Car brands woo buyers, collectors with special accessories

One of the oldest ways by which car makers have marketed their cars is by offering the option of personalising the customer’s vehicle. Roll-Royce’s bespoke programme right from the days of the Raj has been the reason for some unconventional, stunning creations on four wheels. Today, buyers in the mile-high club are looking to kit out their cars with original accessories that are hand-crafted, unique and limited series production. But there are collectors, too, and others who may not have as much of a fat wallet as the car buyers, but who still want a unique accessory for the sheer joy of owning something special from their favourite brand.

Today’s younger customers have moved on from simple co-branded accessories to unique pieces of art and hand manufacture that carry the characteristic flair and opulence of the car brand. Here are a few of the latest ones you can buy, even if you didn’t own the car, ranging from an ultra-luxurious champagne box from Rolls-Royce, to golf clubs from Bentley and doggie bed bearing the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star.

RR Champagne Chest

Rolls-Royce’s attention to detail and the expertise of its wood-working artists and their marquetry is legendary. Last year, Rolls-Royce collaborated with the House of Fabergé to create a one-off specially commissioned Egg centred around the Spirit of Ecstacy. A few weeks ago, RR announced the new Champagne Chest open for buyers to use in the car or outside.

The chassis of the chest is made from machined aluminium and carbon fibre, and is swathed in Natural Grain black leather embossed with the Spirit of Ecstasy and flanked by Tudor Oak wood, materials found in the marque’s motor cars. Should a patron (as RR calls its customers) wish to create a Bespoke colour-way, this would be possible. At the touch of a button, the case opens theatrically to reveal the finery of a perfectly appointed Champagne set for four guests. The exterior lid metamorphoses into a serving tray made of Tudor Oak wood with a laser-cut stainless steel inlay. Four cotton napkins with finely embroidered ‘RR’ monograms are discreetly hidden under the lacquered Tudor Oak table.

The Chest’s illuminated central bay presents four hand-blown crystal champagne flutes arranged to evoke memories of a V12 engine. The glass of each is joined by a polished aluminium base, etched with the ‘RR’ monogram. Thermal Champagne Coolers made from black anodised aluminium and carbon fibre ensure the champagne is maintained at the optimum temperature. The RR Champagne Chest is priced at £37,000 plus local taxes at the country of import.

Bentley Centenary pieces

It is the centenary year of another rarefied British super luxury brand — Bentley — and it is celebrating it in some of the most special ways. With the Centenary as the theme, some of the branded special edition accessories and lifestyle products are limited to just 100 sets and pieces. One that was launched recently was the Centenary Golf Club set which supposedly takes inspiration from the new Continental GT. The details on the range of clubs reference Bentley’s distinctive diamond knurling, which adorns the club grips, and the iconic haunch exterior styling-line is outlined across the club heads.

Touches of Centenary Gold are utilised throughout the collection, mirroring the gold details that appear on every Bentley built during this special year. These gold details have been meticulously woven into the products, creating elements that are expected to make a stylish statement on and off the golf course.

The clubs are crafted from carbon fibre, titanium and aluminium, while the bag and head covers are also made from real carbon fibre panels with the same Centenary Gold detailing as the clubs. The unique wheel centre caps from the famous EXP Speed 8 winning Le Mans car are the inspiration for the similar logos that decorate both the wood heads and grip end caps. The set is priced at £12,000 plus local taxes.

The delicate gold details found on Centenary Specification cars have also inspired the special edition pen collection created by Graf von Faber-Castell to celebrate Bentley’s 100-year anniversary. This “Limited Edition Centenary” is the second pen range to be launched from the collaboration established in 2018 between the two famed luxury brands from Stein, Bavaria, and Crewe, Cheshire. Two special editions are being launched for the anniversary year, each one limited to only 100 pieces: The “Mulsanne WO Edition by Mulliner”, reminiscent of the last car designed by WO Bentley, and the “Continental GT Number 9 Edition by Mulliner”, inspired by Bentley’s history in classic motor racing.

The limited edition Bentley Centenary range of writing instruments by Graf von Faber-Castell is priced at €490-590 and are available at GVFC stores.

BMW goes electric

Today’s trends towards environment-friendly tech and electric mobility are being led by the young. So what better statement can be made by a car maker than to launch an e-scooter for kids that can grow with them too. Engineers at BMW’s headquarters in Munich took the phrase “catch them young” a bit too seriously and the result seems to be this e-scooter. Built in cooperation with Micro — the inventor of the Micro scooter — the new BMW e-scooter will be available for purchase from September this year.

The adults version of this foldable, light-weight (9 kg) scooter has a range of 12 km and can travel at a top speed of 20kmph. It is meant to offer short, last mile connectivity in urban spaces with abundant pedestrian access. Kids can also learn balance and technique while remaining mobile on this e-scooter. The 150-watt motor and lithium-ion battery slip away out of sight into the footplate and rear wheel, making the e-scooter a very practical everyday companion. Prices range from €120 for the kids version to €799 for the adult e-scooter.

Pet-friendly Mercs

With so many accessory options to choose from, shouldn’t a man’s best friend — your puppie — get a few of its own too. In its Mercedes-Benz Collections 2019, the German luxury car brand has just launched a line of accessories for the faithful four-legged friends in our families.

Part of the range, the dog cushions are made with a soft and dimensionally stable polyurethane filling and a washable cover made of grey polyester. They are adapted to the ergonomic needs of our canine friends and come in a range of sizes so that any dog, from Great Dane to dachshund, will feel comfortable. Also in the pet range are the high-quality collar and lead in dark grey Saffiano leather that are produced exclusively for Mercedes-Benz by MiaCara in Italy. The collar, also available in three sizes, has a stainless-steel pin buckle and is adorned with a small Mercedes star pendant on a stainless-steel loop. The matching lead is 1.95m long and can be adjusted to two lengths by carabiner.

A Mercedes star-shaped rivet at the bottom reveals the origin of this exclusive accessory.

When out for a walk, both the dog and the owner will appreciate the thoughtfully-designed dog snack bag. Snacks are kept in the upper part of the bag in grey canvas and Saffiano leather, which can be securely closed with just the pull of a cord.

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