Rolls Royce has been a symbol of luxury since 1906, and one feels like royalty behind the wheel of their iconic vehicles.
The British Royal Family has owned dozens of models, including Phantom IVs, Vs, and a Silver Wraith II. They are the essence of quality, and as we explain in a post titled Car Brands, they have been since 1906. In 1998, the iconic company was taken over by BMW AG, but they still produce cars under the Rolls Royce brand.
There’s no doubt a Rolls Royce turns heads on the street, with eager bystanders keen to see if the driver is royalty or another famous face. Those behind the wheel doubtless feel the flush of excitement knowing they’re driving the one brand of car that will always turn heads, whether midtown Manhattan, a morning in Missouri or a misty evening in Monaco. Wherever you are, you stand out in a Rolls Royce.
They are not just for royals; they’re often driven by immensely successful people who understand what the brand symbolizes and stands for. When you turn your head in the street, instead of a prince or princess, you might see a poker player, a rock star or a sports star behind the wheel. Here are four famous Rolls Royce owners and their cars.
Queen Latifah – Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe
Queen Latifah might not be an actual queen, but the 52-year-old is rap royalty. From humble beginnings in Newark, New Jersey, she rose to the top of the rap game with a series of singles, albums and hit collaborations. She’s also a film and television star and, in 2002, was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in Chicago. Known as the Queen of Rap, she drives a car to match her moniker, a Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe. The silver 2-door convertible packs 453- horsepower and can do 0-60 in 5.5 seconds.
Phil Ivey – Rolls Royce Phantom
The poker player Phil Ivey is considered royalty among the card-playing fraternity, even having a high-stakes room named after him at the Aria for a while. He’s bagged $25m in tournament cashes outside the World Series of Poker and snared no fewer than ten bracelets at the premier tournament. It’s estimated he’s worth close to $100m, putting him firmly behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce. His garage also has a Bentley GT, Mercedes SLR and a Range Rover, but he can pull out the $400,000 Phantom on days he wants to feel once again like he’s holding a royal flush.
Gwen Stefani – Rolls Royce Wraith
Pop-punk singer Gwen Stefani rose to prominence as the lead singer of No Doubt, shaking up the world with their mid-nineties hit Don’t Speak. She’s since established herself as a pop megastar, carving out a solo career and earning a Las Vegas residency. It’s hard to stand out on the streets of Sin City, but if she drove her Rolls Royce Wraith to Zappos Theater. Hers is a deep blue, two-door vehicle packing a BMW N74 twin-turbo V12 engine and 8-speed transmission.
Tom Brady – Rolls Royce Ghost
Tom Brady has a serious car collection: a Bugatti Veyron, Aston Martin DB11, Ferrari M458, Aston Martin DB11, Audi R8, Range Rover, Cadillac Escalade, Lexus GS, BMW X5, Audi S5, and a Lexus RX. It must be hard to know what to drive, but on those occasions he needs even more attention than he gets as the greatest football player of all time; he likely selects his Rolls Royce Ghost. With a 6.75ltr, twin-turbocharged V12 engine, it’s a machine befitting the king of quarterbacks.