An Argument About Luxury Cars Is Brewing Between Rolls-Royce And Aston Martin
It all started with a rather candid interview with Aston Martin Lagonda design chief Marek Reichman in Autocar earlier this week. Speaking about the re-launch of the Lagonda brand and its idea of future luxury vehicles - demonstrated via the Vision Concept - Reichman didn’t hold back, saying: “You can’t see Apple or Google executives in a [Rolls-Royce] Phantom. You can see them in this.”
So far, so strong, but later in the interview, Reichman dropped this little nugget into the conversation: “Rolls-Royce and Bentley are Ancient Greece today. I worked on the original Phantom. The brief was Buckingham Palace on wheels. It was important to do that to establish it. But the world has changed, and the royals have changed.”
Factor in that and a description of the modern Rolls template being an “imperfect package for luxury,” it should come as no surprise that it wasn’t long before a response was issued.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Müller-Otvös branded the comments “highly unprofessional,” going on to say that, “They [Aston Martin/Lagonda] really don’t understand our segment, they really don’t understand the customers. They are in a complete different league on pricing, they have zero clue what’s going on in the upper, upper segment, zero. I am sorry to be so blunt.”
The Goodwood-based brand then put out a press release about the 103EX concept it revealed a while ago, including the following quote from Müller-Otvös: “When we revealed 103EX to the world in 2016, Rolls-Royce set the agenda for the future of luxury mobility. Since then it has become clear that other car brands have acknowledged our vision, so much so that they have adopted most aspects, apart from the most visionary and radical.” I think you can probably guess what he’s referring to there.
So is that the end of it, or has this war of words only just begun?
Comments
Both look bad if you ask me, but really, the argument is easy to settle: You want something luxurious but sporty? Get an Aston. You want to be treated like the king of the world? Get the Rolls.
Why does that Rolls look like a toothbrush and the Lagonda like a computer mouse?
In an era that the trend changes so quickly, no wonder they shout out that way.
That lagonda just doesn’t look comfortable and opulent
Those designs… So it’s a doorstop vs a fridge…
It’s actually really simple. They’re both luxury cars, just like the Queen and Elon Musk are both rich. Old money and new money, it’s that simple. The Rolls Royce appeals to those who want to be classy above all else. More refinement, more pretty trim, more expensive materials, fewer distractions. And the Lagonda appeals to those who want everything in their car. More tech, more features, more things to do. There are different kinds of people, and that applies to the fabulously rich as well. We need different brands to cater to different people, both brands are experiencing a dumb tunnel vision where they refuse to see that there are people in both camps and that both concepts are equally valid. Much like some would rather have a Fiesta ST while others would prefer a BRZ, some people would rather have a Lagonda and others would prefer a Phantom.
Completely unrelated but I saw a wraith yesterday. Looked amazing. I love the doors on RRs
Topics
Manufacturers
Sponsored Posts