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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:

Could Rolls-Royce expand business with new models?

Rolls-Royce may be forced to expand its lineup beyond the über-luxury cars gobbled up by the ultra-wealthy jetset, as new competition in the form of the rumored, high-end Mercedes-Benz S-Class could take a slice of the luxury pie from the BMW-owned manufacturer.
Automotive News reports that this, along with the combination of BMW's unwillingness to move above the price-point set by the 7-Series and Bentley's expansion into the SUV realm, could force Rolls-Royce's hand. AN is arguing that, as unrealistic as it might sound, Rolls could develop a four-door crossover or shooting brake, but that any such plans are in the earliest of stages.
In the near term, the smallest Rolls-Royce, the Ghost, will get a refresh in 2014, while the sporty Wraith fastback will spawn a convertible variant by 2015. The big boy of the Rolls-Royce range, meanwhile, is due for a far more comprehensive re-do. The Phantom is expected to share a platform with the next-generation 7-Series in 2016. Advanced materials are expected to feature heavily, as Rolls-Royce seeks to trim body fat and improve fuel economy without compromising the performance or comfort expected of the brands' flagship model.

Rolls-Royce 103EX Concept | Autoblog Minute

The Rolls-Royce 103EX is a vehicle that looks to the future, offering a vision of the luxury automaker?s next century. Rolls-Royce calls its fully autonomous, zero emissions concept vehicle a masterpiece. Rolls-Royce Autonomous Vehicles Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video