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The Drive
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
The Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Is Not at All What I Expected
The latest car news, reviews, and features. What comes to mind when you hear, 'Rolls-Royce Owners' Club'? Aristocracy, pompousness, or perhaps even snobbery? All of the above? I don't blame you. It's easy for a classist filter to set in when you think of a Rolls-Royce and the people who can afford one. From new models deep in the six-figure range to seven-figure vintage examples worthy of the Pebble Beach lawn, the folks associated with them often live in a world much different than ours, leading us to believe that somehow we are different. As I discovered during the 2025 Rolls-Royce Owners' Club annual meeting in Colorado Springs earlier this month, it turns out we aren't. At least, not in the way I was expecting. The kind folks whom I interacted with for three days weren't just nice and friendly, they were genuinely more welcoming, knowledgeable, and hands-on than most, if not all, the people I've met at other single-make car clubs. Whether it be other British brands or a specific subset of German car owners (you know who you are), the dozens of members I interacted with reinforced the idea that a community can thrive at every level of car culture, from the bottom all the way to the very top. Rolls-Royce The Rolls-Royce Owners' Club was founded in 1951 and is formed of 6,000 members across 50 countries. They meet once a year in a weeklong event that is put on by volunteers, members of the board, and club sponsors. This year, it was in Colorado Springs, and several hundred members turned up ready to meet with old friends, make new friends, and enjoy some phenomenal roads in very special cars. Surprisingly, that's not the only thing they showed up for. One of the event's main missions is fostering the love for the brand, growing the community, and teaching up-and-coming members (some as young as 13) how to care for these rolling sculptures. The event's agenda even included wrenching workshops, where RR owners learned about common issues with certain models of specific eras, and learn how to perform repairs themselves. When was the last time you showed up to a Porsche or Ferrari meet, and 10 owners were standing around an engine with their sleeves rolled up? One of my favorite parts of the weekend was getting to know a 13-year-old boy who was attending the event with his grandparents. As the dad of a 13-year-old girl who is a social butterfly and can hardly keep focus for more than a few minutes straight, I was floored at how involved he was with the car community and how passionate he was about his role as 'concours judge in training'—a program actually sponsored by Hagerty. The best part about RROC is the people, there's no doubt. The cars are awesome, but I met people from all walks of life. Folks who managed to buy their first and only Rolls from Craigslist, and now they have a project on their hands, to people who can spend millions on a one-off commission at the blink of an eye. The best of all was that you couldn't tell one from the other. The highlight of the week included the reunion of every generation Rolls-Royce Phantom, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. From the launch of the Phantom 1 in the 1920s to the newest larger-than-life model, all generations were parked side by side for me to admire. The evolution is obvious, but once you look at them up close, you realize that the attention to detail and obsession with panache are just as strong today as it was back then. Rolls-Royce For the owners in the club, it's this rich heritage that they are happy to share with others, whether they are fellow owners of high-end cars, or they daily drive a Honda Civic like me. Some of the most special cars I saw in attendance, besides the Phantoms, of course, included the final Silver Ghost to be built in the United States. Yes, you read that right. Did you know that Rolls-Royce built cars in Springfield, Massachusetts in the '20s? I was not aware, but feel lucky to have been told it by people who are so passionate about it. You can read more about it here. Jerry Perez The weeklong event (three days for me) concluded with a lovely gala, where awards were given to various members for various reasons. From Best of Show trophies for cars to Volunteer of the Year for people, the ceremony reinforced how closely knit members are. And much to my surprise, it also showed how diverse and self-aware the group really is. When one member learned that I was an automotive journalist, he was excited to share with me about his daily driver, a Volkswagen GTI. He also shared with me about his wife's early-gen Toyota RAV4, which they love for its reliability and fuel economy. Of course, they also own a vintage Rolls that's been passed down through the family. 'Did you expect a bunch of pretentious people?' a member asked me during one of the dinners. 'Well, you said it, not me,' I answered. Jerry Perez 'We have lots of members from all over the place in our group, but the thing we have in common is that we love cars and we love people who care about cars,' he added. 'Every now and then, we get a new member who comes in and tries to act a mess, and we just look at each other and say, 'Oh, they're special.'' If anyone told you that car culture is alive and thriving in the top echelon of car brands, would you have believed it, or would you have written them off as people with more money than sense? Email the author at jerry@
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Female supercar fans rev up at rally in the UAE
A group of women with a shared love for supercars gathered in Dubai for a weekend car rally organised by the Arabian Gazelles. The group is the first all-female supercar owners club in the region. Founded eight years ago by Hanan Mazouzi Sobati, the club aims to change perceptions about women in the auto world. Initially, brands were reluctant to support an all-women's car club. Sobati, who has loved cars since childhood, noticed that car events were mainly for men. She felt it was time for women to be recognised.
