Friday 24th September 2004

French get new Roller

Paris sees first RR dealer since BMW acquisition

---

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has launched the new Phantom in France at the 2004 Paris Motor Show exactly 100 years after the first Rolls-Royce made its debut at the Paris Salon of 1904.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Paris, will be the first Rolls-Royce dealer in France since the company’s renaissance in January 2003 and will officially open for business, in the 16th arrondissement, over the coming days.

Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, Chairman and Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: "We are delighted to announce the opening of this new showroom in such a wonderful city. Rolls-Royce has a long and celebrated history in France, and we are particularly pleased to be able to announce our new Paris dealership during our celebrations of 100 years of the marque."

Dealer Principle, Eric Neubauer, said: "It is a great honour to be chosen to represent Rolls-Royce in Paris. We have already had a good deal of interest from potential customers and I am confident that the Phantom will be a great success here."

Today also sees the stylish arrival of a Rolls-Royce Phantom at the opening of the Monaco Boat Show. Featuring as part of the standard specification of the 75 million Euro luxury yacht Utopia, the Phantom is carried on the helipad, lifted into position by the yacht’s own crane. For longer sea passages or during inclement weather the Phantom has a fully enclosed garage in the bow of the vessel.

Henk de Vries, managing director of Feadship, the yacht’s manufacturer, said: "The Phantom was a natural choice for us when deciding which car we should specify for the Utopia. In our opinion this new Rolls-Royce is the finest luxury car in the world, so what other choice could we make for the finest luxury yacht?"

Rolls-Royce has a strong French connection. From the earliest days of the company new models were tested in France – chosen for its long straight roads, virtually free of traffic. In 1924 a permanent test facility was established at Chateauroux, 155 miles south of Paris. Sir Henry Royce had a personal love of France and spent the winters at his villa in La Canadel on the Cote d’Azur from 1911 until his death in 1933. And of course the name Corniche, used for many of the famous open-top Rolls-Royce models, came from this same region in the south. The connection continues to the present day as the new Phantom is equipped with PAX run-flat tyres, developed and produced specifically for this latest Rolls-Royce by Michelin.

Equally, many famous French men and women are among the list of Rolls-Royce owners from Brigitte Bardot to Coco Chanel to Baron Bich (of Bic Biro fame).

The 1,000th Phantom was built at the new Goodwood home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars this month. Each motor car is built to order and the unique wood trim and a range of bespoke features ensure that no two models are the same.

[alanc5]

That's one ugly limo. It's looks it belongs in the Thunderbirds.

[Balmoral Green]

If sales go well, they hope to import another.

[speedsix20]

I attended Karl-Heinz Kalbfell'press conference on RR's stand at the Paris Motorshow earlier this week.

They shouldn't let those Germans make press statements for such a symptomatic British concern.

It was just irresistibly hilarious "Fe are telightet to report zat fe chout meet aourr tarkets for 2004.."





>> Edited by speedsix20 on Sunday 26th September 00:27

[Balmoral Green]

Reminds me of this, scroll down to new RR.

www.sniffpetrol.com/issue034.html

[LuS1fer]

So they have a German car masquerading as a Britisher. Sounds familiar. I suspect they will offer a Guillotine between the front and rear seats so when the aristo leans forward, the driver can behead him and take the spoils of the class struggle.