Rolls-Royce has calculated that there are 85,400 people in the world who have the necessary disposable income to buy their cars. The company-aims to do business with 1 per cent of them every year. Simon Cowell already had one (or two) but a few weekends ago in Los Angeles bought one of the first Roller Phantom Drophead Coupes ... and a Bugatti Veyron. (Photo --- Cowell and girlfriend Terri Seymour in a Bugatti Veyron, perhaps a "test-drive loaner;" Cowell took home an all-black model).
American Idol's Simon Cowell, 49, the (creator/producer/) judge on that FOX-TV smash hit which viewers most love to hate, did what untold millions of other transplanted Southern Californians have done before --- Hit a few car lots, kicked a few tires and considered making a purchase or two, perhaps wanting to bring something special home for the girlfriend, so she can make a run to the market when their stock of eggs dwindles.
When his weekend shopping jaunt was over (he had some spare time to shop because the Rugby World Cup precluded taping of his UK TV show, X Factor), the garage at Cowell's a-building Beverly Hills manse was populated by two new models (of cars, that is, not fashion): A Bugatti Veyron and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. Cowell dropped somewhere well north of $2 million (with factory options) for the two engines, eight wheels, AM radios and all else which comes with these machines (the ego boost alone has got to be phenomenal ... and worth it).
He's got the cash; no one need hold a benefit dinner for The Young Mr. Cowell. More than two years ago, Cowell signed a "golden handcuffs" deal worth £20 million-a-year (currently USD$39,037,284) with the UK's ITV, making him the highest paid British TV star of all time (quick, name two other highly-paid UK TV stars ... Ha ha! Got you on that one!). (Photo --- Last week, for Mother's Day in Los Angeles, Simon Cowell took his mom to the star-heavy Ivy restaurant on Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood, which is directly across the street from a business office which we've frequented for many years ... So I can attest that the street is always a 'scene', with star-sightings as guaranteed as anywhere in La-La Land. And Cedars-Sinai Hospital is barely 100 yards around the corner from the famed eatery, which is where celebrities have their kids; they die of old age at St. John's in Santa Monica. Anyway, Cowell and Mum enjoyed arriving in son's black custom-built Rolls-Royce Phantom Limousine, purchased near New Year's, 2008, and equipped with that most showbizzy of optional extras - mirrored privacy glass).
Turns out that Cowell already had quite an auto collection. Cowell's is not in the "Jay Leno mode," that is,
a grouping of classics and collectibles kept in a plain-Jane industrial area near the Burbank (CA) Airport. Leno visits "his garage" almost every day, sometimes twice a day, tuning and working on the cars and motorcycles himself aided by a small crew; no, Cowell's collection is probably more closely-related to what the average Car Nut would purchase if they found themselves on the winning end of the Super Lotto. They're generally stock from the factory, they're new, they have warranties and Cowell doesn't have to employ a full-time gang of wrenches to do upkeep on the the fleet.
He says, "I've got lots of nice cars... six, in fact. It's completely over the top! I absolutely love them. I could have 100 cars and I'd still want more. I love staring at them. I love driving them too. I've got two Rolls-Royce Phantoms, a Range Rover, a Jaguar XKR, an Aston Martin DB9 convertible and a very hot Mini Cooper which I drive more than anything else."
In addition to the newly-acquired Veyron and Roller, Cowell has recently taken-delivery on one of the last of a small run of McLaren SLR coupes, what many call "the ultimate Mercedes-Benz sports car". The USD$683,052 McLaren, as all of Cowell's cars, has instant credibility, inherent high value and immediate cachet. This is not only because of their low production numbers which translates into exclusivity, but also their celebrity connection. In fact, in years to come, Cowell's stable will do very well either at auction or in private sales because the cars are so stock ... We'd expect that all the numbers will "match". (Photo --- Cowell in the Veyron which he now calls his own; fewer than 200 of the cars have been built since production began in 2005).
The style and comfort of the Bugatti Veyron coupe deserves a whooping price-tag. Built by Volkswagen, the car comes with more than 1,000 horsepower being produced by its 16-cylinder engine and a top speed of 253.81 mph (408.47 km/h). The Bugatti concept car at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show actually had 18 cylinders. Cowell's Bugatti Veyron is truly a stud car. With an excess of 1,000 horsepower, the Veyron - built by Volkswagen, which also owns the Bentley, Audi and Lamborghini car brands - has a top speed of 253.81 mph (408.47 km/h). The car lists for $1,480,584 in US dollars.
For much more on Simon Cowell and his cars, click below!
(Photo --- Cowell is mobbed by media and fans at The Ivy restaurant in West Hollywood, CA, this past Mother's Day; he'd taken his Mum for a meal in his near-new RR Phantom Limo; click to enlarge the photo and you'll find him, the guy standing where all the cameras are aimed).
Cowell's all-new 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe (and "Drophead" means "convertible") cost him about $600,000 US dollars. It's being called the most driver-oriented model in the small Phantom lineup, the car is powered by a 6.75 liter V12 engine that produces 453 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 comes up in 5.6 seconds while top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.
