Victoria Beckham - Range Rover Evoque SE - Forbes article

Victoria Beckham On Her First Car And Why David Will Drive Her New Range Rover

By Hannah Elliot

“My mum and dad had bought me a red Fiat Uno,” Beckham says. “To try to make it look a bit more…I don’t know, cool…my mother thought it’d be a really good idea to spray the hubcaps red as well.”

Beckham was calling from Beijing, where she had traveled for the debut of her special-edition Range Rover Evoque. The 200-unit line boasts a hand-finished matte grey paint, 20″ black alloy wheels and rose-gold detailing. It’s a bit of a step up from that Fiat, you could say.

Beckham and husband David have driven Land Rovers for years, though they’re not exclusive to the Warwickshire-based marque. They’re celeb-spotting staples in Los Angeles driving everything from Land Rover Defenders and Cadillac Escalades to Lamborghini Gallardos and Rolls-Royce Phantoms.“It was definitely an acquired taste, put it that way,” Beckham says. “But I was obviously so appreciative of it because it was my first car, and I was lucky my mum and dad bought me that.”

Victoria’s choice for her first foray into motor cars makes sense: Land Rover is one of Britain’s best-loved brands, and the Evoque won truck of the year in January at the Detroit Auto Show. Likewise, the former pop star has earned critical acclaim for her finely tailored, ultra chic fashion line, winning the Designer Brand of the Year award at the 2011 British Fashion Awards.

Along with Rover head designer Gerry McGovern, she spent 18 months on the SUV working from elements like jewelry and textile to develop a distinct look. She said one important factor in the production was to ensure that despite the affiliation with a woman designer, men–one in particular–would drive the car.

“I’m sure David will drive it,” Beckham says. “I’m really feminine, but it has quite a masculine feel to it. I find it cool.”

Indeed, the baseball-style stitching on the interior tan leather refers to David Beckham‘s athleticism, and the 240-horsepower turbocharged engine, 17-speaker surround sound system, and full-time four-wheel-drive and terrain response will do undoubtedly wonders for the masculine ego.

Deliveries start in China in October. Pricing has yet to be announced, but expect it to be slightly more than the £27,960 ($45,000) price on the base version.

forbes.com