2021 Rolls-Royce Retains Status with Ghost of the Present
The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost was parked in front of Roxie Deli in Sacramento. It’s old-school, defined by robust sandwiches, barbecue, brisket, homemade sides and an intoxicating aroma that permeates the immediate neighborhood.
A teenage boy who witnessed a friend and me exit the opulent luxury sedan approached us in line at lunch. He looked at my colleague and said: “Excuse me, sir. What kind of job do I need to get to afford a car like that?”
A few hours later while waiting in the Ghost at a stoplight two men in the battered vehicle to my right caught my attention. Before the light changed, they uncorked a jubilant dance of synchronized hand signs and body gestures. I didn’t know what the display meant, but I’m certain it was a good thing.
The next day, a half-dozen medical workers in scrubs and smoking outside a local hospital, turned their heads in unison to watch the Ghost cruise past.
Far more expensive vehicles exist. Yet Rolls-Royce, except for some not-so-long-ago inconsistent years, has maintained its lofty status since debuting in 1904. Its parent company is now BMW. German-born Torsten Müller-Ötvös has been CEO of the British carmaker since 2010.
Rolls-Royce defines artwork on wheels. The entry-level Ghost and siblings Cullinan, Dawn, Phantom and Wraith attract attention like no other carmaker’s offerings. Global sales of 5,125 in 2020 continued the brand’s reputation. It’s a name everyone knows, a car few see.
The Cullinan, the company’s first SUV, debuted in 2018. It catapulted sales to record levels. The Ghost is described as the carmaker’s “purest expression.”
Who’s to argue? Newness abounds this year in the long-anticipated fivepassenger sedan’s second generation. The so-called entry-level Rolls Royce was the brand’s top-seller for the previous decade.
The new Ghost features a 6.75-liter, twin-turbo, 48-valve V12. It produces 563 horsepower and advances from zero to 60 miles per hour, via its eightspeed automatic transmission, in 4.6 seconds. Top speed is 155 miles per hour. The drive is powerful, smooth, quiet and carried on 21-inch, 10-spoke