Rolls-Royce celebrates water speed record
Limited-edition Drophead Coupe commemorates British water speed record made possible with Rolls-Royce enginesRolls-Royce has announced plans to undertake a limited-edition production run of 35 Phantom Drophead Coupes designed to "celebrate a seminal act of British daring and endeavour".
The unique models will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Sir Malcolm Campbell's last water speed record, which occurred in 1939. Many of his speed boats, including the record-breaking Bluebird K3 hydroplane vessel, were powered by Rolls-Royce engines.
The exterior of the special-edition Bespoke Waterspeed Collection coupe will be finished in Maggiore blue and brushed steel.
Lake Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian border was where Sir Malcolm – a world-renowned English motor racer and automotive journalist -- broke the USA's five-year stranglehold on the world water speed record in 1937, with a 129.5mph run, or 208.4km/h.
The interior of the unique Drophead Coupe will feature hand-crafted timber inlays that call to mind "a boat effortlessly gliding through water at pace", says Rolls-Royce.
In Australia, the standard Drophead Coupe is the most expensive Rolls-Royce available, starting at $1,075,000 including on-road costs. For that price you could buy almost five brand-new Aston Martin V8 Vantage coupes.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, which is owned by BMW, said the new Waterspeed collection is the first of many special-edition Rollers coming this year.
"This special collection, and those to follow in 2014, serve to display the breadth of bespoke personalisation available to every Rolls-Royce customer. I very much look forward to revealing these remarkable cars over the coming months," he said.
"Sir Malcolm Campbell’s successful pursuit of world-speed records on land and water were the result of his commitment to the most exacting standards of British design and engineering excellence. Such attributes are hallmarks of every Rolls-Royce motor car, ensuring the marque’s position at the pinnacle of super-luxury manufacturing," stated Müller-Ötvös.
Sales of Rolls-Royce vehicles in Australia for the first month of 2014 have jumped by 200 per cent compared to the same time last year, from one vehicle to three -- two sedans and one coupe.
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