Authorised dealer of Rolls-Royce in Malaysia, Rolls-Royce Motors Cars Kuala Lumpur has announced the arrival of a very unique, extremely rare Rolls-Royce – the Wraith Eagle VIII – sold for a whopping RM3.3 million.
As you’re reading this, its new owner is probably already wafting around in it but to run into it would be like finding a RM50 note on the street. That’s because there’s only one in Malaysia, 50 on this entire planet.
The extremely rare Wraith Eagle VIII pays tribute to the first non-stop Transatlantic flight between St. John’s, Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland. The extraordinary feat was taken on by Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Brown, both friends of Sir Henry Royce, in June 1919 in a modified World War 1 Vickers Vimy bomber aircraft. Unsurprisingly, the aircraft was powered by two Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines.
For this very reason, the Wraith Eagle VIII is littered with memorabilia that commemorates the most pivotal moments of the flight. It’s not just a rare piece of collectible, it’s also an immersive experience from over 100 years ago, just being around the car.
Take the exterior for example, the black grille vanes were inspired by the Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engine of the bomber aircraft while the brass speaker covers in the cabin depict the flight distance of 1,880 miles (approx. 3,025km).
The frozen instrument panels on the plane during the flight are replicated by a clock with a frozen effect on its background. Its faint green glow refers to the illumination of the control panel lighting and the burst of flames from the engine as the pilot’s only source of knowing the health of the plane’s engines.
Perhaps the most interesting of all is the starlight headliner featuring 1,183 starlight fibres were used to re-enact the night sky at the time of the flight. You will also not miss the details on the Eucalyptus wood panels of the dashboard, which replicates the view of the earth from the plane in the night. It’s simply incredible.
There’s even a plaque by the door with a quote by Winston Churchill, arguably the most well-known former Prime Minister in the UK which says, “I do not know what we should most admire – their audacity, determination, skill, science, their aeroplane, their Rolls-Royce engines – or their good fortune”.
GALLERY
Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII
