The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan

9 November, 2018

Hitherto the only item known as the Cullinan was a massive diamond that makes up part of the British Crown Jewels. But now there’ll be another Cullinan, as in, “Jeeves, bring the Cullinan around, I want to go shooting.” Although more than likely it’ll just be be, “Jeeves, bring the Cullinan around, I want to go for a coffee.”

This new tourer from Rolls-Royce is as grand as the diamond it’s named after is hard. The truth is that the Cullinan will probably spend most of its time pottering around the trendier shopping streets of our main centres, but this doesn’t detract from the fact that Rolls-Royce have hit the nail on the head.

The new SUV is driven by 6.75l of twin-turbo V12, over 550bhp, and masses of twisting power. From the inside, the only thing you need to do with the outside world is watch it go by, and there’s really no better place to do that from. Rolls-Royce’s new platform has been developed especially for the new generation of their vehicles. Four-wheel steering, air suspension, and a host of new innovations maintain the famous Roller ride quality. The interior is sumptuous, and well, what else would you expect from a vehicle that has the option of 44,000 exterior colours.

Take a look at some images from the launch event below.

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Leonardo’s lighting legacy

9 May, 2024

Ferrari owner and enthusiast Roger Adshead got to wondering where the simply beautiful twin tail lamps that are a signature of many Ferraris came from and what inspired them. It led him on a fruitful journey…
There are no more defining or memorable Ferrari design cues than a pair of twin circular tail lights, which find their echo in the rear valance in two pairs of circular exhaust tips.
Introduced fifty years ago by Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti, this charismatic Ferrari identifier has more than stood the test of time.
They first appeared on the Dino 206, and then on the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, two of Signor Fioravanti’s most revered designs.
Unlike Pininfarina’s trademark slim vertical tail lights of the 1960s, which subsequently found their way onto the mass-produced Austins, Morrisses, and Peugeots of the period, the twin circular tail lamps remain emblematic of Ferrari supercars and sportscars.
Some earlier Corvettes copied them, and they have been partially mimicked by Golf Mark V and Honda Civics of similar vintage, and it’s probably no coincidence they added some visual flair to Nissan’s high-performing Skylines, but they have been a recurring theme on Ferraris right through to its latest designs.

The empire strikes back – 1960 Buick Invicta

2 May, 2024

In just a few months of ownership, Graham Baird has worked away at his 1960 Buick Invicta two-door to bring it up to the stunning condition we see today. He says it was already in very good condition when he bought it from its previous owner in Invercargill. Unusually, the Buick comes with a very well executed conversion to right-hand drive, which Graham thinks might have been done in New Zealand. It won its first award in October, as the ‘Best Original’ at the recent Hardpark Takeover 2021 car show in Invercargill, as a delighted Graham explains.
“It was Graham Wilkinson’s own personal car but he hardly used it. Graham had it for 17 years and he found it in Te Anau parked up in storage sheds run by an elderly couple who had owned the Buick for about 10 years.”

The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan

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