Rolls-Royce unveils 2022 Landspeed Collection for Wraith and Dawn Black Badge

During what’s been a busy few weeks for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the company has announced its Landspeed Collection, comprising 35 special-edition Wraiths and 25 Dawns in homage to George Eyston, a racing driver, engineer and inventor who set a number of land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats during the inter-war years. Three of those records involved an eight-wheeled, seven-tonne machine known as Thunderbolt, which used a pair of supercharged 37-litre Rolls-Royce aero engines producing over 2000bhp each.

LANDSPEED SPECIALS

Thunderbolt made its debut in 1937, beating the 301mph record set by Malcom Campbell’s Bluebird two years earlier. Eyston’s third and final record – 357.497mph, set in September 1938 – stood for a just under year before it was beaten by John Cobb.

To commemorate Eyston’s achievements, the limited-edition Wraith and Dawn Black Badge models are finished in a special two-tone colour scheme that “transitions under sunlight from light blue to silver, illustrating the reflections of both the vast sky over Bonneville and the crisp salt flats on Thunderbolt’s aluminium body”. The interior of the Wraith includes ‘Starlight’ headlining that depicts the sky as it was on the night of Eyston’s final record, while both models feature sketches of Thunderbolt etched into the centre console and dashboard trim, supposedly representing the cracked surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats.