[dropcap size=small]Q[/dropcap]uestion: What could be more exclusive than a Rolls-Royce?
Answer: A classic Rolls-Royce.
A 50-year- old Silver Shadow, to be exact. Owned by a Singaporean and registered under the classic vehicle scheme since 2013, it is in “very good condition” and up for sale at this week’s Luxglove classic car event at Marina Bay Sands.
Luxglove, founded by Talenia Phua Gajardo, is an online platform which offers a curated collection of classic cars, art, watches, fine jewellery, furniture, rare whisky and other collectibles from private collectors and dealers in the region.
This is the second time that the classic car collection is being showcased. Last year, 22 were displayed at Dempsey, and it has doubled this year with 45 automotive specimens. Only 33 are for sale, however. They include the 1967 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, a 1985 Ferrari 328 GTB and a 1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GT, with prices available on Luxglove’s online platform for prospective buyers to negotiate with sellers.
The remaining 12 are strictly for viewing pleasure: they include a Ferrari F40, a Lamborghini Esparza and a Jensen Interceptor Convertible.
Phua Gajardo declines to provide information about the other cars’ owners except to say almost all of them – 90 per cent – are Singaporeans and they are a “very diverse” group of individuals.
“Some are younger, like 35 to 45, while others are more established,” she says.
The Silver Shadow’s owner, for example, is a well-known enthusiast who currently owns 11 cars manufactured between 1958 and 1981, including four Porsches. But he is letting the Rolls go because of a lack of storage space.
In fact, many of the cars in the Luxglove display are kept in storage as collectibles and not registered, so the logistics of obtaining public viewing permits and transporting them to the exhibition site were extremely daunting.
(RELATED: Interview with Talenia Phua Gajardo, founder of The Artling and Luxglove.)
But Phua Gajardo says it was worth it because some of these are cars “we didn’t even know existed in Singapore”. When asked how she managed to convince the owners to put them on display, the quick reply was: “Not easy.” She says: “They are open to sharing as long as we ensure we are discreet with their identities.”
But one thing is certain – they are happy to share their cars with fellow admirers.
Phua Gajardo created Luxglove mainly for car lovers, enthusiasts and collectors. It was a natural progression from Artling, a website selling art which she started in 2013.
“We see the collector enthusiast group growing in Singapore. These are people who are genuinely passionate about cars, and even if they don’t own them, there is interest in them.”
It’s a bit like going to an art exhibition, she explains. “Not everyone who goes to an exhibition is a buyer, but they go to appreciate the art.”
The event is happening from Jul 10 to 16 for Luxglove VIPs, with public viewing available in the evenings from Jul 10 to 15 and for the full day on Jul 16. For more information, visit Luxglove.
(RELATED: You can buy this million-dollar Ferrari online – would you?)
Adapted from The Business Times.
