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Luxury carmakers virtually always have one vehicle—usually their biggest sedan—that they consider their flagship. It’s the car they want commanders of industry, government, and organized crime to choose as their lead vessels. They’re the cars that let people know the boss has arrived. And they’re the cars that, when you buy one, announce that you’ve arrived.
The term “flagship” derives from the idea that a “flag officer”—an admiral or other senior officer entitled to fly a flag representing his command—should have one ship from which he exercises his leadership. Flagships are vessels like the HMS Victory from whose deck Admiral Horatio Nelson led 27 ships of the British Royal Navy in 1805’s Battle of Trafalgar, ultimately defeating 33 ships from the combined French and Spanish navies.
But why did Nelson pick the Victory and not one of the fleet’s other ships, say, the Orion, Neptune, or Leviathan? Size. As one of the largest ships in Her Majesty’s navy, the Victory boasted three decks of cannons, with a total tally in excess of 100 guns. A ship like that radiates confidence, strength, and the ineffable quality of leadership. When a luxury carmaker builds a flagship today, it’s trying to capture that same essence of excellence. After all, as the five following examples prove, a great flagship sets the tone for an automaker’s entire line.
2009 Audi A8 W-12
2009 BMW 7-Series
2009 Jaguar XJ
2009 Lexus LS
2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Full Article: Five Fabulous Flagships - Feature/Luxury Sedans/Car Shopping/Hot Lists/Reviews/Car and Driver - Car And Driver
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The term “flagship” derives from the idea that a “flag officer”—an admiral or other senior officer entitled to fly a flag representing his command—should have one ship from which he exercises his leadership. Flagships are vessels like the HMS Victory from whose deck Admiral Horatio Nelson led 27 ships of the British Royal Navy in 1805’s Battle of Trafalgar, ultimately defeating 33 ships from the combined French and Spanish navies.
But why did Nelson pick the Victory and not one of the fleet’s other ships, say, the Orion, Neptune, or Leviathan? Size. As one of the largest ships in Her Majesty’s navy, the Victory boasted three decks of cannons, with a total tally in excess of 100 guns. A ship like that radiates confidence, strength, and the ineffable quality of leadership. When a luxury carmaker builds a flagship today, it’s trying to capture that same essence of excellence. After all, as the five following examples prove, a great flagship sets the tone for an automaker’s entire line.
2009 Audi A8 W-12
2009 BMW 7-Series
2009 Jaguar XJ
2009 Lexus LS
2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Full Article: Five Fabulous Flagships - Feature/Luxury Sedans/Car Shopping/Hot Lists/Reviews/Car and Driver - Car And Driver
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