Then it dawned on me. Driving a new Rolls-Royce, you expect to be the object of envy, not pity. But it’s the latter that I was experiencing 15 minutes into my half-day loan of the R10m Rolls-Royce Dawn. I was on the N1, beginning to let the twin-turbo 6.6l V12 engine stretch its legs, when I became aware of a siren behind me, and then of flashing blue lights in the rearview mirror. One of Jo’burg’s finest had noticed that the dealership had fitted illegal number-plates. After I followed him to the side of the road, he found the car’s paperwork wasn’t in order either. So while I spent the next 20 minutes receiving a stern lecture on why I deserved to be locked up, passing motorists eyed me and the Dawn with pity and, yes, even scorn. Only when dealership staff arrived with the necessary plates and documentation, and replaced me as the object of the officer’s ire, was I allowed to go. When I did, it was like inhabiting another world. The Dawn is a convertible but there was drizzle and...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.