BMW Group Malta and Muscats Motors took the opportunity of having the Rolls-Royce Phantom in which Queen Elizabeth II was driven during her state visit in Malta to make an official presentation at a unique location last week.

On Thursday at lunchtime, members of the media were invited to view the car, sit in it and meet Wolf-Axel Pannes, who forms part of the marketing team of under 70 at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited. Mr Pannes had just flown in and was also present at a reception in the evening for a few select guests.

Lennard Pal, managing director of BMW Group Malta, said the location - St John's Cavalier in Valletta - was only rarely made available for such occasions but it truly lent itself to this unique, magnificent vehicle. The BMW Group, he said, produced cars that were premium in every segment of the market, starting with the Mini and going all the way up to the Rolls-Royce.I had a long conversation with Mr Pannes but space precludes going into any detail here. I will publish the interview in the next issue of Motoring on Sunday week. Suffice it to say that the starting price is €323,700 before tax for the 6.7-litre V12-powered car.

Still, Mr Pannes said, the specification is extensive and there is not very much on the options list, just special veneer, a DVD player, sunroof and the embroidery of initials or a coat-of-arms on the car's seats or headrests.

On top of that, a high degree of customisation is possible so that each car can be personalised to individual requirements. The Phantom on display was shipped back to the UK on Friday.