World’s biggest Rolls-Royce fleet a done deal

FIRST there was Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel with its fleet of 14 Rolls-Royce Phantom stretched limousines for privileged guests.

Now a Macau hotel-casino boss has gone double or nothing on a fleet of his own, placing an order for 30 red-painted extended wheelbase Phantoms, including two that the British luxury car-maker describes as the most expensive and luxurious Rolls-Royces ever built, thanks to touches such as gold-plated trim.

The deal is the largest single order for Rolls-Royces, representing millions of dollars. In Australia, the “standard” Phantom Extended Wheelbase retails for $990,000, but the cars for Macau’s Louis XIII Hotel are special-build “bespoke” units that even include items such as clocks especially designed by Graff Luxury Watches.

The order was placed by Louis XIII chairman Stephen Tung who is building the new hotel complex on Macau’s Cotai Strip of casinos. The palace is designed to recreate the opulence of the French royal family at Versailles, to attract the world’s richest fun seekers.

The cars will be used to chauffeur high rollers to the hotel, in much the same way that the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong’s Kowloon has used its fleet to move valued guests for many years.

Left: Louis XIII chairman Stephen Hung and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes.

Signing the order at Roll-Royce’s Goodwood headquarters in England, the flamboyant Mr Hung said “the world’s largest fleet of Rolls-Royces” would add to Macau’s many distinctions.

“Louis XIII and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars share the same philosophy: to deliver the perfect experience to the world’s most discerning customers,” he said.

As part of the deal, Rolls-Royce has helped to design the forecourt and driveway of the new hotel to accommodate the cars when the hotel opens in 2016.

As well, it will help to train the drivers.

Rolls-Royce says the company’s Bespoke design team had worked hand in hand with Mr Hung to create “truly distinctive” vehicles.

“Newly created bespoke elements have been applied extensively both to the interior and exterior of the cars including bespoke clocks designed and created by Graff Luxury Watches,” it said.

“The two most expensive Phantoms will additionally feature external and internal gold-plated accents.”