With virtually unlimited upgrades, customizations, extras, the infamously prestigious Rolls-Royce car seems to have no limits. In fact, workers who sell Rolls-Royce have to abide by an unspoken rule that prohibits discussion of base prices for the car, since there are too many factors to include when it comes to price. The product manager of Rolls-Royce, Rhodri Good, told Business Insider that “there isn’t really a specific base price to discuss because it really depends on each customer and each individual, and the bespoke options of which they like to design and develop.” So what specifically makes the Rolls-Royce Cars so expensive?
Every car comes with the option to customize its color. Unlike regular brands such as Tesla, Rolls-Royce has a palette of over 44,000 colors. The seemingly unlimited color options are just one example of the prestige treatment that one receives when being a customer. If someone has seen your color and wants it to be the exact same way as yours, the company has to ask for your permission to use your custom color and style. After picking out the color, comes the coat job, where they will have a minimum of 7 layers of coat. There’s primers, base coats, colors, two clear coats of lacquer, and one can add multiple of these coats up to a cap of 23 layers of coating (equated to 43 kilograms of coat). One instance, a wealthy customer asked for the exterior of the car to have sparkle, so Rolls-Royce crushed up 1,000 diamonds and infused it with black paint, to give it a sparkly-galaxy finish.
Another sparkling feature of the Rolls-Royce is its star lit ceiling, which is an intricate series of fiber-optic roof lights that recreate the night sky. According to Alexandra Benga, the Starlight Headliner Craftsperson for Rolls-Royce, she and her team hand-thread each fiber into 1,340 holes and can even customize the design. One customer, for example, requested the design to replicate the constellation of stars from the night they were born.
Rolls-Royce is also widely considered “the most silent ride,” and for good reason. Rolls-Royce adds approximately 300 pounds of acoustic installation around the cabin and has custom made foam tires that reduce the noise of the road by 9 decibels (which is equivalent to not hearing a tire roll over gravel). Despite the obvious advantages of driving in a vehicle with noise cancellation, some customers have reported that it’s dangerous to be so quiet since it gives the driver a lack of auditory cues.
Prices skyrocket when it comes to customizing the interior of the car.Of course, one can get into the specifics of each interior addition, but there’s too much to list, so just imagine that the inside of the car can literally be anything that you want it to be (as long as you have the money for it).
The most expensive model of a Rolls-Royce ever built was the Sweptail. Coming in at over $13 million dollars and 4 years of work, it previously held the title for most expensive new car back in 2017. Although there is no disclosure as to why the car racks up to such a high price, it’s best known for its simplistic design, as well as comfort and luxury. Remarks from many YouTube channels such as Shmee1500 and Car TV, state that it’s nicer than anything an average person would ever be able to even touch, going to show how luxurious the car itself is.
Rolls-Royce is expensive for one reason: luxury. If you ever decide to buy a Rolls-Royce, make sure you invest wisely since these cars do put a considerably large hole in your pocket!
Information comes from Business Insider, Shmee1500 (YouTube), Car TV, and Rolls-Royce.
