Arabs buy every armoured Rolls-Royce Phantom

Only six terrorism-proof armoured Rolls-Royce Phantoms have been made and sold in the world, and they are all on their way to the Middle East.

Rolls-Royce chief executive Ian Robertson told journalists at the Detroit motor show that the Gulf Arabs were taking delivery of every unit of the luxury saloon, produced so far.

The cars are capable of protecting their occupants from machine gun fire, mines and hand grenades, he said. "Nothing is totally armoured, but this is as good as it gets," he told UK newspaper The Guardian.

Armoured vehicles are made to customer specifications, so the price is not fixed, but the company's newest model in the Phantom range, the Drophead Coupe, sells for over £300,000 ($600,000).

Each armoured car is strengthened with hi-tech fibre composites, special purpose steel, thickened glass and an interior polycarbonate layer.

They are categorised as offering B7 protection, the highest grade for a car, and capable of repelling most terrorist attacks, according to the company.

Despite fears of a global economic slowdown, Rolls-Royce under its new owner BMW, had a record year with sales up by 25 percent to 1,010 units in 2007. Sales to Abu Dhabi have doubled, says the company.

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