These will be made in limited quantities…
To honor the late Captain George Eyston, Rolls-Roycehas revealed two Landspeed Collection models, a Wraith coupe and Dawn convertible. Whichever one customers choose, they’ll get a stylish vehicle packed with references to Eyston’s impactful career.
Learn how a former Rolls-Royce factory could become a classic car tourist destination here.
Captain George Eyston set 3 land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah back in the 1930s. The final time he set a record, the Brit pushed his car to a blistering 357.5 mph back in 1938, which is incredibly fast even by today’s standards.
Several callouts are included on both cars to Eyston’s favorite vehicle, the Thunderbolt. The purpose-built machine was powered by 2 37-liter V12 Rolls-Royce aircraft engines, which produced a monstrous 2,000-horsepower each. Laser-etched onto the front tunnel is a silhouette of the Bonneville rocket. Plus, there’s a clock next to the touchscreen which has some of the designs from the old car’s instrument panel. Even the yellow and black accents are a callback to the colorway for the Thunderbolt. On the driver’s door panel are the ribbon colors signifying the various honors Eyston achieved during his life.
While not as impressive as the Thunderbolt, the Rolls-Royce Wraith and Dawn do have twin-turbo 6.6-liter V12 engines with 642-hp and 563 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, which isn’t too shabby. Plus, both are infinitely more comfortable than the land rocket.
According to Rolls-Royce, the two-tone exterior of both cars is supposed to be a reflection of the ultra-flat Bonneville scenery. Black Diamond Metallic paint is offset by Bonneville Blue. As for the interior, it contains a few connections to the landscape, like the dashboard and part of the center console engraved with what looks like cracked ground of the Salt Flats. The Starlight Headliner in the Wraith has been configured to show what the nighttime sky looked like over Bonneville when Eyston made his final record run in 1938.
With their unique ties to the past, Rolls-Royce will only be making 35 Wraith Landspeed Collection models and 25 for the Dawn. In other words, these no doubt will be cherished collectibles for the few fortunate to receive one.
