The Rolls-Royce name is well known throughout the world and associated with the super luxury and exclusive cars of superlative quality. However, there is also Rolls-Royce plc which is better known among those in the aviation industry and provides, among other products, jet engines for many of today’s airliners.
Before the 1970s, there was just one Rolls-Royce company which was an engineering company started in 1884 and also made cars. In 1973, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was established as a separate entity and progressed on its own, while the original company went through various stages of evolution.
The aeronautical roots of Rolls-Royce are not forgotten by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the carmaker’s Bespoke Collective has created a unique collection of just 50 Wraith Eagle VIII cars that tell the epic tale of one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century. This was the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight which took place in June 1919.
The flight was done by Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Brown, contemporaries of Sir Henry Royce, one of the founders of Rolls-Royce. The modified World War I Vickers bomber aircraft they flew was powered by twin 20.3-litre, 350 bhp, Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines.
They safely crossed from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland in less than 72 hours, a feat which Rolls-Royce marked the 100th-year anniversary of this feat last year with a highly contemporary Collection that speaks to today’s adventurers, whilst honouring those who changed the course of history.
“I do not know what we should most admire – their audacity, determination, skill, science, their aeroplane, their Rolls-Royce engines – or their good fortune,” commented Sir Winston Churchill at that time when he presented the brave men with the £10,000 award by the Daily Mail.
A hundred years later, Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented at the unveiling of the Wraith Eagle VIII Collection Car: “Wraith Eagle VIII is at once an object of desire; homage to heroes and a protagonist to today’s visionaries. This Rolls-Royce Collection demonstrates the extraordinary skill of our Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex. Bespoke remains the jewel in the crown of the marque, creating luxury items that defy the trend of mass luxury manufacturers using ‘tick-box’ options to answer customer demand.”
The car is swathed in Gunmetal with a Selby Grey upper two-tone finish, the colours separated by a brass feature line which hints at the detailing that lies within. The black grille vanes draw immediate reference to the Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engine cowling on the Vickers aircraft, while the wheels are partially polished with a translucent shadow finish.
Within, the finely executed interior mirrors the exterior hue. Selby Grey and black leather are accented by brass, redolent of the brass sextant so integral to the success of the transatlantic journey. Executed in a contemporary fashion, the material populates key areas throughout the cockpit of the Collection.
Brass speaker covers depict the estimated flight distance of 3,027 kms and ‘RR’ monograms are embroidered in brass-coloured thread onto headrests. A flash of brass complements the navigator door paniers, whilst the door of the driver includes a brass plaque with Churchill’s quote commending the duo’s remarkable achievements.
Inspired by the night-time conditions of the flight over the ocean, the fascia represents a modern-day abstract interpretation of the view the pair would have enjoyed as finally, their craft cleared the thick fog and cloud. In a fusion of contemporary and traditional practises, Smoked Eucalyptus wood is vacuum metalized in gold before being inlaid with silver and copper, to depict the rich detail seen in view of the Earth from above.
The scene extends to the centre console providing both an emotive and immersive experience for today’s occupants – the cockpit is in perspective with the headliner. Below, the brass-stitched quilted sides of the centre tunnel provide a direct nod to the V12-engined Vickers Vimy.
The clock of a Rolls-Royce is frequently viewed as jewellery, with many patrons choosing this canvas to tell the story of their motor car in miniature. The Wraith Eagle VIII is no exception. Our intrepid pioneers recounted that their instrument panel was frozen from the high altitude and the poor conditions, referring to the only illumination coming from the green glow of the control panel lighting and the burst of flame from the starboard engine.
In homage to this, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective has masterfully fabricated a clock with an iced background effect which glows a faint green at night. The red hour hand sits atop compass-inspired lines on the clock’s fascia, whilst the landing location coordinates are engraved below.
Perhaps the most alluring feature is the extraordinary unique Starlight Headliner. Created with no less than 1,183 starlight fibres, the celestial arrangement at the time of the flight in 1919 is shown. The flight path and constellations are embroidered in brass thread, whilst the exact moment the pair left the cloud to navigate by the stars is indicated by a red fibreoptic light. Clouds are embroidered and a plaque reading, ‘The celestial arrangement at the halfway point 00:17 am June 15th, 1919, 50” 07’ Latitude North – 31” Longitude West” shows the halfway point of the momentous journey.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur, the authorised Rolls-Royce dealer in Malaysia, has received one of these very special cars – only 50 are made available – evocative of Alcock and Brown’s compelling adventure.
“Rolls-Royce is at the forefront of Bespoke Cars here in Malaysia. Our customers are connoisseurs who want luxury that is highly unique. This car not only fêtes a very special achievement in global history, but also resonates with our own regional development at a time when aviation was catalysed by the exploits of fearless airmen who depended on the reliability and excellence of the Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines,” said Anas Zawawi Khalid, Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur.
The Starlight Headliner – Bringing the starry sky inside a Rolls-Royce
