Driving The Rolls-Royce Dawn In Cowboy Country

If you’ve come here looking for a technical review of the Rolls-Royce Dawn, a recitation of it’s endless list of features, a look into its myriad of options, an analysis of the craftsmanship of its hand-stitched leather interior, a design critique of the modern interpretation of classic Rolls-Royce styling, forget it. Yes, this car is all that and a bowl of caviar, but you already knew that. You’ve read about its 563 horsepower V12 engine and how, thanks to its perfect pairing with an eight-speed satellite-aided transmission, it delivers the power so smoothly, so effortlessly that one only has to think about accelerating up that mountain pass and it’s done. You’ve no doubt seen a YouTube video or two of some automotive wag going on about the independent air suspension that smooths out the bumps and keeps the 5,750 pound drophead from listing wildly through high-speed turns without compromising its legendary magic carpet ride and “waftability.” No, I’m not really here to talk about how the new Rolls-Royce Dawn drives. That’s been done to death. This story is more how driving a Rolls-Royce Dawn might just change your outlook on life.



I’ll not mince words here. The Rolls-Royce Dawn is terrific. It is the best four-seat convertible ever made and if you have the four-hundred or so thousand dollars required to buy one, do it. You won’t be disappointed. I know this because I spent roughly 500 miles either behind the wheel or in the passenger seat of a Dawn, all tarted up in a look-at-me Tuscan Sun exterior paint scheme with a subtle Sea Shell white top and leather interior with the aforementioned Tuscan Sun contrasting stitches and piping. Along with the accents of gleaming chrome, the dash and doors were finished with warm, hand-rubbed, open pore, book matched veneer so perfectly finished that it would make the Keno brothers squeal glee were they to see it on a turn-of-the-century chifforobe on Antiques Roadshow.



Dawn is more than just a little bit all right.



Let me start out by saying that I don’t live in the same zip code as people who can afford this car. So, the good folks from Goodwood – actually Rolls-Royce North America’s corporate office in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey – invited me to join them on a three-day experience across Wyoming where I would evaluate the car while enjoying the requisite gastronomic excesses and stellar accommodations that go along with these press junkets. Added to the mix were all the ingredients from a Zane Grey novel including cowboys, indians, buffalo, elk, geysers, guns, bonfires and a night sky so full of stars I expected Neil deGrasse Tyson to step out from behind the wooden walls of Fort Phil Kearny and lead a lecture on the Milky Way, Polaris and the Pleiades. There was also an adult beverage or three consumed from time to time, only after the cars were put away for the night, of course. And even though paying for this trip was clearly an attempt to influence yours truly, I can say that I remained strong. Thus every single word on this page is my own, and the opinions expressed here are as honest as a good quarter horse. (That should satisfy the lawyers.)

Why Wyoming, you ask? Clearly, you’ve never driven through Wyoming. The roads are fantastic. The scenery is spectacular. The speed limit on the interstate is a glorious 80 miles per hour. That hardly matters, however, because one is just about as likely to come across a Jackalope as you are trooper or sheriff on the roads. Additionally, if you know where to stop – which our hosts did – the food and lodging are as good as anywhere in the world.



We landed in Sheridan and were met curbside by a fleet of Rolls-Royces that were waiting to whisk us away to our first stop, the Brinton Museum for lunch and a briefing on the cars and our three day adventure. The museum is fascinating, it’s Mars building gets its name not from the planet, but from Forrest E. Mars, Jr. whose grandfather made a few dollars transforming high-fructose corn syrup into all manner of devilishly delicious treats including M&Ms, Snickers, Twixt and Milky Way candies. Walk through and you’ll find works by both Native American and Western American artists. A few prized possessions of the museum include the works of Frederick Remington, Thomas Moran, and the world’s largest collection of art by Hans Kleiber.

At the museum we also met with a representative from Piper Aircraft. The plan was to take us up in their new M600 high performance, single-engine turbine aircraft, however, they needed the plane for FAA certification testing and we were only able to look at a static mock up of the interior and cockpit. While impressive with its upgraded interiors using high quality leather and real wood veneers, I was actually hoping to get some time in the right seat to see how it flies, but will have to wait another month or two to get that story.



Sheridan, our jumping off point and where we spent our first evening in the Equality State – so named thanks to it having been the first state to allow women the right to vote and to elect a female governor – would appear not much to write home about at a first glance. With a population of just under 30,000 people, it’s an unassuming town that still proudly wears its cowboy roots as comfortably as an old pair of Levis. So you can imagine the hubbub a caravan of cars with the Spirit of Ecstasy over a parthenon grill caused when we pulled up in front of the historic Sheridan Inn. Not that they’re aren’t wealthy people in Sheridan. There were actually a few Rolls-Royce owners who got wind we were coming and drove their cars into town to join the party.



Located in the center of town, the Sheridan Inn was built in 1893 and for the first decade or so of it’s life was home to Buffalo Bill Cody, who used its expansive front lawn as an audition stage for anyone wanting to join his Wild West Show. Originally a 64-room hotel with one bathroom at the end of each floor, the Inn was remodeled in 2015, reducing the number of rooms to 22, and adding a luxury bathroom to each. Each room is dedicated to a character of western history. Mine was named for “Texas Jack” Omohundro, a Virginian who fought for General Lee and emigrated to Texas after the war, learning the cowboy trade. During his travels he met Buffalo Bill and became a scout for his 5th Cavalry. Eventually he became a performer in the Wild West Show, traveling the world with the troupe.



The next day found us pairing up and climbing into the Dawns at the very civilized hour of 8:30 A.M. for a full day’s drive over the Bighorn mountains, through Yellowstone National Park, and then south past the Grand Tetons into the upscale resort town of Jackson, Wyoming. I won’t drone on about the details of the drive which included climbing steep and twisting mountain roads, long, straight stretches of two-lane highway, and the obligatory stop to take pictures of buffalo grazing at the side of the road. I will, however, share a few of the magnificent images taken by the very talented Michael Shaffer and relate this one story to demonstrate just how capable a grand tourer Dawn is.



My drive partner was the irrepressible Nigel Moll, an eloquent Englishman who has a gift for storytelling and a talent for driving like a bat out of hell at the same time. I had been taking pictures from the passenger seat while listening to one of his tales of derring do in the cockpit of an airplane. I had put my head down to edit a few of the photos on my phone as we came onto a long straight section of road that disappeared over the horizon seven or so miles ahead of us. With my eyes fixed on my phone, Nigel stopped talking and I heard the wind rushing faster over the car’s open top. I looked up to see Nigel grinning from ear to ear and noticed the speedometer was reading double the posted speed limit (the actual number I will leave to your imagination). What was remarkable was the the engine hardly strained and the car still wafted comfortably over every dip and bump on the rural pavement. The point here is whether you’re cruising around town at 25 or blasting down the back roads at speeds that will land you in jail, Dawn never loses its composure.

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