But since the real one is in a museum in Canada, we decided to make our own.
This exhibit is a travel, back in time to the wonderful 70’s. It was a time of peace, love and togetherness. A time of protest and a time of flower-power. The Rolls Royce is a big part of that time, John Lennon made a lot of other Rolls-owners pretty mad, when he decided to paint it in the gypsy-style it is, but in the end it turned out to become one of the most valued rock and roll memorobilias of all time.
Member, during the 1960s and 1970s, of a countercultural movement that rejected the mores of mainstream American life. The movement originated on college campuses in the United States, although it spread to other countries, including Canada and Britain. The name derived from “hip,” a term applied to the Beats of the 1950s, such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, who were generally considered to be the precursors of hippies. Although the movement arose in part as opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (1955–75), hippies were often not directly engaged in politics,
as opposed to their activist counterparts known as “Yippies” (Youth International Party). Hippies felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression, and they developed their own distinctive lifestyle. They favoured long hair and casual, often unconventional, dress, sometimes in “psychedelic” colours. Many males grew beards, and both men and women wore sandals and beads. Hippies commonly took up communal or cooperative living arrangements, and they often adopted vegetarian diets based on unprocessed foods and practiced holistic medicine. For many The Whole Earth Catalog, which first appeared in 1968, became a
source for the necessities of life. Astrology was popular, and the Hippies tended to be dropouts period was often referred to as from society, forgoing regular the Age of Aquarius. Hippies jobs and careers, al-though some promoted the recreational developed small businesses that use of hallucinogenic drugs, catered to other hippies and particularly marijuana and LSD youth . (lysergic acid diethylamide), in so-called head trips, justifying Hippies advocated nonviolence the practice of drugs as a way of and love, a popular phrase expanding consciousness. being “Make love, not war,” for which they were sometimes Both folk and rock music were called “the flower children.” an integral part of hippie culture. They promoted openness and Singers such as Bob Dylan and tolerance as alternatives to the Joan Baez and groups such as the restrictions and regimentation Beatles, Grateful Dead, Jefferson they saw in middle-class society. Airplane, and Rolling Stones Hippies often practiced open were among those most closely sexual relationships and lived in identified with the movement. various types of family groups. The musical Hair, a celebration They commonly sought spiritual of the hippie lifestyle, opened guidance from sources outside on Broadway in 1968, and the the Judeo-Christian tradition, film Easy Rider, which reflected particularly Buddhism and other hippie values and aesthetics, Eastern religions, and sometimes appeared in 1969. The novelist in various of combinations. Ken Kesey was one of the bestknown literary spokesmen for the movement, but he became equally famous for the bus tours
he made with a group called the Merry Pranksters. Public gatherings—part music festivals, sometimes protests, often simply excuses for celebrations of life—were an important part of the hippie movement. The first “bein,” called the Gathering of the Tribes, was held in San Francisco in 1967. A threeday music festival known as Woodstock, held in rural New York state in 1969, drew an estimated 400,000–500,000 people and became virtually synonymous with the movement. Hippies participated in a number of teach-ins at colleges and universities in which opposition to the Vietnam War was explained, and they took part in antiwar protests and marches. They joined other protestors in the “moratorium”—a nationwide demonstration—against the war in 1969. They were involved in the development of the environmental movement.
The first Earth Day was held in year 1970. By the mid-1970s the movement had waned, and by the 1980s hippies had given way to a new generation of young people who were intent on making careers for themselves in business and who came to be known as yuppies (young urban professionals). Nonetheless, hippies continued to have an influence on the wider culture, seen, for example, in more relaxed attitudes toward sex, in the new concern for the environment, and in a widespread lessening of formality.
John Winston Ono Lennon, (9 After The Beatles, Lennon October 1940 – 8 December enjoyed a successful solo career 1980) was an English rock with such acclaimed albums musician, singer, and songwriter as John Lennon/Plastic Ono who gained worldwide fame as Band and Imagine and iconic one of the founding members songs such as “Give Peace a of The Beatles. With Paul Chance” and “Imagine”. After McCartney, Lennon formed a self-imposed “retirement” one of the most influential from 1976 to 1980, Lennon and successful songwriting reemerged with a comeback partnerships of the 20th century album, Double Fantasy, which and “wrote some of the most would win the 1981 Grammy popular music in rock and roll Award for Album of the Year. history”. Lennon revealed a Less than one month after the rebellious nature and biting wit release of the album, Lennon in his music, on film, in books, was murdered in New York City and at press conferences and on 8 December 1980. interviews. He was controversial through his work as a peace activist and artist.
