Welcome to the Glovebox, a monthly round-up of some of the most (and some of the least) important news in the motoring world.
This time, the Phantom definitely went in the pool
If you hadn’t already heard, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is 100 years old this year, and the good folks of Goodwood are celebrating. It is not uncommon for iconic cars to celebrate their birthdays, and usually it involves various press releases and some limited-editions. Rolls-Royce, however, have instead decided to throw a Phantom in a pool. Which is a good way to celebrate any birthday. When I get to 100, please fling me in a pool.
Ok so they haven’t fully submerged it, but that would break the car, and that’s expensive. You might be thinking, ‘hey, isn’t that like the time Keith Moon drove his Phantom into a hotel swimming pool’. You would be correct for thinking that. As part of the 100th birthday, Rolls-Royce are celebrating the Phantom’s association with the world of music.
For those who know, the Phantom was and is the go-to vehicle for music legends for the past century. Previous owners include, but are not limited to, Marlene Dietrich, Duke Ellington, Fred Astaire, Edith Piaf, John Lennon, Sir Elton John, Elvis Presley, and Pharrell Williams.
The recently semi-submerged car was a Phantom Extended body shell — a retired prototype that was to be recycled — and the location was Tinside Lido in Plymouth. The choice of Tinside also connects the car to the Beatles, with the lido the backdrop to a photograph of The Beatles taken in September 1967. It was in that same year that Lennon unveiled his yellow, hand-painted Phantom V.
‘From the Golden Age of Hollywood to the rise of hip-hop, over the last 100 years, music artists have used Phantom to project their identity and challenge convention,’ says Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Chris Brownridge. ‘Their motor cars often became icons in their own right, with a lasting place in the history of modern music. This enduring connection reminds us that Rolls-Royce and the extraordinary people who are part of the marque’s story are united by one ambition: to make their presence felt.’
Has anyone got any decent podcast recommendations?
There’s much to love about EVs. They are fast, they handle very well, and the reconfiguration from internal combustion to electric has thrown up some fun and interesting designs. The issue that worries consumers, however, is range. Where is the nearest charging point, and will it be one of those fast chargers?
A worry for some, but not all, it would seem. It was revealed last week that a Polestar 3 has set a Guinness World Record for the longest journey traveled by an electric SUV on a single charge. The distance was 581.3 miles. Which is absolutely loads. For comparison, most petrol-engine cars have a range of some 400 miles.
The car was an unmodified model, on standard 20in wheels, and the drive took a total of 22 hours and 57 minutes, for an average speed of about 25mph. The car was driven by professional efficiency drivers Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker and Richard Parker, who each did three-hour shifts and must have really enjoyed each other's company. When the car reached 0% battery, it still managed to squeeze out another 8 miles. They battled rain, traffic and road closures during their marathon attempt, as well as a conversation with the police.
‘After the rain subsided, we had a few more challenges on our hands including some interest from the local constabulary!’ says Richard. ‘When they realised our official attempt was ultra-efficiency, and they had wished us good luck - we were back on track and getting into our routine of driving shifts until a last-minute road closure near Melton Mowbray was an additional test for us to face. It was another proof point that the record isn’t just down to the driver, but also the passenger – quick-thinking co-pilot navigation was just as vital as battery management for this attempt.’
Skiing? Or sliding around in a Porsche? Why not both?
I am a big fan of skiing, and I am also a big fan of driving cars. What if I could get a holiday that did both? Thankfully, HunterMoss, a luxury travel and motoring firm, have come up with just the thing — a luxury winter ice driving tour.
Starting in Munich, guests will travel through the Austrian and Bavarian Alps in luxury SUVs for a week, which will involve skiing, driving Porsche’s on the ice, and lots of spa treatments. Stops include Lake Fuschl, Salzberg, and a luxury spa in the Bavarian Alps. Sounds like a good time to me.
Distilled to perfection
It’s always nice when two of Britain’s best heritage brands get along. So it was nice to hear that Aston Martin and Glenfiddich have announced a new partnership, which will be celebrated by a limited-edition single malt, hand selected by Glenfiddich malt master Brian Kinsman.
The drop will be called the 1976 vintage, and will be limited to a run of 50 bottles worldwide, and will be showcased alongside Valhalla, Aston Martin’s first plug-in hybrid supercar, which I had the pleasure of seeing in the flesh a few weeks ago.
It's another marquee partnership for Aston Martin, following collaborations with Elemis, Bowers & Wilkins, Boss and Girard-Perregaux.
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This Grade I Essex home was renovated by a Guinness and a notorious American diarist and photographed by Country Life — now it's a firm favourite with the fashion setKelvedon Hall was saved from demolition by Lady Honor Guinness and Henry 'Chips' Channon. Now it is the star of a Church's Christmas campaign.
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What is everyone talking about this week: Thanks to modern-day technology, people were far happier in the days when Nero was setting Rome ablazeWas the ancient world's superior happiness down to its ‘superior production of art’?
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What is everyone talking about this week: Thanks to modern-day technology, people were far happier in the days when Nero was setting Rome ablaze
Was the ancient world's superior happiness down to its ‘superior production of art’?
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A slick looking off-roader that's a far cry from its rustic rural roots — Volvo EX30 Cross CountryThe latest iteration of Volvo's Cross Country is flashy, fast and stylish. But is that what a Volvo Cross Country is supposed to be?
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‘I cannot bring myself to believe that Emily Brontë would be turning over in her grave at the idea of Jacob Elordi tightening breathless Barbie’s corset’: In defence of radical adaptationsA trailer for the upcoming adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights' has left half of Britain clutching their pearls. What's the fuss, questions Laura Kay, who argues in defence of radical adaptations of classic literature.
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Mark Gatiss: ‘BBC Two turned down The League of Gentlemen six times’The actor and writer tells Lotte Brundle about his latest Christmas ghost story, discovering Benedict Cumberbatch — and his consuming passions.
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Wildhive at Callow Hall hotel review: I felt like a squirrel preparing for hibernation and I loved itThe boutique treehouses at this Derbyshire getaway are the best way to unwind in nature and explore the Peak District, writes Lotte Brundle.
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Who buys flowers in the middle of the night? Boris Johnson, panicked brides, drunk people and London’s wealthiest inhabitantsLotte Brundle visits the 24-hour central London florist where the flowers don’t sleep.
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'Gems of enflamed transparencies, of bottomless blues, of congealed opals': Why glass was perfect for the elemental experimentalism of Art NouveauArt Nouveau masters such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and Émile Gallé turned the most fragile of materials into iridescent masterpieces that shimmered like seashells or glittered like Byzantine mosaics.
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Why you absolutely need an electric Bentley Blower furnished with Russian reindeer leatherA collaboration between Hedley Studios and The King's shoemaker George Cleverley has produced something rather remarkable. Jeremy Taylor goes for a drive.
