Editorial

Listening to the radio on the way to the office this morning, the BBC had managed to get a spokesman from the consortium which had attempted to buy Rolls-Royce a few years ago, as well as an engineer from the new BMW-owned company, who had been working on the current project. The question posed, with this afternoon's launch in Detroit anticipated, "was the car a 'real' Rolls-Royce in the great tradition of the Crewe marque?"

Our current R-R man's answer was unequivocal - yes. It's made in Britain and carries much British engineering know-how and ingenuity together with the original concept of 'waftability'; that only a massively powerful, under-stretched engine can impart on even the colossal weight of the new car. Dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist was unimpressed, "the radiator should be made in the old tradition, by several craftsmen wielding hammer on brass, prior to plating and polishing; the things a BMW in disguise!"

Well, the car is launched, we have probably the first pictures on the 'net, and next week will be featuring it as Car of the Week.

You can make your own minds up - with its looks, price-tag and image it's right up there with the Maybach in opulence and excess. History will never record whether the traditionalist viewpoint would have produced a better car. Perhaps a different one.

Steve Wakefield
Managing Editor

This week in Classic Driver

CAR OF THE WEEK

BMW 760

The new BMW 7 Series, originally with a V8 petrol engine, was launched in the autumn of 2001 followed a year later by 6- and 8-cylinder diesel models. Now BMW is introducing the 760i and the extended-wheelbase 760Li. These V12-engined, top-of-the-range 7 Series models are so civilized, claims the manufacturer, that the engine is impossible to hear when idling, or "travelling at a steady pace"...

read the complete article

CLASSIC CAR OF THE WEEK

Porsche 924 Carrera GT

If the best classic cars have great looks, are great to drive and are exotically rare, then the Porsche 924 Carrera GT is up there with the best of all classic cars. As the 1970s drew to a close, everyone believed that the incredible 911 was coming to the end of its days as a current car.......

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NEWS

Goodwood launch for all new Rolls-Royce Phantom

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited has revealed the all-new Rolls-Royce Phantom today at the company's new manufacturing plant and head office at Goodwood in West Sussex, UK. It is just four and a half years since BMW Group became the custodians of the Rolls-Royce marque for automotive use...

read the complete article

Detroit Motor Show - Guigiaro designed Maserati "Kubang" GT wagon

Detroit Friday 3rd January 2003: "I decided that there was still something that could be done with the SUV concept. To me, they look more like off-roaders that have gradually been "civilized" rather than real automobiles. They've got a lot going for them, but for some reason they never seem to offer the kind of sublime driving pleasure and all-round, all-weather and condition safety that are two givens of other modern cars...

read the complete article

Auctions

20th December 2002 - Auction Review - Bonhams Ferrari Sale at Gstaad

Thanks to realistic reserves, Bonhams’ Ferrari sale in Gstaad scored a high succcess rate but buyers weren’t exactly falling over themselves when it came to the more valuable lots. The biggest sum was paid for the “founding Ferrari”, the 1947-48 166 Spider Corsa. This earliest surviving competition Ferrari went for 1,086,000 Swiss francs (about £505,000) but the outstanding, salmon and anthracite 375 Mille Miglia Coupe of 1954 – the only 375MM bodied by Ghia – failed to sell...

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Auction Preview: Coys at the Autosport Show, NEC, Birmingham 11th January 2003

Although Coys' regular auction at the Autosport show in Birmingham has a strong motorsport theme, the majority of entries are not racers, but road cars. Among these are seven Ferraris of various sorts, ranging from a rare, 1969 Series One 246GT Dino to a 1973 Daytona Spyder conversion (at an estimate of £80,000 - 110,000); or how about a 1998 456 GTA?...

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Autosport International Show, NEC UK
09th - 12th January 2003

Interclassics Classic Car Show, Maastricht, Holland
10-12th January 2003

Coys Auction at Autosport International, NEC UK
11th January 2003

14th Winter Challenge to Geneva
12-18th January 2003

see further event details

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