British Company Offering Gold-Plated Roofs For Stately, Traditional Bling

Proving that a fool and his money are soon parted, British company Alchemist is offering car owners a chance to get a custom, 24-carat gold leaf finish added to the ride of their choice. For just $20,000 they'll happily take posession of your Bentley, Aston Martin or Escalade and top it with a shimmering gold finish. Though the roofs are designed to protect the owner from having the gold-leaf picked off of their car, there's nothing we see that'll prevent someone from turning these newly guilded chariots into convertibles with the help of a torch or saw. A description of the process and photos of a few gold-roofed examples below.
According to the company:

The roof is first polished to provide a shiny surface for the gold leaf to reflect. Skilled craftsmen then place individual gold leaves onto a layer of a special base. Finally an invisible shield is laid down to make the surface scratch-proof – and impossible to pick off. Gold is not affected by air, heat, moisture or oxygen, and so is well-suited to car rooftops. As a rooftop provides a symbolic protection, it is suitable for such an attention. Each roof is signed, numbered and a certificate of authenticity is supplied, along with a guarantee. If you're determined to go one better you could opt for gemstones set into the gold leaf – or choose a precious film of platinum or palladium.

We'd argue against buying an automotive product from someone who claims that a rooftop provides "symbolic protection." [GoldenRooftop via CarScoop]