Why the ultrarich spend millions on custom Rolls-Royces

Rolls-Royce cars have never been more expensive. While a new Rolls-Royce starts at around $370,000, many buyers spend hundreds of thousands, even millions, more on customizations. Some owners, like the car influencer Supercar Blondie, pay aftermarket companies more to modify their cars than they paid for the vehicle itself.

Rolls-Royce customizes hand-painted coachlines and light-filled ceilings and makes one-off coachbuilt models costing tens of millions of dollars. Nearly every car that leaves the automaker’s Goodwood factory is personalized. As more ultrawealthy buyers seek products no one else can own, Rolls-Royce is investing $400 million to expand its bespoke operations.

So why are the world’s wealthiest spending more than ever on Rolls-Royces? And what makes these highly customized cars worth the price?