You aren't supposed to “get it.” Not yet, at least.
Pink cars are objectively cool. Need proof? Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll,” drove a pink car. The Rolls-Royce brand is no stranger to custom creations with the pale shade of red, including the recently commissioned Champagne Rose Ghost. The ultra-luxury automaker continues to embrace its feminine side with a new hue on the 2023 Rolls-Royce Spectre. The company's first-ever electric vehicle debuts a brand new color called Morganite, named after the gemstone.
CarBuzz spoke with Rolls-Royce Design Director, Anders Warming, about the hue at the launch event for the Spectre. Rolls-Royce picked out several fabulously configured cars for us to drive, but Morganite caught our eye as the most unique. As it turns out, the pinkish hue has an interesting backstory.
“It represents fashions and being ahead of the wave,” Warming explained. “We needed a color that appeals to a sense of fashion without being too pink. We added that sophistication to the hue, inspired by makeup or blush.”
The ties to fashion easily explain why so many people likely won't understand Morganite. Fashion, at least in a clothing sense, is all about creative expression and pushing boundaries. It's not supposed to be worn every day. An average person might watch a fashion show and think the clothes look silly or impractical. But that's not the point. If not for the risks taken by fashion designers, clothes would become stale and possibly never change in any meaningful ways.
It's the same story with Morganite on a Spectre. The average two-door Rolls-Royce owner drives their car only 3,000 miles per year because they have seven other cars in their garage on average (plus a few boats and planes). A Spectre finished in this color is supposed to make a bold statement on the limited occasions when it's driven. And it certainly does!
The other glaring parallel between this color and the fashion world is the predictive nature. Warming spoke of being “ahead of the wave,” meaning that the Rolls-Royce brand doesn't want to copy what other manufacturers are doing; Rolls-Royce wants to create new trends. What might look “silly” or “ridiculous” today may turn out to be the next “it” trendy fashion statement. Fashion is clearly subjective and not everyone will like every color.
At the drive event, Rolls-Royce brought out a wide sampling of hues that are available on the Spectre, and there are some absolute gems among them. We spent the day driving a car finished in Twilight Purple, a hue that could attract stares even in the wealthiest areas like Nappa Valley. Some other great examples include Imperial Jade (green) and Salamanca Blue, both of which look fabulous when paired with two-tone paint schemes.
Then there's Chartreuse, an odd mix of yellow and green that served as the launch color for Spectre. Not everyone (us included) likes or understands Chartreuse, but that's exactly the point. If there's a color you like, Rolls-Royce can make it, and every hue has its own story to tell.
Keyword: Rolls-Royce's New Morganite Color Has An Interesting Backstory