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Freddie Mercury's silver Rolls-Royce auction will benefit Ukrainian war victims

Freddie Mercury, Queen’s exuberant front man, had a penchant for very expensive, very lux cars; a Lincoln, a Daimler, and his favorite, a 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The limousine, which chauffeured Mercury until his death in 1991 (he had no driverÂ’s license), is now on its way to a higher calling: ItÂ’s to be sold off next month at RM Sotheby's London auction, with proceeds going to the Superhumans Center, a charity supported by Richard Branson and others to provide aid for war victims in Ukraine and to fund construction of a hospital in Lviv. According to the Hagerty automotive site, MercuryÂ’s sister Kashmira drove the car for a time after her brotherÂ’s death. With 62,000 miles on the clock, it was eventually put up for auction in Britain and sold in 2013 and fetched GBP74,600, the equivalent of GBP131,098 (about $146,000) today. The car is painted a color called Silver Chalice and has a blue interior. It is powered by a V8 motor. The sedanÂ’s memory was kept alive in the Queen biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At the beginning of the film, the rocker is being delivered to the Live Aid concert in a silver Rolls (not MercuryÂ’s original, presumably). In other Queen-related news of note, band members Brian May and Roger Taylor authorized the release Thursday of a newly-discover song, “Face It Alone,” originally recorded in the 1980s. It was targeted for inclusion on “The Miracle,” QueenÂ’s 13th studio album, but didnÂ’t make the final release. The song was discovered by a team assembling an upcoming eight-disc Queen box set. “WeÂ’d kind of forgotten about this track,” Taylor said in a statement. “But there it was, this little gem. ItÂ’s wonderful, a real discovery. ItÂ’s a very passionate piece.” Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Freddie Mercury's Rolls-Royce View 11 Photos Celebrities Rolls-Royce Auctions Luxury Sedan

BMW warns profits will fall, plans $13.6 billion in cost-cutting

FRANKFURT, Germany — BMW said Wednesday that profits in 2019 will be "well below" last year's, and it will cut 12 billion euros ($13.6 billion) in costs by the end of 2022 to offset spending on new technology. The company said profits would be eroded by higher raw materials prices, the costs of compliance with tougher emissions requirements and unfavorable shifts in currency exchange rates. The Munich-based automaker also faces increased uncertainty due to international trade conflicts that could lead to higher tariffs. "Depending on how conditions develop, our guidance may be subject to additional risks; in particular, the risk of a no-deal Brexit and ongoing developments in international trade policy," said Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter. The company forecast a profit margin of 6 to 8 percent for its automotive business, short of the long-term strategic target of 8 to 10 percent, which it said still "remains the ambition" for the company if given "a stable business environment." BMW said it had no plans for layoffs even as it outlined cost saving measures that include dropping half of its engine variants as it seeks to reduce product complexity. The BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands are to get a single sales division. Peter said that given the headwinds to earnings, "we began to introduce countermeasures at an early stage and have taken a number of far-reaching decisions." The company said the measures were needed "to offset the ongoing high level of upfront expenditure required to embrace the mobility of the future." Automakers around the world have faced heavy up-front costs for technology expected to change how people get from one place to another in the next decade. Those include electric cars and renting cars through smartphone apps. Yet the returns from such investments remain uncertain and auto companies face competition from tech firms such as Uber and Waymo. BMW made 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in net profit last year, down 17 percent from 2017, when it booked a gain of $1 billion from U.S. tax changes. The company faced headwinds from increased tariffs on vehicles exported to China from the United States. It also suffered from turmoil on the German auto market when companies faced bottlenecks getting cars certified for new emissions rules. BMW faces uncertainty from U.S.-China trade tensions that could result in new tariffs if talks do not result in an agreement. U.S.

Rolls-Royce wrapped a Ghost in gold for Antonio Brown's Super Bowl use

Well, don't I feel like a jerk. While in San Diego earlier this week for the Honda Civic Coupe launch, I stumbled across a Rolls-Royce Phantom that had been wrapped in a chrome/polished gold finish. It was atrocious, so I took a picture, posted it on Facebook, and captioned it by suggesting that Charles Rolls and Henry Royce were turning in their graves. Now, the company those two men lent their names to have wrapped a Ghost in a very similar style for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown to drive around San Francisco during Super Bowl 50. It's not clear why Brown is in San Francisco, since his team never made it past the AFC Divisional Playoff. But his love of Rolls-Royce motorcars is no secret. Brown made headlines in the sporting world in July of 2015 for his Phantom. Sporting a matte-black finish with a wide yellow stripe down the middle – just like the Steelers' helmets – the car also wore whitewall tires and bore Brown's signature in a gloss decal. This wrapped Ghost is about as tasteful. Its semi-gloss gold finish is broken up by the silver hood, while Brown's catchphrase, "Business Is Boomin" is displayed along the doors. The front fenders feature Brown's initials and his number. At least there aren't whitewall tires. You can check out the one-off Ghost in the gallery above. Or you could do the sensible thing and forget this thing ever existed. Related Video: