A Saudi Royal has become the owner of the first ever Speedback GT from David Brown Automotive of the UK. 

The first delivery of the luxury car that sells for close to a quarter of a million dollars comes after successful launches in the Europe, the US and the UAE over the last 12 months.

The new owner of the first production Speedback GT is Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the third son of the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. 

To be kept at his residence in Paris, the Prince, who is Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, was won over by Speedback GT’s classic styling and bespoke exclusivity.

The delivery of the first production specification car is an important landmark for the British company as it begins the exciting process of fulfilling orders from around the globe that have been placed for its exclusive, coach-built car over the forthcoming months.

Since its launch, the engineering and design team at David Brown Automotive has made a multitude of changes to improve and further refine the Speedback GT – 237 to be exact – including soft-close doors, a new tail light design and new options of 19-inch alloy wire wheels alongside its own bespoke alloy wheel design, reminiscent of the geometry of the Union Jack.

Each car is custom-built to order and customers are able to track the progress of their vehicle, either by visiting David Brown Automotive’s facility in Coventry or via its personal customer portal which is regularly updated with images and progress of the build.

The specification of the first customer car, better known as Chassis #001, is left-hand-drive car and includes David Brown Automotive’s signature ‘Guns and Roses’ exterior paint colour, Scottish cranberry leather, 19-inch alloy wire wheels in chrome, walnut crotch gloss veneers, which boast a feather-like pattern where the branch of a walnut tree meets the trunk and chrome brightware, as well as the company’s distinctive and iconic picnic seat feature in the rear of the car.

Company founder and CEO David Brown says: “We’re thrilled to be delivering the first Speedback GT to our excited customer, who is ecstatic at the arrival of his new car. With the ability to cater for almost any request, Speedback GT perfectly encapsulates what many car connoisseurs want; total customisation alongside a classically styled car with modern and refined mechanicals, reliability and ultimate comfort.”

David added: “It’s been a fantastic couple of years for us, with excellent reactions through media and the public at events around the world, including The Quail in California, Techno Classica in Essen and the Dubai International Motorshow. This first customer delivery is a culmination of all of this plus endless hard work from the team in Coventry, which has ensured success with this car and many more to come.” 

Priced at £495,000 ($712,000) exclusive of taxes, Speedback GT promises exceptional performance and handling, hosting a 5.0-litre V8 supercharged unit with 510 bhp and 461lb ft, hitting 0-60 mph (0-96 kmph) in 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph (250 kmph).