In folklore, a bullet cast from silver is often one of the few weapons that are effective against a werewolf, witch, vampire, or other monster. The term is also a metaphor for a simple, seemingly magical, solution to a difficult problem…
Wikipedia
by Wallace Wyss –
I’d like to think that those with the moola to buy a drop top Rolls Royce have such refined tastes that they would be impervious to a pitch for a special package with such a silly name, i.e., “The Silver Bullet.”
They say it’s in their tradition. On their website they wax eloquently: “Revel in the spontaneous flamboyance of Dawn Silver Bullet. Inspired by the 1920’s Spirit of the Brewster Roadster, Dawn Silver Bullet melds the nostalgia of the past with stunning innovation of the future.”
Rolls says “Inspired by the spirit of the roadsters of the 1920s, Dawn Silver Bullet is a modern interpretation of the heady, irreverent attitude of that decade. A powerful and precise model that cuts through noise and strikes a chord with all of those who seek escape and adventure.” Yeah, like we all seek adventure in $500,000 ragtops…
Vaguely in my memory that phrase sparks an image of Tonto on TV. The Lone Ranger’s faithful Indian companion (say, does “companion” mean what I think it means?) asking the masked man about those bullets and The Lone Ranger saying they were silver but not expounding in their penetrating characteristics compared to, say, the lead us lesser mortals use in our six shooters.
So anyhow Rolls Royce had this bizarro drawing on one website, showing the inspiration for the package, a stretched out blur of silver. That led me to go to the main website where they show the real view of the real car–considerably less rakish but still with some ingredients that we didn’t know we wanted such as:
OPEN-PORE TECHNICAL FIBRE
The textural woodset of Silver Bullet is crafted with intricately woven strands of carbon fibre. The open-pore finish has a modern matte appearance — an unexpected guise befitting of Silver Bullet’s insouciant character.
The most embarrassing part of the package is this name label that joins the two aero cowlings. Imagine having to explain that to people. I hope it’s optional.
FRONT BUMPER INSERTS
In addition to the extended black pack, Silver Bullet showcases for the first-time dark headlights and a new dark front bumper finish. This dark detailing provides Silver Bullet with a more aggressive expression, affirming it as the driver’s Dawn.
QUILTED TUNNEL
The tunnel is quilted with extended leather added to provide tailoring and focus on the driver’s area. Inspiration has been drawn from leather jackets and iconic roadsters of the past, reinterpreted for a modern Rolls-Royce driving experience.
But of course what really makes the car is the transformation from four seater to two seater via the Aero Cowling that sets it apart from lesser Dawn dropheads. It is naught but a tray that covers the back seats with two headrest fairings that also serve as cubbyholes to hold your,uh, personal accessories. (Will it hold my MP5K?)
Only 50 will be made. Maybe there’s only fifty that remember Tonto asking about the silver bullets?
All well beyond my pocketbook, but I can’t get over the idea that Roll’s marketing experts absolutely knew that there’s a Little Kid in all of us, one who wants to order something as wonderful sounding as The Silver Bullet…no matter what’s in the package.
Tonto would approve…
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss graduated in journalism but went into advertising copy writing, and still admires a well-turned phrase…
Images compliments of Rolls Royce.
It looks amazing! I’ve always wanted one of those, unfortunately, it’ll break the bank. Hahaha!