This unusual table was designed by Ringo Starr in 1970. It consists of two original Rolls-Royce radiators joined together with an Amboyna wood center section over two levels.
This table was one of the highlight designs of ROR (Ringo or Robin) Ltd., a design firm founded by Ringo Starr and Robin Cruickshank who met when Cruikshank’s company aligned itself with The Beatles’ Apple Corps.
Ringo explained in an interview that it was actually quite hard to source authentic Rolls-Royce radiators, so they found a man who could deliver them to the shop – though they never knew exactly where he got them.
Robin Cruickshank designed much of the furniture in Ringo’s new house, Round Hill on Compton Avenue in the Highgate district of north-west London. ROR was founded in 1968 with Ringo owning 51% to Cruickshank’s 49%, and the offices were on the top floor of the Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Saville Row in the West End of London.
Ringo took to industrial design like a fish to water, he created countless pieces and was a guest on the popular BBC program Blue Peter in 1971 to discuss some of his creations – including the first version of the Rolls-Royce table shown in this article. You can see the clip of the show starring Ringo below in full.
In the clip, Ringo notes that it was actually quite difficult to acquire authentic Rolls-Royce radiators as when they called Rolls-Royce to buy them they needed to provide a chassis number – which they didn’t have.
They managed to find a man who would sell them, though it seems like there may have been some subterfuge at play, and the man would deliver them to the shop carrying them in a nondescript bag. The version shown on Blue Peter has a metal central section, the small number of later versions mostly used wood.
This table measures in at 66 inches (167.5 cm) long x 26 inches (66 cm) high x 23 1/2 inches (59.5 cm) deep. It was apparently made for Hilary Gerrard, formerly Ringo Starr’s Business Manager from the 1970s onwards.
Above Video: This is the clip from the popular BBC television program Blue Peter in which Ringo discuses some of his designs, including an early version of the Rolls-Royce coffee table shown here.
It is accompanied by a Ringo or Robin promotional booklet and a polaroid of the table situated in Hilary Gerrard’s apartment in period. The listing notes that each radiator is topped with a Rolls-Royce “Spirit of Ecstasy” mascot on a spring and the table has the original ROR (Ringo or Robin) logo sticker to the bottom.
This table is now due to cross the auction block with Bonhams on the 29th of November with a price guide of £1,000 – £2,000, or approximately $1,200 – $2500 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bonhams
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