This limited edition Rolls-Royce’s richest feature isn’t bling, but the 100 years of history inside it
Phantom Centenary’s “most technically ambitious” limited series features 77 interior artworks depicting scenes from the model’s past
[GOODWOOD] A 9.3-centimetre-tall, 18k solid gold Spirit of Ecstasy figure. An engine gilded with 24k gold. A unique “Super Champagne Crystal” paintwork that makes the entire car sparkle.
Based on these, you would assume that the brand new Rolls-Royce’s Phantom Centenary Private Collection – launched on Wednesday (Oct 22) – is all about the bling.
Not quite. The true value that buyers of this uber-exclusive, 25-car limited edition will find is the story it tells on the inside.
Within each cabin are 77 interior artworks that depict the 100-year history of the Phantom, the ultra-luxury limousine that debuted in 1925 and is the English carmaker’s quintessential model.
Phantom Centenary is the fifth series of Private Collection cars from Rolls-Royce. These exclusive models are offered only to its most loyal customers through its network of five Private Offices globally.
As expected, all 25 cars in the series have been spoken for. So if you haven’t been invited to buy one, you don’t need to ask.
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Passage of time
While a “record number” of designers took an entire year to research history for this project, the company hasn’t rested on its laurels.
Instead, three years and more than 40,000 man hours went into developing the car, including new materials and techniques that make this Rolls Royces’ most “technically ambitious” Private Collection model yet.
The 77 artworks are on the seats, doors, illuminated roof liner and more, all referencing the Phantom’s history in meticulous detail.
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For example, the rear seats – covered in fabric developed with an Italian couturier – show the seven previous Phantom models and symbols representing famous owners of each one. One of them sports a bowler hat and cane, leaving you to guess who it might be.
Meanwhile, the door panels impress with its use of three-dimensional marquetry, ink layering and gold leaf for the first time to create the “most intricate woodwork” on a Rolls-Royce to date.
These panels portray significant locales or journeys, for example the 7,000 kilometre drive by the first modern-era Phantom across Australia in 2003.
Some of these features are subtle nods to the past. For instance, the front seats have depictions of a rabbit and a seagull, both codenames of prototype Phantoms of the past.
There are also other visual marvels that justify its pedigree, such as tiny glittering particles of champagne-coloured crushed glass suspended in the paintwork’s clear coat.
Rolls-Royce declined to reveal the price of the car, but industry estimates put it at a minimum of two to three times the cost of a regular-production Phantom, which retails in Singapore from around S$3 million without a Certificate of Entitlement.
In the realm of ultra-luxury, it’s not just about speed, power or cost, but heritage and provenance, which is why models such as the Phantom Centenary are so highly coveted.
A Rolls-Royce representative told BT: “Our clients buy private collections to have something limited, and truly special, created by Rolls-Royce – they are exclusive collectors’ items. Given the rarity of these special motor cars, the value of them can be expected to hold and increase over time.”
“Buyers of Private Collection cars tend to keep them long-term and even when they do surface on the market, these are privately transacted”, he added.
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