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Rolls-Royce Phantom celebrates decade of decadence

Ten years ago, Rolls-Royce opened its Goodwood manufacturing facility and handed over the keys to the very first Phantom. Back then, parent company BMW was cranking out Phantom sedans at the blistering pace of one unit per day. By the end of 2003, that number had tripled, and today, the Goodwood plant builds a total of 20 Phantoms in sedan, coupe, drophead and extended-wheelbase models during a single day's working hours. Originally, there were fewer than 400 workers on staff responsible for hand-building the big cruisers, but now the plant boasts over 1,400 craftsmen, with 100 of those positions added in 2012 alone.
Rolls-Royce boasts one of the lowest staff turnover rates of any brand in the industry, thanks in part to a successful apprenticeship and internship program, and the company notes 80 percent of its workers live within 15 miles of the facility. You can read the full press release on the 10th anniversary of both the Phantom and the Goodwood plant below.

Rolls-Royce hosts first ‘Cars and Cognac’ event in the U.K.

For more than 100 years, Rolls-Royce has produced some of the world's most desirable and expensive automobiles. The British automaker has now gone one step further, by instantly making any future "cars and coffee" gatherings pale in comparison to the brand's first-ever "Cars and Cognac" event, held June 8, in the U.K. Yes, we're guessing our invitation got lost in the mail, too. "The 'cars and cognac' meet demonstrated the wonderful spirit of our customers as well as their deep passion for the brand," said Julian Jenkins, regional director for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "This evening was reflective of the rich dialogue between Rolls-Royce and its patrons; a truly unique and extremely rare relationship, one which we are privileged to nurture." We couldn't help but notice the comment about "rich dialogue," which is fitting for a brand whose least expensive offering, the Ghost sedan, starts at roughly $300,000. The evening borrowed heavily from California car culture, where cars and coffee meet-ups can see anything from slammed economy cars, customized muscle cars, or hyper-cars with multimillion-dollar prices gather at the same place. Of course, very few — i.e. none whatsoever — have featured cognac tastings conducted out of a customized Rolls-Royce-endorsed picnic basket. That's correct, a sommelier stationed at the tail-end of a Phantom sedan was handing out quaffs of fine cognac courtesy of an official Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper. This is a thing, and you know you want one. Other cars making a cameo appearance during dinner included a Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge fitted with the new "Aero Cowling." This hard tonneau cover fits snugly over the rear seats, to give the 593-horsepower convertible the look of a true two-seater. The event was held at the Soho Farmhouse, a member's only club located on a 100-acre property in Oxfordshire, approximately two hour's drive northwest from central London. On its homepage, Soho Farmhouse details its indoor and outdoor pools, multiple club rooms for special events, tennis courts, horse stables, football pitch (that's soccer for you silly Americans), and the intriguingly named Electric Barn Cinema. The entry-level membership, called Local House, with access only to the Soho Farmhouse facility, starts at about $1,700 at current exchange rates. To have access to all Soho House properties around the globe, the price runs around $2,200 (depending on whether your membership application is accepted).

Rolls-Royce debuts Phantom Coupe Aviator Collection at Pebble Beach

As if its cars aren't already exclusive enough on their own merit, Rolls-Royce is debuting an ultra-limited production version of the Phantom Coupe at Pebble Beach today. With only 35 cars expected to be built, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe Aviator Collection celebrates Charles Stewart Rolls - Rolls-Royce co-founder - who had a passion for flying and was only the second man in Britain to have a pilot's license before his death in 1910.
Unique elements of the Phantom Coupe Aviator Collection include the Aviator Grey exterior hue accented with a matte finish on the grille, hood and window frame. Setting the aeronautical theme of the car, the interior is fitted with exclusive features like the matte-black instrument gauges, an aviation-grade clock in the middle of the dash and a lower dash veneer that mimics the look of an old wooden airplane propeller. Even the transmission tunnel boasts an anodized aluminum cover with exposed torx-head bolts which attempts to match the fuselage of Rolls' award-winning (and Rolls-Royce-powered) Supermarine S6B aircraft.
No detail was overlooked in creating a truly unique atmosphere for the Aviator Collection so much so that it has a leather-lined glove box with the following quote from Rolls himself embossed into it: