When last we heard from Lunaz Design, the British company announced it had plans to restore classic cars but with electric power to “preserve the past by embracing the future.”
Company founder David Lorenz said the mission is “making the most beautiful cars in history a relevant proposition.” He added that his inspiration was his daughter, Luna, because when she reached driving age, he wants her to be able to drive what might be termed clean classics.
At the time, the firm was converting a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, a 1953 Jaguar XK120 and a 1956 Rolls-Royce Cloud to show its capabilities.
Now, Lunaz is back with word that it has begun a production run that will restore as many as 30 Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Silver Clouds, but will put them back on the road as electric vehicles.
“The time is right for an electric Rolls-Royce,” Lorenz is quoted in the company’s announcement. “We are answering the need to marry beautiful classic design with the usability, reliability and sustainability of an electric powertrain. More than ever we are meeting demand for clean-air expressions of the most beautiful and luxurious cars in history. We are proud to make a classic Rolls-Royce relevant to a new generation.”
“The start of production of the world’s first electric Rolls-Royce cars follows a surge in demand for the electrification of pinnacle classic cars,” the company contends. “This is driven by a rebalancing of car collections for a clean air future. To meet this demand, Lunaz is doubling its workforce at its Technical HQ in Silverstone, England.”
Prices start at £350,000 ($463,000) for a Silver Cloud and £500,000 ($661,000) for a Phantom, and Lunaz adds that the cars will be available in all automotive markets.
“A Rolls-Royce Phantom by Lunaz is the only built-for-purpose, electric chauffeur-driven car in the world,” the new release notes. “These cars answer a growing requirement from individuals and the world’s leading institutions for a clean-air alternative.
“A Rolls-Royce is always engineered for silent running, with power delivered smoothly with the feeling of one continuous gear. Conversion to electric amplifies these characteristics while ensuring these most significant cars remain a relevant proposition for changing sensibilities and legislative climates, particularly in major global cities.”
The company is using a proprietary electric power system, with a 120 kWh battery pack for more than 300 miles of range in the Phantom and with an 80 kw/h setup providing the same range for the Silver Cloud 1, II and III in fixed-roof or convertible architectures. Jon Hilton, former Renault F1 technical director, heads the Lunaz engineering and restoration effort. as technical lead and managing director.
“Every car by Lunaz is taken back to the bare metal, 3D scanned, weighed and fully restored before the conversion and re-engineering process begins,” the company said. “This affords every Lunaz customer the scope to inject their own design and technology desires under the guiding hand of design director Jen Holloway.”
Holloway formerly was a manager of the Q Division at Aston Martin.
For more information, visit the Lunaz Design website.
This makes me billious !
You see so many Rolls Royces in total collapse and dilapidation on car sites anymore. Not often the oldest or rarest ones, but I’m sure there are plenty of examples. The best examples are already in the hands of the well-heeled anyway. If this means we might see more of these beautiful cars on the road, sounds good to me. The styling, quality and execution of coachwork, interiors, and mechanicals have always been seprable as to merit on individual cars. It’s great when all of it works on a given car, but many times it has not, yet the car is still appreciated for one or more of these aspects, if not all. And perhaps the engines and unneeded parts can be / will be routed to other restorable cars. It can’t be good for our culture that so many of the best of these cars are secreted away, basically forever, never to be seen but by a tiny, tiny privileged few. IMHO
More expensive toys not relevant to automotive history. What a shame
I’ve tried 3 times to post a comment…what the hell is going on.
Glad to see Bobby Allison was successful in making a comment. I ask that same question about a variety of things almost every day. Imagine the silence to be afforded to a Rolls Royce automobile with electric drive train. A good endeavor for those with the dough to spare.
i want this cars immediately