An old Bedouin preverb says: who needs the latest Bugatti Chiron if your peregrine falcon can be clocked diving at 242pmh? After all, falcons are the fastest animals in the world and have been used by the inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula for millennia to help capture prey. But one big question remains: how do you transport your falcons around the desert without compromising on automotive style and sophistication? Luckily, RM Sotheby’s has the answer in the form of this 2015 Rolls-Royce 'Silver Spectre' Shooting Brake from their upcoming auction on 9 March 2024 in Dubai. Based on the platform of a Rolls-Royce Wraith, designed by Niels van Roij and executed by Carat Duchatelet in a conversion that took over 2,500 hours to complete, the practical Rolls-Royce links back to the heydays of shooting brakes in the 1930s, when British hunters converted their sportscars for their Sunday hunting sprees.
On the inside, a handmade infinity headliner stretches across the interior roof to give the impression of an endless starlit sky, while the 6.6-litre V-12 engine has been uprated to deliver 690 brake horsepower, making the 'Silver Spectre' fast enough to follow along should one of your falcons decide to break free. Skipping the common Bugatti hypercar in favour of this unique Rolls-Royce also has financial upsides: estimated at only 275,000 to 325,000 USD, the purchase of this shooting brake should leave you with some change to reinvest in your fleet of falcons. At auction, the world’s most expensive falcons have scored prices beyond 400,000 dollars. Of course, you can only hope that such a distinguished bird does not ask for a Chiron shooting brake...
Dubai, 9 Mar
