For one owner of the new Spectre from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars—the marque’s first modern-era electric vehicle (EV)—being offered an opportunity to purchase it was all it took. At the handover event, the owner remembers that only very scant details of the car was communicated at the initial approach two years ago. “We just knew that it would be the first new EV from Rolls-Royce,” he says. “We didn’t know what it looked like, what it was called, or how much it would be.”
But making the decision to buy was easy, says the owner (who requested anonymity for this story). “There was no hesitation because we trust the brand,” he says. “Its name and reputation mean that they have had to convince the world over and over again of Rolls-Royce’s status as the best of the best, so I was not concerned at all when making my decision to purchase.”
View more photos of the new Spectre
In the process, he would become the very first client of Quill Automobiles—the official and sole Malaysian dealer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars—to make the booking on the Rolls-Royce Spectre. Following that, he was also invited to Goodwood, the home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, to view the Spectre, which was embargoed for its impending international media release. There, he added the key flourishes to any worthy Rolls-Royce: elements of bespoke.
View the Spectre from a new perspective
In his version, the car incorporates one of the marque’s more recent and visually unmistakable features: an illuminated Pantheon grille. Already the widest-ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce, the additional LED lighting makes for an especially dramatic and powerful demeanour at night and in underground spaces.
The exterior finish is two-tone, a bright English White with a subtle contrast on the roof and bonnet with a darker White Sands finish. In a rather elegant touch, the wheel centres are colour-matched to the body. On his choice of the colours, he recalls how even as a boy, Rolls-Royces were one of the very rare car models that could be coloured as two-toned. “Owning a two-toned automobile is a subtle enjoyment as there are many other Rolls-Royces currently on the road in a single colour—likely the more competitively priced parallel imports,” he says.
Take a closer look at the finer details of the interior
Upon closer inspection, a third hue is visible—there is just a hint of bolder colour in the form of Turchese, a turquoise that evokes cloudless skies or sparkling Mediterranean seas—that can be found in the hand-painted pinstripe that runs along the car’s shoulder line, a classic Rolls-Royce touch. A similar but perfectly circular pinstripe can be found tracing the circumference of the wheel centres. This touch of blue is perhaps a nod to the owner’s own connection with the sea and his shipping business.
Inside this Spectre, one finds Starlight Doors, a feature that debuted in the Spectre when it launched. When activated, thousands of pinpricks of light scintillate like stars, creating a playful but wondrous atmosphere. This is an extension of the marque’s famous Starlight Headliner concept, which is found on the interior roof, enabling this starry atmosphere to cast its twinkle onto its passengers.
The wood panelling is a dark open-pore Obsidian Ayous, complementing the predominantly navy blue colour of the interior. A lighter Seashell colour elevates it all, and Turchese once again makes an appearance—this time for highlights such as the seat lapels, Rolls-Royce monogram on the headrests, and the hand-applied contrast stitching in various places throughout the car, such as on the fascia, along the seats, and on the control stalks.
A silver lining for the owner has been in—and we use this word very loosely—‘relative affordability’ of the car, approximately RM3 million with specs. This is due to the EV incentives by the Malaysian government, which exempts completely built-up (CBU) EVs from full import and duties for four years (from January of 2022 till end of 2025). Although the owner concedes that he has yet to think of exactly where he would drive his Rolls-Royce, the owner will, at least, have the pleasure of seeing his new Rolls-Royce Spectre added to his burgeoning collection of supercars, including tailor-made and limited-edition Ferraris.
“When I was a boy and still in school, I remember riding in my cousin’s Silver Shadow—this was some 30 years ago,” he says of those lasting first impressions. “So, owning a Rolls-Royce isn’t just about the car—it’s a signpost of my life, to have achieved the unique milestone of becoming an owner of a new Rolls-Royce.”
Photography by Anna-Rina & Chan Keng Hoe/ Torque Shots
