[dropcap]R[/dropcap]olls-Royce Motor Cars celebrated a successful Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend, with a significant presence throughout the event.
The highlights:
Dawn Black Badge
The Festival of Speed served as the perfect staging point for the global unveiling of the Rolls‑Royce Dawn Black Badge. Unveiled in the spectacular setting of the Rolls-Royce display area on the Laundry Green, Dawn Black Badge, flanked by its siblings Wraith Black Badge and Ghost Black Badge, drew huge crowds throughout the weekend.
Dawn Black Badge stands as the most luxurious, social space from which to take in the night air. This most glamorous, uncompromising expression of open-top luxury is given a new and darker sensual dimension through its suite of Black Badge engineering and design treatments. The car shown was presented in a deeply intense shade of black, created by the most exhaustive painting and polishing process ever used for a solid paint colour. The result clothes Dawn’s lines in the deepest, darkest and most intense black to ever grace a production car surface. The roof, which opens in a ‘Silent Ballet’ to allow in the sounds of the night, is in black canvas, whilst the rear deck is finished in black leather.
Rolls-Royce ‘Sweptail’
Rolls-Royce’s history as the world’s pre-eminent coachbuilder is at the very core of its identity as the world’s most celebrated luxury brand. The coachbuilt Rolls-Royce ‘Sweptail’ graced the Festival of Speed in the ‘First Glance’ category, drawing huge crowds whether at rest in the paddock or wafting up the Hillclimb. Inspired by the beautiful coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of the 1920s and 1930s, the patron’s desire was for a coachbuilt two seater coupé featuring a large panoramic glass roof. Rolls-Royce ‘Sweptail’ is a truly magnificent motor car, exuding the romance of travel for its own sake, placing it in the pantheon of the world’s great intercontinental tourers.
Wraith Black Badge
The most powerful and dynamic Rolls-Royce in history, Wraith Black Badge effortlessly ascended the Hillclimb during the Supercar Shootout. Wraith Black Badge peaked at 126mph during the 1.16-mile course and recorded a speed of 102mph as the car crossed the finish line, proving that it is not necessary to sacrifice luxury for speed. Wraith Black Badge was driven by Endurance Racing legend Joerg Weidinger. The car was finished in Dark Indigo, with the interior in Seashell and Navy Blue contrast leather, and the fascia in Black Badge Technical Fibre.
Ghost Black Badge
The Course Car this year was a Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge, resplendent with LED race lights and Goodwood decals. The car was driven by a team from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and seen on the course between each Hillclimb Run throughout the weekend, completing 85 runs and covering more than 200 miles in total. The car was finished in Andalusian White, with the interior in Black and Tan contrast leather and the fascia in Black Badge Technical Fibre.
Bradley Theodore
Celebrity artist Bradley Theodore created unique artwork throughout the event at the Rolls‑Royce Black Badge display area on the Laundry Green. Renowned for his instantly recognisable ‘Dia de los Muertos’ style, Theodore is dedicated to making his art accessible for all to see around the world, producing murals on the streets of Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Oslo and Paris. During the Festival of Speed he created artwork inspired by iconic Rolls-Royce images, including the Spirit of Ecstasy, Double R badge and radiator grille, and also the magnificent Rolls‑Royce ‘Sweptail’.
The Rolls-Royce Fleet
In addition to the cars on the Hillclimb, invited VIP guests were conveyed in luxury from the Home of Rolls-Royce on the south-eastern corner of the Goodwood Estate – in sight of Goodwood House – in a beautiful and rarely seen fleet of Bespoke Rolls-Royce motor cars.
