1996 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit/spur/dawn Springfield Edition on 2040-cars

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A 1985 Ford Escort for $915,000? If it was owned by Princess Diana

What makes a used car worth more than the car itself? If it was owned by John Lennon. Or Muhammad Ali. Michael Schumacher, perhaps, or Stirling Moss. This year’s edition from the Hagerty organization of its “Power List” makes for amusing reading even if youÂ’re not on it. But you can make believe that you are. Essentially, the list, which was launched only last year, tracks the impact of celebrity ownership of a vehicle on its value, as measured by its worth at auction. Nearly 400 sales of celebrity cars and bikes have been analyzed from around the world by Hagerty using market data and “expert” analytics. Hagerty is aware, certainly, that famous folks — from royalty, sports, movies and music — grab gobs of attention from ordinary people. ThatÂ’s why the 2023 Power List comprises these categories: Art Cars, Racing Drivers, Movies and TV, Musicians, Royalty, Screen Stars, Sporting Icons. But you don't have to be a rock star or a F1 pilot to get listed: Princess Diana, besides an Escort Turbo RS that she owned between 1985 and 1988, numbered a convertible 1994 Audi 80 Cabriolet and a Jaguar XJS Cabriolet among her rides. HereÂ’s a look at some of the more notable entries: Racing driver category: In pole position was an unlikely titleholder, a 1976 Ford Bronco. This was the car bought new by legendary Canadian Formula 1 driver Gilles Villeneuve and untouched since his death; it sold at the Aguttes auction in Paris last December for $148,000, a huge 210% increase over the $47,800 that Hagerty would value a regular example in the same condition. Just a note: The list doesnÂ’t include race cars, only vehicles kept privately by the drivers. Musicians: A 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow had been Freddie MercuryÂ’s personal chauffeur-driven transport from 1979 until his death in 1991. Without celebrity ownership, Hagerty would value the Silver Shadow at a lowly $9,500, a car that would take a lot of time, effort and money to restore properly. But add in MercuryÂ’s aura and bids ended at $362,500. “ItÂ’s no surprise that MercuryÂ’s car dominated our Musicians list on the 2023 Hagerty Power List,” the company said. Movies and TV: For those readers now emerging from hibernation since 1968, the news is that the historic Highland Green Mustang from “Bullitt” remains at the top of the Power List for the second year running.

Rolls-Royce just unveiled the Rolls-Royce of picnic baskets

While automakers such as Cadillac and Koenigsegg have prepared debuts for full-size automobiles at Pebble Beach this week, Rolls-Royce has decided this will be the perfect occasion to unveil a picnic basket. That being said, this picnic basket is fully up to Rolls-Royce standards. And that's important because when you take your Rolls out for an al fresco lunch, a plain old blanket and an Igloo cooler simply won't do. There will only be 50 of these baskets made and they will accompany the final 50 Phantom Coupes and Drophead Coupes. Each is crafted from American walnut wood and leather that is coordinated with its accompanying car's exterior color. The basket also has milled aluminum hinges with the debut locations of the cars' concept predecessors. Because of course it does. View 11 Photos The basket is equipped with only the finest dining wares including a walnut cutting board, Rolls-Royce embroidered napkins, and stainless steel cutlery. Then there's the genuine lead crystal wine glasses and dishes with details in black paint and platinum. Obviously silver or gold wouldn't cut it. The basket will be shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend. So if you're there and are wondering why a picnic basket is being so prominently displayed, now you'll know. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce SUV codenamed Cullinan

A modern Rolls-Royce saloon may already be the size of some SUVs as it is, but the storied British automaker embarked upon a new dawn two weeks ago when it announced it would proceed with developing its first sport-ute. Only it's not calling it a sport-ute, SUV, crossover, off-roader or anything of the sort. It's calling it a "high-bodied car" (which is pretty much what any crossover is, when it comes down to it) that will drive "effortless... everywhere." And now it has a name. Sorta. The latest news from the UK indicates that the vehicle is being referred to internally as the Cullinan, taking its name from the world's largest diamond gem that adorns the Queen's scepter. Only that's neither the internal codename, strictly speaking, nor is it likely to be its nameplate once it reaches production. The project is codenamed RR31 (apparently as the 31st new model line being developed by the company) and is likely to carry a name more in line with the likes of Wraith, Ghost and Phantom in the brand's spooky nomenclature or draw on a dormant nameplate. The high-riding Rolls is tipped to launch a new alloy architecture for the company that would be unique to Goodwood's products and be rolled out first on the crossover before serving as the starting point for the next Ghost and Phantom families. Size-wise the SUV would slot in between the two, and likely enough in price position as well. Power would likely come from either the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 from the Ghost or the larger, older 6.75-liter atmospheric twelve used in the Phantom, but while a diesel was apparently ruled out (primarily due to the fuel's scarcity in certain markets as opposed to the increased NVH levels inherent therein), a hybrid is said to be in the mix. Though it's focused more on exclusivity than it is on volume, Rolls expects the SUV to bring in new customers and expand its production by around 30 percent or so. But that would be nothing new: The vast majority of Wraith and Ghost buyers have been new to the brand. Look for the crossover to launch in 2017, when it promises to crown the emerging class of high-end luxury crossovers and put even those being launched by the likes of Bentley and Maybach to shame. News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Crossover SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles rolls-royce cullinan autoblog black