Executive Chris Brownridge, who took on the role last autumn, said: ‘ItÂ’s especially encouraging to see the enormous interest in and demand for Spectre, supporting the decision to adopt a bold, all-electric strategy for future model development and production. The record level of Bespoke commissions, both by volume and value, also underlines our position within the luxury sector.” His predecessor, Torsten Muller-Otvos, departed the company in November, having led the group since 2010 and overseen record-setting performances. RollsÂ’s North American division recently announced that it would drop the prices of some “aging” units in dealer inventories by $15,000 for cars sold by the end of March. The deal, unusual for Rolls-Royce, stipulates that the models that could benefit are the $375,000 Cullinan and Black Badge Cullinan, as well as the $350,000 Ghost, Ghost Extended and Black Badge Ghost. Every little bit helps, we suppose.