When it comes to owning a range-topping luxury car, few brands fit the bill better than Rolls-Royce. They may not have a sterling reliability and build quality record, but their cabins are infinitely plush, and their rides tend to feel closer to wafting along on a magic carpet than a characterful road. The biggest issue is that, due to Rolls-Royce’s heritage, you’ll need to cough up north of $400,000 to buy a new one.

Only the richest gearheads can afford to part with this amount of money, so going used tends to be the only way for mere mortals to have one on their driveway. For less than a quarter of a brand-new Roller, you can have one of the rarest models ever constructed by the brand.

The Park Ward Was A Special Version Of Rolls-Royce’s Short-Lived Halo Car

Rolls-Royce found itself in somewhat of a strange position in the 1990s, as parent company Vickers decided to offload it in a bid to raise some much-needed capital. It was thought that BMW would likely take over the brand, given it had been working with Rolls-Royce shortly before the decision came for the company to be sold, though ultimately Volkswagen swooped in and managed to secure the deal. The German giant had also acquired Bentley in the same deal, so it looked to share as many parts between the two brands’ models to spread costs.

That said, things were far from straightforward. BMW had been granted the license for Rolls-Royce’s logo and name, while VW retained the rights to the manufacturer’s legendary grille shape and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, meaning the crucial parts of the company were spread across two different German automotive firms. As a result, while VW took care of building the cars, it cut a deal with BMW to supply the engines powering them. BMW threatened to walk away from the deal, and as VW didn’t want to spend the time and money developing new platforms and engines for Rolls-Royce’s cars, it agreed to sell off the grille shape and Spirit of Ecstasy rights to BMW. As a result, Rolls-Royce would retain BMW engines until 2003 while being built under the stewardship of VW, before BMW would take over the sole rights of the brand from then on.

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The Park Ward Was A Special Version Of Rolls-Royce’s Short-Lived Halo Car

During this odd five-year transition period, VW greenlit the Silver Seraph. It was based heavily on the Bentley Arnage, and was essentially the more luxurious model, while the Bentley was sportier. In 2001, Rolls-Royce decided to construct a special enlarged version of the model, which it christened the Park Ward after the brand’s in-house coachbuilder. It was a full ten inches longer than the Silver Seraph, all of which was used to afford rear passengers extra legroom and easier access. It was only built until 2002, when VW stopped production of Rolls-Royce cars ahead of BMW’s takeover.

The Park Ward Was Uber Expensive Upon Release, As Well As Ultra Rare

VW had originally planned for 200 examples of the Park Ward to be built, though ultimately just 127 cars were constructed before the time came to switch off the production line. In all, 100 cars were built in a left-hand drive configuration, while 27 were right-hand drive. In the US, the Park Ward was offered at a base MSRP of $220,695, which translates to a little over $400,000 in today’s money. This was before you added any options, so it was every bit as pricey as the modern cars sold by the brand.

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The Elusive Model Hasn’t Held Its Value Well

Despite its exclusivity, the Park Ward hasn’t fared well when it comes to depreciation. They don’t come up often, but even then, they are pretty cheap, with a well-preserved 14,000-miler that was recently sold via Bonhams Auctions being a good example of this. The car went under the hammer for only $63,840, less than a quarter of its original value, despite being one of only 100 LHD cars ever made. Cars with higher mileage can even be had for less than $50,000, such as a specimen sold in the United Kingdom. The Bonhams-offered machine had traveled 56,000 miles during its life, and was shifted for the equivalent of just under $46,000.

The Park Ward Was Designed Purely To Cater To Rear Passengers

The main focus for Rolls-Royce when penning the Park Ward was to ensure its rear passengers were as comfortable as possible, whether when getting in or out, or just relaxing on the way to their next destination. The extra length not only meant there was extra legroom, but also that the doors could be longer. This meant there was a greater amount of space with which to get in and out, allowing rear occupants to enter and exit more gracefully. The two rear seats were designed with maximum comfort in mind, while the center console was extended to the rear so that those back there could alter the dual-zone climate control system whenever they fancied.

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Rolls-Royce also allowed buyers to design the rear cabin of their Park Ward however they wanted. A range of different colored leather and trim types were on the menu, as were features like a TV and fold-down picnic tables. The Park Ward shows you don’t need to spend north of $400,000 to enjoy the benefits of a modern Roller, like the popular Phantom.

The Park Ward Utilized A Different Engine Versus The Sportier Bentley Arnage

While the Park Ward and its Arnage cousin made use of the same underpinnings and body, Vickers decided to equip both cars with different engines while they were being designed. While the Arnage made use of BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter M62 V8, the decision was made to afford the Silver Seraph and Park Ward the German marque’s naturally aspirated 5.4-liter M73 V12 unit. The powerplant already had a luxury pedigree, as it powered BMW’s 750i luxury sedan. Like in the BMW, the V12 transmitted its grunt to the Park Ward’s rear wheels via a five-speed automatic gearbox, which was supplied by ZF.

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This made it the first Rolls-Royce to feature a V12 since the 1930s, with the 326 hp engine able to get the majestic Park Ward to 60 mph in a little over seven seconds. That said, you wouldn’t want to barrel the beast into bends like a sports car, as its suspension setup was tweaked to ensure maximum passenger comfort, rather than apex-clipping precision. The Arnage would be the car to go for if this matters to you, as it was equipped with a firmer suspension setup to increase agility and responsiveness. A set of beefy ventilated brake discs was also included to ensure the hefty Rolls could stop in less time than a cruise ship.

A used Park Ward may still be expensive when compared to many other pre-owned luxury cars on the market, but it’s jolly cheap for a modern Rolls-Royce.

Sources: Rolls-Royce