K....A....B....O....O....M....!

May 13, 2001 8:18 AM

K....A....B....O....O....M....! Rolls Royce is recalling five of their 2000 and 2001 models after discovering a design flaw can cause the cars to EXPLODE. While only 539 vehicles are affected, 408 are in the US. The flaw was discovered after a technician put the first tank of gas into the $360,000 (!) vehicle, started to drive it and hit the switch to roll up the windows. The explosion blew out all the windows and damaged the convertible top and the interior.
posted by crunchland (13 comments total)

"Rolls Royce has notified owners that its dealers will fix the problem by adding an extension pipe to vent all vapors outside the vehicle."

after spending $360,000, would one extension pipe alleviate your worries?
posted by register at 9:08 AM on May 13, 2001

Why pay $360,000 for an exploding car, when you can buy a used Pinto for $1000?
posted by darukaru at 9:49 AM on May 13, 2001

Damn sloppy German workmanship.
posted by dhartung at 10:29 AM on May 13, 2001

My question is, why did not they make the cars such that the fuel vapours were vented in the first place?

This reminds me of something Heather had mentioned sometime back on her site. I'd hate to be someone with stored static electricity touching one of those Rolls Royces.
posted by riffola at 11:36 AM on May 13, 2001

as dhartung said, it's all gone to pot since RR was sold.

But you have to wonder whether there's a certain, um, risk factor that comes from buying a car that has traditionally been built for right-hand drive...
posted by holgate at 1:35 PM on May 13, 2001

riffola: That was truly fine link
posted by rdr at 1:38 PM on May 13, 2001

I know it's heartless, but the thought of people who paid $360,000 for a car exploding is really amusing. You know... theoretically.
posted by frenetic at 3:56 PM on May 13, 2001

You know, it's a good thing Rolls is recalling these cars, instead of just shipping them to some third-world country and hoping no one will notice when they blow up.
posted by kindall at 11:48 PM on May 13, 2001

> You know, it's a good thing Rolls is recalling these cars,
> instead of just shipping them to some third-world country
> and hoping no one will notice when they blow up.

Considering the sort of person who lives in a third-world country and can afford a Rolls, I doubt I'd mind too much.
posted by jfuller at 5:38 AM on May 14, 2001

Nobody who can afford a Rolls lives in a third-world country. That's why it's funny.
posted by kindall at 10:51 AM on May 14, 2001

um guys you'd be surprised at how many Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Mercedes, BMWs, etc exist in the so called third world countries.
posted by riffola at 11:04 AM on May 14, 2001

Yeah, I think the point was that anyone who can afford an expensive car in the Third World got there by screwing over as many of his countrymen as possible.
posted by darukaru at 8:14 PM on May 14, 2001

...as opposed to the ones who can afford it who live in the rest of the world...?
posted by crunchland at 9:02 PM on May 14, 2001