Here at Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, we are all about the finer things in life. In the exclusive automobile market, they do not come any finer than Rolls-Royce.
So the story is told, among those who hold the Spirit of Ecstasy in rarefied esteem, that the Rolls-Royce manufacturer would not allow customers of certain social class, background or status to purchase one of their luxury vehicles, for fear that they would embarrass the exclusive brand.
The legend can be traced back to an Indian Maharaja in the 1920’s. According to the fable, Jai Singh Prabhakar was visiting London from his home region of Alwar, and chose to do so incognito. Upon visiting a Rolls-Royce showroom on his stroll through the British capital, the Maharaja, in casual attire, was allegedly asked to leave.
So infuriated by the experience, Jai Singh Prabhakar returned to his hotel and ordered a royal visit to the showroom. Returning in his finest garb, he purchased every vehicle in the showroom and had them shipped back to India – where he used them for waste collection!
While a super tale, it is not likely to be true. Also, most importantly for you and I, neither are the stringent profiling checks which befell Majaraha Prabhakar in the story.
Knowing that you can purchase the world’s most exclusive vehicle is one thing, but where to begin? Read on for our three tips.
Try before you buy
If you are the sort of person who is in the market for a Rolls-Royce, then there is absolutely no need to rush your purchase. Rolls-Royce cars are built to last, made out of the highest-quality materials and of the most exquisite design – they are not going anywhere.
In fact, the market is doing so well, that there has been a rise in the rental market for the best of British. To know for sure what type of Royce you want to commit to, you might want to consider hiring a model or two – and why not combine it with a flying visit to a global destination?
Leading firms like Lion Heart Lifestyle in Los Angeles have carved out an excellent reputation for catering to the high-end motoring consumer, and would be our recommendation to rent a Rolls-Royce from.
New lease of life
It might seem counterintuitive to imagine a Rolls-Royce owner, one of the very upper one per cent, to be considering a mere lease, but there is a very prudent argument behind the idea of leasing your luxury automobile, rather than buying it outright.
According to industry experts, a Phantom – one of the more popular models from the BMW-owned Rolls-Royce range – can see its value depreciate by up to 30% within the first 48 months of registration.
Now, of course, if you have decided to drop the hundreds of thousands of pounds required to take own a Royce, you may decide that it is worth the hit. However, with the interest rates at record lows, a medium-term lease might well see you in better financial shape.
The possibilities are endless
Of course, that may simply not cut it for you. And, who could blame you? Taking ownership of a Rolls-Royce is many an entrepreneur’s dream – it is perhaps the ultimate status symbol for the rising star.
In addition, a lease does not offer you the complete and customised Rolls-Royce experience, from commission to completion. Only to visit the Rolls-Royce headquarters in Goodwood, the heart of British racing country, is to know simply how breathtaking the bespoke delivery of each model can be.
As one would expect when shelling out the monetary equivalent of a country farmhouse, the suite of customisations available throughout the Rolls-Royce manufacturing process is mind-blowing. For example, there are nearly 50,000 unique external colours to choose from when selecting your Rolls-Royce, and, if they do not work for you, the design team will produce a custom paintjob for your unique tastes.
What’s more, Rolls-Royce have engineered a specialist lightbulb which can mimic the natural light of the location in which the customer lives – meaning that they can replicate the environment for the customer when selecting their paint finish.
The list is almost infinite. No stone is left unturned in creating the ultimate Rolls-Royce for the client. Over 20,000 wood and veneer finishes are available, and the process is almost exclusively hand-crafted. Such is the level of detail that, according to Rolls-Royce, staff working on the production of their vehicles are not allowed to wear make-up or deodorant during the process, in order not to contaminate the end product.
Image credit at the very top of the article credit: Foto VDW/Bigstock.com
