Hello, Rolls-Royce? I’d like to order 30 Phantoms, please!
Luxury car manufacturer, Rolls-Royce, has just received a phone call a little like that from Stephen Hung who has just shelled out US$20 million in the biggest single order ever received by Rolls-Royce. For those of you who don’t know Stephen Hung, he is…well… rich and somewhat flamboyant, and the owner of the Louis XIII gaming complex in Macau. This venue has been dubbed the most luxurious and extravagant hotel and casino in the world.
The fleet of thirty Rolls-Royce Phantoms will be perfectly at home in the hotel where the Penthouse Suite will set you back a mere US$130,000 for one night. The Phantom, beloved of rappers and football players alike, is considered to be the epitome of car design by some; with its sheer size and distinctive front grille, it ensures that the occupant’s arrival will be noticed. “Louis XIII and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars share the same philosophy: to deliver the perfect experience to the world’s most discerning customers,” said Hung after signing the deal in a ceremony at Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood headquarters in East Sussex which was attended by the full Rolls-Royce Board.
L-R: Peter Coker, Joint Chairman, LOUIS XIII; Stephen Hung, Joint Chairman, LOUIS XIII; Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Peter Schwarzenbauer, BOD Member, BMW AG and Chairman, Rolls-Royce.
Hung, who already owns four Rolls-Royce’s along with his wife’s Candy Pink one, which was a Valentine’s Day gift, was not satisfied with just run of the mill Phantom’s. All of the cars on order will have the V12 engine and will be bedecked with a custom red paint job, and the interior will be black leather with detailing to reflect the lobby of the Louis XIII Hotel. However, two of the Phantoms will be the stretch version with gold detailing inside and out, and are allegedly two of the most expensive cars ever put out by the luxury automaker. In fact, Rolls-Royce even had a hand in the design of the driveway and parking bays, and will train the chauffeurs just to ensure that the occupant enjoys the ride to the fullest.
Rolls-Royce, the venerable old lady of British car manufacturing, is in fact owned by BMW, and has been enjoying a bit of a boom of late as demand for luxury cars has steadily increased and reported a massive 2000 cars sold for the first half of the year (read also Fiat and Ford are gloomy, but it’s sunny over at Bentley).
image: rolls-roycemotorcars.com