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Rolls-Royce Ghost counts 1001 Nights back to the 1970s

A Rolls-Royce should remind you of a golden age of motoring – cruising around the British Isles with a giant hood ornament pointing the way forward is, in some circles at least, the epitome of class. This latest special edition, however, revives another time and place altogether... one nowhere near as classy. The Rolls-Royce Ghost 1001 Nights edition takes its inspiration from the classic Middle Eastern tome, and throws in some unfortunate 1970s style for good measure. It's done up in a two-tone brown and orange exterior color scheme, for some reason unbeknownst to us, with hand-painted coach lines and Arabian-themed motifs inside and out. The Middle Eastern cues are one thing... the paint job, on the other hand, reminds us of an age when Goodwood was producing ostentatious boxes in questionable color schemes, powered by 6.75-liter V8s mated to three-speed automatic transmissions and producing power that Rolls-Royce referred to as "adequate." Of course, nobody is forcing anyone to buy this unfortunately customized Ghost. The company's Bespoke division will set one up for any paying customer just the way he or she desires. Just why anyone would desire this particular configuration, however, is beyond us. Still, we doubt the ultra-luxe automaker will have much trouble selling however many of them it produces at whatever price point it determines – such is the apparent demand for Rolls-Royces in the Persian Gulf region. After North America, the Middle East is the company's largest market. Last year the dealership in Abu Dhabi sold more units than any of the other 126 showrooms around the world. And that's not even including the other dealers in nearby Dubai and Sharjah (both in the UAE), plus additional showrooms in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and three more in Saudi Arabia – all carving up one of the most lucrative markets in the world. It only keeps growing, and Rolls-Royce reports that every last one it sells in the region has been customized by the Bespoke division. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor leaves the company

Another surprise executive departure on the sceptred isle: Rolls-Royce design chief Giles Taylor has left the car company and the parent BMW Group. Rolls-Royce's 52-word statement on Taylor's sudden exit said only that Taylor departed "to pursue alternative business interests." The news comes three days after Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales abruptly quit to become CEO of an English classic car restorer. Taylor leaves less than a month after Rolls-Royce introduced its brand-redefining Cullinan SUV, and before the auto show season where he would have been expected to lead the discussion on the Cullinan's genesis and detailing. According to his LinkedIn page, Taylor began his career with five years as an exterior designer at Peugeot, then graduated to a 14-year stint as chief designer at Jaguar; among other projects, he led the interior design of the 2003 Jaguar XJ before becoming chief exterior designer of the 2009 XJ. He moved from Coventry to Cheshire in 2011, becoming head of exterior design at Rolls-Royce. Just one year into the job, former director of design Ian Cameron left the company, and Taylor took over in 2012. His tenure has included the creation of retail products like the new Phantom and Dawn, one-offs like the Sweptail, concepts like the Next 100, and even a bespoke Paddington Bear. Rolls-Royce says it will announce a new designer "in due course." If the automaker looks in-house, it could tap Pavle Trpinac, now a senior exterior designer credited with the lines on the Wraith and the latest Phantom. Related Video: Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Rolls-Royce Luxury jean-marc gales giles taylor

Rolls-Royce seriously considering SUV

A Rolls-Royce Phantom may be the size of an SUV, and the Ghost isn't that much smaller. Still, according to reports, the high-end British automaker is seriously evaluating the prospect of adding a proper sport-ute or crossover to its lineup.
The news comes courtesy of Bloomberg, which spoke to Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week. Although the rumor of a potential Rolls off-roader has been floating around for several months now, this is the first we've seen of the company confirming the possibility.
The development would follow similar projects being undertaken by rival automakers. Former sister-brand Bentley is preparing to launch an SUV, Jaguar revealed its own concept crossover at the same show, Maserati is gearing up to start production of the Levante and even Aston Martin has considered the idea of a crossover.