This is not an audition for Cirque du Soleil. McCann is showing me how to open the door. Mr McCann has been a driving coach for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since 2005 and an independent trainer since 2012, and has chauffeured tycoons and tech entrepreneurs in Texas, Taipei, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. I’m teaching you. They learn the Rolls-Royce-approved correct way to load luggage, hold an umbrella, chill champagne, avoid security threats and, of course, even open doors.
“Opening the door of a Rolls-Royce should be effortless and one movement,” says McCann, accents as classy as his white button-down shirt. “I’ll do it with my legs and arms.”
As automakers like BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG race to achieve fully autonomous driving, and Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, touts driverless cars with robotaxis, McCann lives in a very different world.
He sits on the outside of the two pillars of thought that run wild through the automotive world. The fully self-driving camp pursued by companies like Mr. Musk’s Tesla Inc. promises to turn cars into four-wheeled mobility bots. Others demand full front-seat driving involvement, like the folks at Porsche AG who vow to never do away with the manual gearbox that makes some 911 sports cars so thrilling.
Rolls-Royce offers a third philosophy. The company estimates that a healthy portion of its customers will prefer the back seats to the front seats. Of the approximately 6,000 vehicles the company delivers around the world each year, 20% end up in the hands of owners who hire drivers. That percentage is even higher among owners of the $575,000 Phantom extended-wheelbase sedan. McCann’s job is to make sure the enjoyment of the ride is maximized by the person paying to get behind the wheel. “We make the best cars in the world,” he says. “The weak link is the driver.” Driver training isn’t as outdated as you might think. Part-time drivers are on the rise globally, particularly in Asia, and new wealth in China and South Korea fueled Rolls-Royce’s year-on-year growth in 2023. According to the company’s latest annual report, lucrative bespoke commissions in the Middle East have reached new record levels in both volume and value.
Rolls isn’t just driving at its best. On October 28, luxury chauffeur service company Black Lane GmbH raised €60 million ($65 million) in funding from investors including a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The Berlin-based company allows customers to connect with professional drivers anywhere in the world through its mobile app, website or hotline.
The appeal of chauffeurs is the personal care and attention they provide, a kind of human warmth and street-level real-world intelligence that even the most advanced robots can’t provide. It’s the experience of being welcomed and cared for by someone who understands your preferences and can adapt in real time to changing circumstances. Hiring a private driver doesn’t just mean getting you from A to B, it means everything that happens along the way.
McCann says drivers have the benefit of being a travel concierge, increasing efficiency and saving time on the day. Those looking for the best chefs, masseuses, and bodyguards also value one McCann graduate. For these wealthy people, the highest form of automotive luxury is human driving. I came to Las Vegas to see if I could pass.
The day started with a history lesson. McCann stands in front of a television screen, flipping through grainy images of the imposing coach. One shows TE Lawrence, or Lawrence of Arabia, in The Silver Ghost, circa 1916.
At first, McCann explained, the driver didn’t drive the car at all. They were working on the train. The word comes from the French driver “to heat up”. It referred to the stoker who kept the fire burning with a steam engine.
As horseless carriages became popular around the beginning of the 20th century, horse-drawn carriage owners from Bristol to Bombay relied on people already working in their home stables or local stations to operate their new machines. I was expecting it. So Rolls-Royce started an academy where customers could send stablemen and attendants to learn everything from car maintenance and operation to etiquette, such as where the ladies of the house should sit.
Many of the lessons still apply today.
“Striving for perfection is a fundamental element of luxury. Whatever you do, it has to be sharp, effortless, professional, and safe,” said McCann, who created Valley of Fire State Park. I tell a class of seven people that they will spend two hours learning the basics before testing their driving skills. This session is an abbreviated version of an invitation-only course offered by Rolls-Royce to VIPs. Fees have not been publicly discussed.
“If you show up on time, you’re late,” McCann says. Another of his complaints is, “There may be a ‘what if’ possibility, but excuses should not be tolerated.”
Take notes as the sun rises. McCann outlines some guidelines. Luggage should be lifted rather than rolled up to avoid tracking dirt. To protect bags from theft, bags must be loaded before passengers board the vehicle. Drivers should pay special attention to their rearview mirrors. Rearview mirrors are placed out of sight of passengers (this is for safety and prudence).
And this unexpected instruction was to never ask the person in the back seat about the flight.
