A Tribute To Speed

Captain George Eyston’s three landspeed records, set between 1937 and 1939, were accomplished in the purpose-built Thunderbolt, an eightwheel, three-axle machine that was powered by two Rolls-Royce V12 aero engines. Each had a 37-litre displacement and an output of over 2,000bhp, and the Thunderbolt ended up reaching almost 580km/h. This remarkable engineering achievement, and the remarkable personality who drove it, forms the inspiration of the Landspeed Collection.

Selected for this purpose is Rolls-Royce’s most powerful current offering: the Black Badge Wraith.

As a Bespoke collection car, it is meticulously decorated to tell its story. For example, the wood veneer fascia is patterned after the Bonneville Salt Flats, the venue of Eyston’s records. Other interior elements reference the Thunderbolt’s aluminium construction and the bright yellow markings that increased its visibility to timing equipment. Its two-tone exterior features a new Bespoke colour, Bonneville Blue.

The Landspeed Collection consists of 25 of the open-topped Dawn and 35 of the two-door Wraith. This will likely be the last of this model of Wraith as Rolls-Royce will soon be wrapping up its production and is no longer taking orders for it.