Young, Gifted and Black

Rolls-Royce unveil new ‘Black Badge’ sub-brand.

- Bruce Dennill

There’s a perception with many long-established premium brands that the products created using traditional methods (Rolls-Royce cars are still largely handmade, for instance) are old fashioned. Younger customers stereotypically see such marques as uptight, bringing into question the future of such markets as established buyers get older and leave a gap on the balance sheet.

That Rolls-Royce have leapt into that gap is surprising to many. That they have done so with panache and a swagger is less so. The story is that they were receiving feedback from successful younger individuals, who loved the cars, the craftsmanship and the prestige of owning a Rolls, but didn’t feel that the classic models reflected their edginess and ability to push boundaries. The company responded with the new Black Badge range – the Ghost at R6.95 million and the Wraith at R7.5 million – which includes a number of concessions to these demands while still being every inch a vehicle that remains a fantasy to most motorists.