Overall, the process of ordering a new vehicle from a mainstream automaker is relatively simple. You pick the trim, choose any options or accessories from a list, and select one of the available colours. If there’s one in stock that’s close enough, you might even take it home that day.

But when you get into high-end exclusive cars, exactly what is the process? To find out, I went to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Toronto — part of the Grand Touring Automobiles dealership — and met with brand manager Joey Zhou to configure my fantasy car.

It’s one of four spots across Canada where you can buy this British luxo-liner, along with dealers in Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary. Rolls-Royce sells about 5,000 vehicles a year worldwide, and while the U.S. is the largest market, Canada’s almost in line with it on a per-capita basis. The automaker doesn’t release exact figures, but “north of 200” ended up in driveways here last year. Likely due to fresh designs including an SUV — with the fully-electric Spectre on its way — the average age of buyers over the last decade has plummeted from in their 60s to mid-40s.

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Joey Zhou, brand manager for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Toronto Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Material and paint samples in the dealership Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

The wheels have spinning centres so the logo is always upright Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

The Rolls-Royce badge is one of three items that can’t be altered Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot comes in numerous finishes but you can’t alter her design Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

The Ghost’s dash echoes its star-patterned headliner, although of course that can be changed Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

The Rolls-Royce badge is one of three items that can’t be altered Photo by Jil McIntosh

The automaker currently sells three models. The larger Phantom sedan starts at $581,750; the Cullinan SUV at $441,325; and the car I configured, the smaller Ghost, begins at $411,250. Zhou says an average customer spends another $100,000 to $150,000 on upgrades. A few years ago, he delivered one Phantom optioned to a million dollars, and is waiting on another. And there’s no limit to how many you can have — Rolls-Royce had one customer who wanted cars for his hotel and personal collection, and bought 37 in one shot.

Of course, the sky’s the limit cash-wise, but time is also a factor. I configured my car mostly using materials, finishes and options that are part of the in-house offerings, and Zhou estimated I’d wait some 12 to 18 months to get it. The truly “bespoke” requests can easily send that to three years or more. In some cases, customers’ final decisions are a compromise between what they want, and how long they’re willing to wait for it. One wanted Koa wood trim, a protected Hawaiian tree that can only be harvested as fallen deadwood, and waited four years. Another added extra delivery time when all his upholstery was done in brocaded silk.

Is there anything I can’t have? As far as aesthetics go, “we’re not the taste police,” Zhou says. The people putting together your car in Goodwood, England may not think highly of your hot-pink paint and purple-striped seats, but they’ll build it. There are some 44,000 colours available, but if I want my Ghost painted a shade that isn’t, Rolls-Royce will create it and let me name it. I then “own” it within the automaker’s colour palette, and anyone who wants to use it needs my permission to do so.

Almost nothing is impossible, providing it passes safety and export regulations — for example, the automaker had to turn down someone who didn’t want mirrors. If it’s something Rolls-Royce hasn’t used before, the customer must pay for safety testing. That included the Koa wood, since no one knew if it would splinter in a crash. “We even have to test if someone wants the calipers painted differently,” Zhou said. “It’s just paint, but it might crack or fall off and get jammed in the brake. It’s a safety component.”

My Ghost comes standard with a “Starlight” headliner, which uses hundreds of tiny LED lights to look like a night sky, complete with shooting stars. It started as a request from a customer in 2006, who had sensitive eyes and asked the company to design subtle interior lighting. It proved popular enough to add as a regular feature. Some buyers want it configured to how the sky looked on a specific date special to them. I asked for a star pattern of my zodiac sign, which will likely increase my wait time by a few months. While I’m waiting, then as some customers do, I might buy a certified used model through the company’s “Provenance” program, and then trade it back when my car arrives.

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Wood samples for the interior trim Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Rolls-Royce Phantom Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

The Ghost comes with decanters and glasses Photo by Jil McIntosh

so you want to buy a rolls-royce. what's involved?

Almost all interior surfaces can be individually designed with colour and materials Photo by Jil McIntosh

Still, there are three things no one can alter, at any price, as they are considered the brand’s intellectual property: the grille shape, the Rolls-Royce badge, and the Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot — often called the “flying lady,” although she has billowing sleeves, not wings. But I can order her in various materials, including rose or yellow gold, solid silver, carbon fibre, and even crystal that’s lit from below so she looks illuminated.

Zhou configured my car on a screen, while showing me samples of various upholstery and carpet material, exterior colours, and pinstriping, which a single employee at the factory paints by hand. Everything is a separate decision: the seatbacks, seat cushions, carpets, floor mats, dash top, dash inserts, door panels. We zipped through it, but real clients spend about three to five hours on this initial process. With special colour or material requests, samples arrive from the factory for approval. If it’s not right, they go back and forth, often for several months, until it is. Many customers visit the Goodwood factory, some just to see the process, while others with extraordinary requests work face-to-face with the team there to make it happen. Zhou keeps all his clients updated on their vehicle’s process, but they can also follow it on an exclusive app.

A lot goes into the process, but ultimately, it isn’t much different from buying a house and selecting the colours, flooring and trim. A very luxurious and exclusive house, mind you; and if my fantasy car ever gets delivered, one with something special in its garage.

Jil McIntosh

Jil McIntosh specializes in new-car reviews, auto technology and antique cars, including the two 1940s vehicles in her garage.

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