Rolls-Royce Celebrates 100 Years Of Craftsmanship In Colorado Springs

Forbes

10-06-2025

Colorado Springs isn't Paris or London, but for one slow, high-altitude week, it crackled with elegance and low-octane nostalgia as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America hosted the 2025 Owners' Club Annual Meet.
Rolls-Royce Ghost series
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Over 75 motorcars showed up—each one a nod to the past or a wink from the future—drawing a line from the original Silver Ghosts to the gleaming beasts of today. For one glittery, immaculate week, it became the holy ground for chrome, leather, and the low, slow hum of a century's worth of Rolls-Royces
They came from all corners, these Ghosts and Phantoms, to celebrate something no one dares say out loud anymore: permanence.
Rolls-Royce 100th birthday gathering
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The Ghost Series II and Cullinan Series II made their first North American showing, parked in reverence beside their ancestors. A 2025 Phantom, the eighth in its bloodline, stood regally beside a Phantom I and Phantom III, like an oil painting brought to life.
You didn't need a museum in this case. The museum was right in front of you.
'Seventy percent of Rolls-Royce commissions are still on the road,' said Jon Colbeth, President & CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America in a statement. 'That's not luck. That's legacy.'
A vintage Rolls-Royce
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The new Ghost, with its 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12, satellite-aided transmission, and Planar Suspension System, glides like it knows where it's going—even if you don't. Inside, it's stitched with 2.2 million threads and a Spirit of Ecstasy clock ticking in a hush. Meanwhile, the Cullinan Series II rolled in with 23-inch wheels and a glowing fascia of city lights, claiming SUV dominance without ever raising its voice.
They're machines, sure. But they're also monuments.
Rolls-Royce 100-year anniversary
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The Phantom, now 100 years old, wasn't just a car on display—it was an altar. This wasn't a dealership display, luring possible new customers. From Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904 to these tech-rich titans today, the message hasn't changed - this is the top. Even a ride to the supermarket is an event.
You could feel it in the dry mountain air—that quiet hum of purpose, of time passing through a V12. Each car a cathedral.
Despite being slightly under the weather at this gathering, two rides knocked me out of the proverbial park during a quick ride up to (almost) the top of Pikes Peak.
2025 Rolls-Royce gathering
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It may, of course, seem childish, but 'I liked the purple one.' The Cullinan, that is. We took a spirited drive up the mountain, stepping on the corners where safe and waving at the folks in their Jeeps and 4Runners by the side of the road, who gaped. The drive was only 15 minutes, but wow. Here are some things to know about both rides. One doesn't want to dwell on price, but at the same time it's what people want to know, so here it is.
2025 RR Cullinan
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2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan (The Purple One)
Total MSRP (with options): $572,550
Gas Guzzler Tax: $2,600
Engine: 6.75L V12 twin-turbocharged
Transmission: 8-speed automatic w/ Satellite Aided Transmission
Fuel Economy: 14 mpg combined (12 city / 19 hwy)
Main Color: Twilight Purple — $48,075
23-inch Part-Polished Wheels — $13,100
Shooting Star Headliner — $4,725
Rear Massage Seats — $8,550
Rear Ventilated Seats — $2,125
Heated Passenger Surround — $3,850
Rear Theatre Configuration — $8,975
Rolls-Royce Bespoke Audio System — $13,100
Picnic Tables — $4,150
Fixed Rear Center Console — $4,600
Coloured Instrument Dials (Amethyst Purple) — $3,725
Duality Twill Fabric (Lilac) — $1,325
Dynamic Bespoke Clock — $4,600
Illuminated Fascia — $17,000
Extended Veneers, Veneered Steering Spokes — $8,600 total
Thicker Two-Tone Steering Wheel (Tailored Purple) — $3,500
Signature Key (Tailored Purple) — $1,225
I didn't get behind the wheel of the other Rolls I saw that knocked me out - the Ghost Black Badge - but I did ride in the back. The entire inside was a bright, vivid blue, as blue as Sinatra's eyes except a bit more 'brightness and saturation.' It was the perfect balance of deep, rich color, but not sickly sweet.
2025 Rolls-Royce Ghost
JMax
2025 Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge – Key Highlights
Total MSRP (with options): $533,925
Gas Guzzler Tax: $2,600
Fuel Economy: 14 mpg combined (12 city / 19 hwy)
Engine: 6.75L V12 twin-turbocharged
Transmission: 8-speed automatic with Satellite Aided Shifting
Main Color: Galileo Blue (Special Order)
Cost of Paint Alone: $11,175
Black Brake Calipers: $1,800
Single Coachline (Black): $2,050
Shooting Star Headliner ($4,800)
Contrast Seat Piping (Charles Blue)
Central Cool Chamber (Refrigerated console)
Illuminated Black Badge Treadplates ($2,750)
Rolls-Royce Bespoke Audio System ($11,425)
2025 Rolls-Royce Ghost Interior
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Happy birthday, Rolls-Royce.