Designer Cars in Recession

Recession? What recession?

This week sees the news that growing demand means that Rolls-Royce is to double the number of staff in its ‘bespoke’ team, responsible for the personalised accessories which transform the luxury vehicles into individual custom built masterpieces.

Rolls Royce Sales and Marketing Director Jolyon Nash said:

“The ability to bespoke one’s vehicle has always been at the heart of Rolls-Royce, so it is very encouraging to see that after more than 100 years at the very pinnacle of the automotive world, our bespoke services are still very much in demand from customers all over the world today”.

This increase in demand for handcrafted accessories such as picnic sets which match the interior of the car will see the Sussex based team of designers and engineers increase to fifty. Not bad in the current financial climate.

But what of the ordinary car buyer who wants to pimp their ride? Well, those with a slightly smaller budget have not been left out of this new trend for designer motoring.

Fiat has recently launched a Gucci version of its convertible 500C. Available in fashionable black or white, the soft top features the distinctive Gucci green and red colours, with the famous double ‘G’ logo in prominent position on the centre of the 16 inch alloy wheels.

Available from August 2011, the Gucci Fiat is priced at just over £17,000.

Not to be outdone, Mini has launched two limited editions of its own.

Available until March 2012, the Soho special editions of the Cooper and Cooper D models feature White Silver metallic paint and 17-inch Black Star Bullet alloy wheels.

Prices will start from £16,765 for the 1.6-litre petrol Cooper Soho hatchback and £18,000 for the 1.6-litre diesel Cooper D. The cost of a Soho convertible will range from £19,000 for the Cooper to just over £20,000 for the Cooper D.