QUOTE (rgalla9146)
It's great that they provide employment to many people.
Own a Rolls Royce ? Nah, rather have the money.
Recent models have all looked like cartoons to me.
Avalanche of depreciation in three years.
IMHO
I mainly kind of agree with you. For us mere mortals who had hard knock lives standing in line waiting for the welfare dime, it’s a bitter obscene pill that some folk can buy cars at lottery win prices and not give a damn about depreciation.
That said as years have gone by and I passed 50, I have learned to accept that we can’t change these things and folks can do what they want with their cash. Sure we may all still judge a person on what car they drive, as we are ourselves all judged at first sight by others. We can all criticize how they look, I do just that every day, and in small tiny steps I try and get things changed.
Like you the depreciation on any high end motor car scares me to death. But given the chance I’d wager that if we had the money, as petrolheads (I think you call em Gearheads in US) we’d all be more inclined to go and buy some supercar or another. Granted the connoisseurs amongst us would go for some lovely old high end classics, but say you still had bags of cash left over, you’d most likely succumb to the indulgence of a new Rolls-Royce.
The problem then is that you want something that your peers don’t have, you want something more expensive, more exclusive, more outrageous than anyone has had before. This is what fuels the Bespoke department at R-R. I love working with the team in that department. The recent run of Louis XIII Phantoms for Stephen Hung had some amazing bespoke details. Safes concealed in the door panels with wristwatch holders to ensure that if you were ever out and got caught short wearing an inappropriate or inferior timepiece to your host you could open up your watch safe and select a different diamond encrusted platinum Rolex!
It really is a wonderland to behold.
So if any genuine 914 US member is over here in UK in November PM me.
QUOTE (Chris H)
Very nice. I bet it smells fantastic inside.
Well Chris, I have to tell you it does smell good. However in my opinion its not as good as an old Rolls-Royce that has mellowed and matured like a good wine or scotch.
I don’t know if you guys are watching the new series of BBC Top Gear? The new hosts Matt LeBlanc and my pal Chris Evans made a small film last month that was shown on our UK TV screens last Sunday. I got asked by the BBC to help make that piece. (Supporting the old Rolls-Royce, not the new) as I do a lot of TV and movie work in my spare time.
Chris Evans explains exactly what I’m trying to say about the smells of cars just being better when they become classic.
Just in the same way you open your garage door on your 914, you can smell it’s a 914 blindfolded, they have their own unique odour. The same goes for an old Rolls, more so if you’ve not driven it in a while, the whiff of finest Connolly hide, Walnut, and Wilton lambs wool rugs combined with old adhesives is overpowering to the senses and cannot be found in the sanitary new Rolls-Royce just yet. Time will tell if the Bavarian bull hide and water based glues and lacquers develop and mellow this way.
For those of you probably drifting into unconsciousness reading my reply, Chris’s post made me think of that old John Carpenter, Stephen King Movie, Christine.. when the kid goes to buy the junk car from the old fella.
“My asshole brother bought her back in September '57. That's when you got your new model year, in September. Brand-new, she was. She had the smell of a brand-new car. That's just about the finest smell in the world, 'cept maybe for pussy”
Veekry9
When I left the Armed Forces my first job and training in civilian life was at Crewe (when Bentley & R-R were one company) I got to work on, drive and test many pre production Bentleys too. My only failing in practicing what I preach and my confession here to you guys, is that I did end up buying a brand new one to add to my ever increasing car collection. I have to say I was sick to the bottom of my stomach with the worry (off work for a week I was so physically ill) from parting with £1/4 million GBP for a car. I did not enjoy the experience one bit. I’m a kid who grew up in a single parent family sleeping 3 to a bed in my grandparents council house, so to me, buying that car was a fundamentally wrong thing to do.
I still have that Bentley in my collection but instead of it being a joyous thing to have been able to do; it is the first and last brand new car I shall ever buy.
Granted the thing is a masterpiece of engineering. I watched it going down the production line being built and had the 155mph limiter de-regulated but was told not go near 205mph as that’s the gearbox critical failure speed. I’ve covered 35K miles in it and driven all across Europe and around several racing circuits including Nurburgring. Do I regret it....yes and no. I regret the depreciation when I could have bought 2 Aston Martin DB5's instead and now have £2million. But equally I'm glad I did it, just because I was able too. (if that makes sense)
There you go….hands up who’s just passed new judgement on what kinda guy you think I am now?
Nice as all this is Veekry9 you, like me will probably get more fun and kicks from this old little project from my past.
Rolls-Royce WWII Aero engine V12, 27litre shoe horned into an old Phantom.
This is more of what I’m all about than some guy who just happened to have an opportunity so he grabbed it with both hands and bought a new Bentley.
;-)
