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Rolls-Royce rolls out one-off Ghost Golden Sunbird in China

In 2001, archeologists in the palace city of Chengdu, China, uncovered the Golden Sun Bird, an ancient artifact that dates back to the Shang Dynasty from 1000 BC. The disc depicts the sun and is made of almost solid gold, measuring five inches across and weighing 20 grams. The city adopted it as its logo, and now Rolls-Royce has commemorated the find and the heritage behind it with a unique one-off.
Based on the long-wheelbase version of the Ghost, the Golden Sunbird edition features a two-tone white and gold paint scheme, with gold coachline and gold grille topped by a gold Spirit of Ecstasy. The interior has likewise been gilded with gold embroidery atop the light brown leather and white trim to match the coachwork.
The result may be elegant but is certainly not subtle. And of course it's just the latest in a long line of special editions and one-offs Rolls-Royce has crafted, particularly for markets in the Middle and Far East.

Rolls-Royce to auction one-off 115th birthday Phantom

Rolls-Royce and RM Sotheby's has announced a partnership amidst an expected luxurious environment, with a five-course dinner at Sotheby's redesigned 90,000-plus-square-foot New York City headquarters. As part of Rolls-Royce's 115th birthday celebration (the official date was May 4), the two announced a one-off, bespoke 2020 Rolls-Royce Phantom will be auctioned off this fall exclusively on Sotheby's online auction service. The lead image shows an early-stage sketch of what the special-edition Phantom could look like. There are extremely limited details about the car, but Rolls-Royce confirmed it will be red. It will also include "an original hand-crafted leather work of art" as part of the interior. We expect this to be in the same vein as the dashboard inlays and hand-stitching we've seen in past bespoke Rolls-Royces. Because the one-off car will be honoring a birthday, we wouldn't be surprised if it featured several indicators that mark the occasion. Think numbered door sills, treadplates, dashboard or console plaques, and possibly special-edition badges. This, of course, is speculation, but these are often features on these types of vehicles. The base price of a Rolls-Royce Phantom is approximately $450,000, and when we first tested the uber-luxe personal limo, it reached as high as about $650,000. And that was just a "regular" Phantom. As a guaranteed collector's item, a set price for this vehicle would likely cost significantly more. But its price is not set, as it will be sold through RM Sotheby's online auction. It seems likely that this thing could easily tick right past $1 million. Rolls-Royce said the car will be auctioned in the fall but gave no specific dates. We'll provide updates as soon as we get 'em. Related Video:

Dubai man shells out $9 million for license plate

An Indian businessman lived up to Dubai's wild reputation last week when he dropped a cool $9 million on a single-digit license plate for his Rolls-Royce. According to the Independent, Balwinder Sahani, an Indian-born property developer living in Dubai, won plate number D5 at a government auction on Saturday, October 29. This isn't the first time Sahani has scored a coveted low-number plate at auction, either. The self-proclaimed 'simple man' spent nearly $7 million dollars on plate O9 at an auction last year for his other Rolls-Royce, and picked up a second, unnamed plate at Saturday's auction for a piddling $272 thousand. Sahani considers the money he spends collecting license plates a form of charity and public service. Dubai has no income tax, and the money spent chasing elite license plates goes directly to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "I believe in giving back," Sahani told the Independent. "This city has given me a lot." Single digit license plates are highly sought after as status symbols by the rich and powerful in the UAE, and the lower the number the higher the price. Back in 2008, a businessman named Saeed Al Khouri in Abu Dhabi set a record by paying $14 million for plate number 1. These displays of conspicuous consumption are de rigeur in the Emirates. Earlier this year, a set of gold and diamond encrusted tires certified as " The Most Expensive Tires in the World" by Guinness sold in Dubai for around $600,000 dollars. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: The Independent, FortuneImage Credit: AP Auto News Weird Car News Rolls-Royce license plate dubai