This Lincoln Aviator Dressed as a Rolls-Royce Can Be Yours

Recently, I introduced our Glorious Leader Bob Sorokanich to one of my favorite corners of the internet: the Awful Taste But Great Execution subreddit. If you’re ever looking for further proof that money can’t buy taste, head over to /r/ATBGE. The car we’re talking about in this article, though, isn’t one that will ever be posted there. Instead, it’s one that my intrepid coworker Andy Kalmowitz found in another wonderful corner of the internet: Facebook Marketplace.

Located in Arlington, Virginia, you’re looking at a 2005 Lincoln Aviator that’s been modified to look sort of almost like a Rolls-Royce Ghost. Sort of. Almost. Kind of. Not really. I mean, it does have a Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament and a Rolls-Royce badge at the rear, so maybe you could fool the most gullible friend you have. Or maybe a coworker who’s never seen a picture of a Rolls-Royce or an old Lincoln Aviator before.

Also, I have to ask: Wouldn’t it have made more sense to call this a replica of a Rolls-Royce Cullinen? Such questions are not ours to answer.

Maybe I’m being too harsh. With the right framing, this photo of the front end of this custom machine almost pulls off the look. I guess. It’s only when you start to look at the rest of the car that you realize all the money and work that went into creating a “Rolls-Royce Aviator” does nothing to hide its Ford Explorer roots.

I mean, in addition to the highly modified front and somewhat-modified rear, whoever built this even went to the trouble of giving it gullwing rear doors. This was not a cheap conversion. They had a vision, they executed it, and at the very least, it’s a true one-of-a-kind creation. If you were to buy it, it would be safe to assume you’d never run into another one no matter where you went.

As with any highly custom build, the interior has also been redone. At least the front has. There aren’t any photos of the rear seats, so there’s no way to know whether they’re still stock. But I’d like to think anyone with the budget to put gullwing doors and a Rolls-Royce fascia on a Lincoln would at least make sure rear occupants got the same treatment as the driver and front passenger.

But while a real Rolls-Royce Ghost will cost you $350,000 or so at the dealership, this “Rolls-Royce” is a comparative bargain at only $29,000. Sure, it has 220,000 miles on the clock, but don’t worry! The seller says it has both a rebuilt engine AND a rebuilt transmission. So problem solved!

If you’ve been looking for a 17-year-old American SUV with gullwing doors, a custom interior, and the looks of a Rolls-Royce Ghost, maybe this is the Franken-Aviator for you.