“That’s the worst question you could ask anyone,” McCann answered my quizzical eyebrows. “When was the last time you stepped out of a metal tube and said, ‘That was fun?’ When you ask that question, you’re immediately asking your client to bend the truth.”
he keeps talking. I keep doodling. Focus on personalized details, such as which water the client prefers (sparkling or still? Pellegrino or Perrier?). Placing the bottle in the door rather than in the cup holder gives your client space to place their own drink. Learn the name of your beloved pet. Level the vents and headrest. Make sure the music (if present) and climate are satisfactory.
“Our refrigerators have two settings: 6 degrees and 11 degrees Celsius, one for vintage champagne and one for non-vintage champagne,” he says. “You need to know what time your clients arrive and adjust accordingly. If it’s in the evening, you’ll probably be drinking vintage liquor, and the temperature should be warmer.”
Of course, driving is also a job. But I didn’t know that good driving starts with sitting down. I have never been more careful about where I place my limbs than when climbing into the emerald green Cullinan parked outside the Wynn. McCann asked me to extend my arms, relax my shoulders, and place my hands in the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. The thighs are parallel to the ground and the pelvis is not rounded. Your toes rest lightly on the pedals.
That’s not exactly the attitude I take when I get into my Rolls-Royce, Olive’s 1975 Silver Shadow. Suddenly, I found myself driving all over Los Angeles. It’s more like riding the final leg of an off-road endurance rally, getting whiplash from late braking, than conveying to a head of state. .
Strictly speaking, Lawrence told himself it was okay because he had undoubtedly driven the Rolls-Royce erratically during his legendary desert feat. But it’s not okay today, and it’s not okay not to be a witness to this ever-sophisticated Brit. It gives me chills. A major mind reset is required.
“When you have tension in your body, it’s reflected in the car,” he says. I’m so nervous right now that little beads of sweat are forming along my spine. Apparently I was doing this completely wrong on my RR and was lucky I didn’t kill anyone and develop severe sciatica in the process.
We weave our way through a strip mall on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Now he’s telling me in my ear that I have to pass the whiskey, gin and tonic, and champagne test. This means that you must be able to brake unnoticed enough to avoid spilling the contents of the champagne coupe on the bonnet of the car. He says he’ll start by practicing with whiskey in a traditional glass, then practice with gin, then graduate to bubbly. It’s a theoretical practice today, but I’ve already worked up the courage to practice with the shadow when I get home.
I imagine success. Step on the brakes with the grace of a ballerina. Focus like a surgeon. Place the foam in the cup. Bree Tea.
“Don’t let bad driving affect your good driving!” McCann broke my reverie and pointed out that we should have more space between us and the Prius sticking out in front of us.
Enter acres of red monoliths and Joshua trees with Las Vegas in the background. I feel more stable on the steering wheel and better balanced in corners.
Finally, scout out a lunch spot to return to class. The indomitable McCann continues to teach, “Never begin or end a journey backwards.” First, drop off your passengers, then back up if necessary to park the Spirit of Ecstasy so it remains facing forward. It’s a tribute to Eleanor Thornton, the real-life model for the iconic ornament that has graced the cars of regents and rock stars since 1904. “If you park her up against a wall, you could get kicked out of the event,” he says. . I don’t think he’s joking.
When we disembarked, McCann produced a lint roller with a list of driver essentials. Things like a pocket knife, microfiber, alkaline water, and a USB with music on it.
Passengers are beginning to realize that luxury means absence. Specifically, the absence of dirt, grime, nuisance, disorder, and inconvenience. A good driver will free you from such worries as you pursue the day set in front of you. Under their command, the car itself becomes a sanctuary.
But the art of chauffeuring also feels connected to a deeper concept, celebrating the craftsman who creates order and beauty from raw materials. It’s Martha Stewart and her garden. Lucien Freud and his oil paintings. $4,400 Loro Piana Cashmere Throw Blanket. These ambitious spaces and products are born out of humble tasks such as gardening, painting and weaving, which are masterfully executed and highly valued in their own right.
McCann taught me that chauffeurs value the connections we have with each other and the inherent dignity found in perfecting an old world profession. It feels like a rebuttal to the impending existence of a ruthless autopilot. I desperately wanted to hone this dynamic and prove myself worthy of being counted among such companies.
Before leaving Las Vegas the next morning, I visited the valet desk to pick up my luggage. It’s a single white glove with a gold RR pin and McCann’s signature in a black frame. This is an unmistakable sign that I passed. I’m happy and a little surprised.
Back in LA, I take a real champagne coupe out of my kitchen, put it on the hood of a Rolls Royce on a quiet street behind my house, and test my learning…To be honest, I’m not quite on McCann’s level. Not yet strict standards. But I’m working on it.
