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Old 13th November 2008, 11:21   #1
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Rs 2 cr Rolls Royce gets Rs 1 cr makeover from DC

WHEELS OF FORTUNE: A Rolls Royce Silver Spirit model was converted into the sports coupe featuring the latest features of a luxury car.
A Rs 2 crore Rolls Royce has been converted into a sports coupe by Dilip Chhabria of DC Designs for Alkesh Tandon, a Dubai-based NRI with interests in finance, and a passion for cars.

Drawing inspiration from the 1950 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud model, a 1990 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit model the car has been converted into a two-door sports coupe featuring the latest features of a luxury car at a cost of
Rs 1 crore.

"The car, which is among the widest in the world, will showcase that Indians have arrived of age in designing cars as well," said Chhabria.

Widened by six inches, the car sports features such as hydro-pneumatic suspension, a three-seat configuration, indirect ambient lighting, internet, satellite navigation, interface capability for any electronic gadget, video conferencing, king size rear seats, rearview monitor and camera.

"The form of the original car was not changed and the essence of the Rolls Royce car has been maintained, as the coupe drew inspiration from an earlier model of the Rolls Royce. Only the interiors and the electronic components have undergone a change," said Chhabria.

"Alkesh Tandon wanted a unique car that would stand out and attract attention. The family took active interest in the making of the car," Chhabria added.

source - mid-day newspaper


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Old 13th November 2008, 14:51   #2
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Originally Posted by dins View Post
"The form of the original car was not changed and the essence of the Rolls Royce car has been maintained, as the coupe drew inspiration from an earlier model of the Rolls Royce. Only the interiors and the electronic components have undergone a change," said Chhabria.

"Alkesh Tandon wanted a unique car that would stand out and attract attention. The family took active interest in the making of the car," Chhabria added.
What the? Oh its DC, so nothing new in taking a beautiful car and killing it with the most weird modifications no one else could even think of.

Exactly how this car has maintained the essence of a Rolls Royce is beyond me.

Congrats Mr Tandon, you have indeed joined the world's most weird cars owners club. Your car will be duly posted in TBHPs weird and wacky modifications thread!
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Old 13th November 2008, 15:21   #3
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Originally Posted by dins View Post
A Rolls Royce Silver Spirit model was converted into the sports coupe
That DC manages to do stuff like this is amazing. The Silver Spirit in anyway was more of a barge and less of a car, with panel gaps the size you find on barn doors. The Brits obviously had forgotten how to make cars and the Spirit couldn't save the company.

I forget his name, was it Richard Strammen in California who did stuff like this. The guy would chop up the most exotic of cars and create convertibles that looked awesome.

BTW the legend of RR was built more on the handiwork of small coachbuilders like DC than factory finished bodies!

Already there are a few bespoke Ferraris more exotic in every sense specially commissioned by enthusiasts and coachbuilding as a niche industry is slowly but surely returning. If I recall correctly Pininfarina is offering such services. Infact the Hyperion is one such product. So DC, afterall, is not totally out of league

Last edited by DKG : 13th November 2008 at 15:26.
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Old 13th November 2008, 16:12   #4
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That DC manages to do stuff like this is amazing. The Silver Spirit in anyway was more of a barge and less of a car, with panel gaps the size you find on barn doors. The Brits obviously had forgotten how to make cars and the Spirit couldn't save the company.

I forget his name, was it Richard Strammen in California who did stuff like this. The guy would chop up the most exotic of cars and create convertibles that looked awesome.

BTW the legend of RR was built more on the handiwork of small coachbuilders like DC than factory finished bodies!

Already there are a few bespoke Ferraris more exotic in every sense specially commissioned by enthusiasts and coachbuilding as a niche industry is slowly but surely returning. If I recall correctly Pininfarina is offering such services. Infact the Hyperion is one such product. So DC, afterall, is not totally out of league
Yeah it was Richard Straman, he is very well known for his 300zx convertible conversion. 300zx Twin turbos with the conversion done are not now selling at twice the price of what they should.

Well DC might not totaly be out of league but everyone knows that Stevie Wonder can design better cars than DC.
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Old 13th November 2008, 16:15   #5
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I can't believe how a passionate car lover could ever love DC Design... the guy has the aesthetic sense of a monkey and the imagination of a arm pit midget.... how can someone do this to a Roller! Argh!

