Known for providing owners with a plethora of bespoke details, Rolls-Royce hasn’t offered a modern shooting brake. That didn’t stop a team from transforming a Wraith into one, with the result dividing people. Still, it’s attractive enough that the one-of-a-kind vehicle was auctioned for $280,625 during RM Sotheby’s Dubai event over the weekend.
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Originally designed by Niels van Roij Design and built by Carat Duchatelet, over 2,500 hours were poured into the process. Not only did they convert the body into a shooting brake, they modified the 6.6-liter V12 engine to produce a peak 690-horsepower.
Some have called this the ultimate vehicle to take on falcon hunts. We don’t know what the new owner will do with the unique ride, but it should be enjoyed. After all, shooting brakes have been made to get outside and play, not to be parked in a climate controlled garage and never driven.
Shooting brakes hit their height of popularity among the upper crust in the 1930s. Many today have no idea what one is or anything about their history stretching back to before cars even existed. One might say they’re an acquired taste few appreciate but many enthusiasts consider a type of litmus test.
To maintain the feel of a modern Rolls-Royce, a starlight headliner with fiber optic “stars” the driver can switch on at night was crafted by hand to extend from the front to the very rear of the shooting brake. They even made it so the starlight appears to fade from front to back, creating an “infinity scape” effect.
The original plan Niels van Roij Design had was to build seven examples of the Silver Spectre Shooting Brake, but this was the only one completed. According to its lot listing, a mere 17,965 kilometers (about 11,162 miles) were displayed on the odometer.
See the lot listing for yourself here.
Images via RM Sotheby’s
Shawn Henry