Special Rolls Royce 'rocks' on

Published Aug 14, 2015

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Goodwood, England - When John Lennon had his Phantom V painted in psychedelic carnival-caravan colours in the 1960s it wasn’t entirely in keeping with the stately, stiff-upper-lip Rolls-Royce image.

The late Beatle admitted his handiwork wasn’t met with universal acclaim and recounted a tale of a woman who chased the car, shouting, “You swine! You swine! How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!”

It’s not known how Rolls-Royce itself reacted to the party paint job on Lennon’s car back in 1965, but today the luxury-car firm is quite happy to link its stately vehicles with a rock & roll history. Through the ages the firm’s cars have found many a home amongst rock music’s royalty, including one Elvis Presley who bought his first Rolls-Royce, a Phantom V, in January 1961 at a Beverley Hills dealership.

In this spirit, Rolls-Royce has created a special present Wraith ‘Inspired by Music’ derivative with what’s claimed to be the most exhaustively designed sound system in automotive history.

The Lyrical Copper exterior paint finish, along with copper-themed speaker grilles and other copper interior textures, signify the use of copper in the best audio systems. Along with numerous other Bespoke styling touches, the clock is crafted with a combination of copper and silver, and the outer bezel mimics the look and feel of vinyl records.

The aural experience is supplied by a 1300W, 16-speaker system with microphones that monitor ambient and exterior noises and adjust volume and tone settings automatically to ensure no outside noises detract from the listening pleasure.

It’s somewhat more high-tech than Lennon’s Phanton V, which was equipped with a record player (although it was a fancy “floating” one with perfect balance so it could be used without being effected by stops and bumps while driving).

This musically-inspired Rolls-Royce is part of a trilogy of Bespoke Wraiths including the ‘Inspired by Film’ car that celebrates the brand’s long association with the silver screen, and the ‘Inspired by Fashion’ version with materials and motifs of cutting-edge high fashion.

Star Motoring

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