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Last edited by Rehaan : 16th November 2008 at 17:59. Reason: Please see note in post.
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Old 13th November 2008, 17:02   #6
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Originally Posted by dins View Post
...A Rs 2 crore Rolls Royce has been converted into a sports coupe by Dilip Chhabria of DC Designs for Alkesh Tandon, a Dubai-based NRI with interests in finance, and a passion for cars. ...

...
...
source - mid-day newspaper
Strange how it was the London based NRI Ashok Tandon who got the CEXI numberplate Bentley to Rolls Royce 350Z conversion, and how here it is another Tandon for yet another Rolls Royce conversion. If I had to hazard a guess, I bet it's still Ashok Tandon from London who got this new one done too. The media tends to be reasonably incorrect at times.

Oh, and I nearly forgot. I threw up a little in my mouth upon looking at the new 'creation'.

Last edited by Rehaan : 16th November 2008 at 19:24. Reason: No need to quote the entire post + image. It makes reading painful for our small-screen/mobile device viewers.
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Old 13th November 2008, 17:27   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spawnofsatan View Post
everyone knows that Stevie Wonder can design better cars than DC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by extreme_torque View Post
the guy has the aesthetic sense of a monkey and the imagination of a arm pit midget.... how can someone do this to a Roller! Argh!
Quote:
Originally Posted by aniguchisan View Post
I threw up a little in my mouth upon looking at the new 'creation'.
you guys are tough cookies to please !! All I know of DC is that Aston show car he did and I was impressed by that. I didn't like his Amberoid or the other car.

You guys are funny (can't get over that "imagination of an armpit midget " bit)

Last edited by Rehaan : 16th November 2008 at 18:01. Reason: quoted post edited.
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Old 13th November 2008, 17:41   #8
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That is Ashok Tandon's son. 2cr... HAHA. its a 1980's bentley that they converted. that too a completely finished car. it must have cost them a few thousand pounds. and dc charged them about $90,000 for that insult to a rolls royce. and they are still talking about the old one. They also had a nasty maybach limo (sonata converted) in Bombay. The confused Roller is in London. Aniguchisan is right. Puke in the mouth... But it does attract a lot of attention in London. So i guess it does the job owning the first 'two door phantom as they call it!
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Old 13th November 2008, 19:20   #9
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Like father like son! Runs in the family then!

I bet they give DC some serious business!
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Old 13th November 2008, 19:42   #10
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Ummm, imho the front of the car looks good.
But yes its Criminal to do such a job on a Rolls.

Last edited by faithless_1984 : 13th November 2008 at 19:43.
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Old 13th November 2008, 20:52   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aniguchisan View Post
Oh, and I nearly forgot. I threw up a little in my mouth upon looking at the new 'creation'.
It's even more disgusting when it's actually in front of you. It's displayed at the Performance Show '08.
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Old 13th November 2008, 22:49   #12
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Makes DC the second Indian to convert a Rolls into a garbage truck. We should start an online petition to ask him to stop saying this is an Indian design to be proud of. Makes all billion of us look bad.
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Old 14th November 2008, 00:31   #13
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Tough crowd to please...But well whatever I like it. I like quite a few of his designs, and having driven many of the cars he's modified, I can say that he's done a good job, with the high price come top quality as well!

Most of you might disagree, but then again I don't see you giving your RR away to anyone else and paying them 1 crore for a dream project!

DC has got quite a few of these projects in the past, I'm sure he's pleasing his clients, which is the end goal in any industry...

Besides if Aston Martin trusted him, then why doubt him?
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Old 14th November 2008, 01:20   #14
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All I see in the post is a small thumbnail of a Red covertible with a Rolls Royce grill and the entire car looks huge just like any other rolls royce. How can that small picture bring out so much disgust and hate for a design? Those who hate it, have you already seen it in flesh or is it the DC name?
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Old 14th November 2008, 02:38   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayavi View Post
All I see in the post is a small thumbnail of a Red covertible with a Rolls Royce grill and the entire car looks huge just like any other rolls royce. How can that small picture bring out so much disgust and hate for a design? Those who hate it, have you already seen it in flesh or is it the DC name?
Check the autocar performance show 2008 thread, the photos of the DC modified Rolls are posted there.

Cheers

M M

Last edited by mmmjgm : 14th November 2008 at 02:41.
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