In 2002, respondents to a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted Lennon into eighth place. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lennon number 38 on its list of “The Immortals: The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time” and ranked The Beatles at number one. He was also ranked fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2008. He was posthumously inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Originally the car was painted matt black overall but John got tired of it and in April of 1967, visited J.P. Fallon Limited, a coachworks company located in Chertsey, Surrey. They then commissioned “The Fool” - a Dutch team of gypsy artists, to paint the car “psychedelic” at a cost of £2,000 (or $4,200). John’s newly painted psychedelic car drew some public outrage when a old woman, in London’s downtown, attacked the car using her umbrella and yelling:
In 1966, the car had the rear seat modified to convert to a double bed. A custom interior/exterior sound system was installed along with a “loud hailer.” Other
features that John Lennon had installed at this time were: Sony television; telephone and a portable refrigerator.
John Lennon’s art car was manufactured in 1965 by the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Crewe, Cheshire. The car was fitted with a limousine body by Mulltner Park Ward and finished in Valentines Black. When completed, the Phantom V was then delivered to John Lennon on June 3, 1965 with the license plate number being FJB111C. A guarantee was issued to John Lennon on 10 June 1965. The car measured 19 feet long and weighed three tons.
The Beatles used the Rolls exclusively in their heyday from 1966 to 1969. In 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono had the Phantom V shipped to the United States. The car was loaned out to several rock stars such as the Rolling Stones, the Moody Blues, and Bob Dylan. When the car was available, the Lennon`s seldom used it and so consideration was given to sell it to an American buyer, but a deal
“You swine, you swine! How dare you do this to a RollsRoyce.” Obviously, the RollsRoyce is passionately regarded in England as one of the many symbols of British dignity! This is one car we won’t be seeing in any of the parades, and by far the most expensive and famous art cars that was bought for $2,299,000 in 1985 by Mr. Jim Pattison’s Ripley International Inc. for exhibition at Ripley’s “Believe It Or and occasional use. The car was Not” museum. Then, in 1993, serviced and maintained by the car was transferred from Bristol Motors of Victoria. the Transportation Museum and sent to the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, What is a bit less well known British Columbia. Here the car is that John Lennon also owned would be kept for secure storage, a 1958 Bentley S1 is just as displayed only for fund-raising exciting colour scheme.
never materialized. As a result, the car was put into storage in New York City.
After a brief meeting they got the job and contacted a few other handsome friends. After some planning and organizing the team was assembled and the brushes were ready.
The whole project started, when Kim and Jonathan got an assignment to paint Kim’s friend Alexander’s pickup truck into a Reggea-mobile. Apparently they did a very good job, and it caught the attention of a guy named Bjørn Thomas, who is an avid collector of veteran cars and knick.knacks, everything from old american refrigerators to star-wars memorobilia. He wanted to paint his old 1968 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, to resemble the Rolls Royce John Lennon had, and make it into a car for shows and exhibits.
a “people person” he enjoys solitude with his computer, his cat and his drawings. As with Kim he just finished 2 years of Graphic Design, and is leaving for England to finish his bachelor. While he may not be as good with the details as the other teammates, he shows up on time and does his best and often he also bring fireworks to the garage.
Captain: Jørgen Rodem, 21 years old, from Bjørndal in Oslo. Known as a truly great Colonel: Stein Henriksen, 28 graffiti artist. He works as a years old, from the Negro-vil- electrician at the moment, but lage in Oslo. Known as a Fat, plans to start his education in old, angry, grammar-nerd. Not arts next year, He might work
General: Kim André Larsen, 22 years old, grew up at Mortensrud in Oslo, Not the biggest of men, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in his eye for detail and excellence, He’s just finished his 2 year Graphic Design education, and plans to travel to Australia to finish up his bachelor. His lifegoals are either to make it in hollywood, or much much more propably, make it in art and design. As long as he gets up in the morning that is.
Corporal: Simen Godtfriedsen, 22 years old. No one knows where he’s from, all we know is he’s just finished his art education at NISS, Met Kim in high-school and know Jonathan from NISS. He’s been real busy with exams lately, but he Lieutenant: Jonathan Bo Ma- too will be joining up with us thiesn, 22 years old, also from at the garage to finish it up. Mortensrud, studied art at NISS, and is currently a stu- Soliders: As our garage door dent at some art-school in swe- is open, we have a true folden. He’s a childhood friend lowing of people stopping by, of Kim’s. Due to him being in helping out, or just hanging Sweden, he hasn’t been paint- out. So a big thanks to Vegard ing much yet, but as soon as for his managerial skills like his exams are done he’ll be Xzibit and his toy helicopup there with the rest of us ter, Lisa for her painting and painting it up. His knowledge cherry lips, Raymond for his of street-art and artists around herbal treatments, and all the the world is mind-boggeling other Bjørndal-kids who stop by every day. and he is truly a great painter. a bit slow, but his theories on life and mosquitoes makes it all worth it. He is also a great detail-worker and actually the most important person on the project, since it’s his parents garage we’re using.