After Cowell took delivery of his Veyron, his first stop in the Italian supercar was to check on the construction being done on his luxury home, which has risen from the ground after he razed the original building in 2005. Cowell's home, which he'll share with former model Terri Seymour, is 8,000 square-feet and will also house a gym, a hi-tech media room and of course, no Beverly Hills homes is complete without a swimming pool. Cowell bought the original home and land in 2004 for $8 million; no word on what the new house will eventually cost when completed. (Photo --- Simon Cowell's all-new Beverly Hills home is still under construction; seems there will be plenty of garage space for his US-based car collections; he bought the land for $8 million and tore-down the house which was on the property, which is standard for Bev Hills).
Interestingly, in April, Cowell bought TV's X Factor winner Leona Lewis a $5 million home, also in Beverly
Hills. The home will be a U.S. base for Lewis, the British singer/songwriter. Cowell has mentored Lewis since she appeared on X Factor, the original and UK-version of American Idol, both of which (among others worldwide) Cowell produces. Lewis has been an extraordinary success and the house was a "sign of congratulations" from Cowell (a producer has to keep their talent happy ... and living in one place, too, so proper tabs can be kept). Lewis' debut album, Spirits, became the fastest-selling debut album ever in both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
The tabloids say Cowell will never marry, scared as he is of getting drained, financially, creatively and in every other way in divorce proceedings; Seymour, on the other hand, has reportedly threatened to commit suicide if Cowell ever dumps her. Yeah, no pressure. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Launched with a £305,000 (current USD$595,334) price tag, RR's Phantom Drophead is aimed, says the company, at super-rich romantics looking to inject more excitement into their lives. Inspired by convertibles of the 1920s and '30s, the two- door, four-seater supposedly aspires to capture the allure of an âelegant motor yacht at speedâ. The nautical feel is reinforced with teak decking from more than 30 pieces of solid wood covering the rear hood stowage. (Photo --- Roller's all-new Phantom Drophead Coupe shown at an appropriate beach-y scene).
Remember the line from the Steve Martin film classic, "LA Story," when Martin is giving a new friend a tour of Beverly Hills (by convertible Chrysler K-car, of course) and mentions to her, "If you want to live in Beverly Hills you have to have a really big door".Well, Rolls-Royce has gone Steve Martin one better: The Phantom Drophead Coupe has the largest hood of any modern convertible - five layers of tailored fabric insulation, lined with a cashmere blend of material to dampen sounds. The rear of the boot even drops down to form a picnic table and seat for two adults. Despite weighing three tons, the car can be propelled by its 453-horsepower 6.75-litre V12 engine from 0 to 62 mph (100 kmh) in only 5.9 seconds. Nevertheless, says the company, the engine is so quiet that when it idles it is drowned out by song birds (hence, the "Phantom" name; other Rolls' throughout the decades have been named "Ghosts," "Spirits" and "Wraiths," all referring to their then-remarkable in-cabin quietness).
But the car is hardly environmentally-friendly, managing only 17 miles to the gallon.
Inside, the driverâs hands touch only chrome, leather or wood. For those little âextrasâ, a wood veneer fridge
in the boot (the trunk, to us Yanks) is £6,500 (current USD$12,680), having your initials stitched into the headrests or carved on to the wood paneling or tread plates (kick plate) is about £1,000 for each application (current USD$1,950), while special two-tone paint will add another £6,500.
The car has the traditional flourishes of craftsmanship, including a smaller but more detailed Spirit of Ecstasy or âFlying Ladyâ mascot. And just like on the hardtop version of the car, the Flying Lady disappears into the grille when the owner does not want it to be seen, or when the car is parked. A small elevator lowers and raises the famed mascot when the driver so desires. Apparently all this security is to keep any Eminem-types out there from breaking-off the mascot from its moorings and wearing it around his or her neck. (Photo --- Not everyone is a fan of the Coupe's "suicide doors" ... There's a reason they are called that, which we hope the cars' buyers never find out!).
Since the 1920s, car-makers have known the value of having celebrities appear in their advertisements, endorsing their products and attesting to their qualities. The publicity departments of the country's then-nascent film industry worked hand-in-hand with companies including Auburn, Stutz, Cord, Dusenberg, Cadillac, Lincoln and other great car-makers of the time to place photos of the stars and their cars in newspapers and magazines worldwide.
The long-time Packard advertising campaign using the catch-phrase, "Ask the man who owns one," was perhaps the auto industry's first "competitive advertising" campaign, with the assumption, correct, as it turned out, that "average" people put a lot of credence in the opinions of others ... especially when it came to pricey cars. And the more wealthy and famous the person, the more a "car exert" they must be. By the time Tony DeLorenzo would "invent" modern automotive public relations during his long tenure at General Motors, the use of celebrities of all types in auto advertising and promotion was entrenched in the American psyche.
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