Rolls-Royce revives Dawn brand, unveils new model

WASHINGTON: Super-luxury brand Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today announced revival of its Dawn marque, which will make global debut in the first quarter of 2016.

To be known as Rolls-Royce Dawn, the model was unveiled at the 2015 Rolls-Royce World Dealer Conference in Los Angeles, California, which was attended by the company's 130-strong global dealer network, carmaker said in a statement.

The company is expected to launch the model in India in the middle of 2016.

"Dawn is a beautiful new open-top motor car with a name that suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds -- an awakening, an opening up of one's senses and a burst of sunshine," Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said.

The iconic British carmaker is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW Group.

Rolls-Royce said Dawn is the next step in its renaissance which began in 2003 with the launch of Phantom and subsequent introductions of Ghost and Wraith.

"It justifies the continuing investment of the BMW Group into the world's pinnacle super-luxury brand," it added.

The new model revives a rare Rolls-Royce name, which was first used in 1949. It sold 28 units between 1950 and 1954.

The original Silver Dawn was the first Rolls-Royce to be offered with a factory-built body. It was only built for individual customers.