• Nicholas (Nick) Keen appointed President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America
• Nick has been with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for more than ten years, serving as General Manager, Client and Brand at Goodwood the last four years
• He assumes his new role from 1 July 2026, leading the team in the marque’s largest region

“I am delighted to welcome Nick Keen to his new role as President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America. Nick has more than ten years of experience with the marque and has held several leading positions in the company during that time. Most recently, Nick has played a pivotal role in developing and strengthening Rolls-Royce’s position as a true House of Luxury.  I wish Nick continued success in his new role in The Americas.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced the appointment of Nick Keen as President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America, from 1 July 2026.

Nick joined Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 2015, moving to the marque’s home at Goodwood in England from BMW Group Australia, where he had worked as Brand Communications and Marketing Services Manager. Nick was appointed as Head of Marketing, Europe before moving to Head of Global Brand Strategy, Communications and Governance, and later to General Manager, Client and Brand in 2022.

Nick has overseen the marque’s global client experience strategy, contributed to the development of its contemporary brand positioning, and led the creation and international expansion of the Rolls-Royce Private Office network – initiatives that define Rolls-Royce today.

The Americas is the largest region for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. It is home to the vibrant Rolls-Royce Private Office New York, the source of many of the company’s most ambitiously Bespoke Private Commission motor cars.

Nick will relocate to the US and is excited to take on the leadership of the strong and successful team based there.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sydney officially unveils its reimagined showroom – the first in Australia to embody the marque’s landmark retail design language
• The highly contemporary showroom environment is purpose-built for a new generation of self-made, distinctly individual Australian clients who demand experiences that are entirely their own
• Opening graced by Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, and Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
• The Sydney showroom signals the marque’s profound commitment to the Australian market and to the art of Bespoke commission
  
  
  

“Australia has been part of the Rolls‑Royce story from the very beginning, with only the 54^th Rolls-Royce to be made ordered by Australian Archibald Black in 1906, and today we are proud to write its next chapter. While Goodwood remains our home, showrooms such as this bring the marque to life for our clients; it is where their vision of a Bespoke motor car is first imagined and where their Rolls-Royce journey begins. This new showroom reflects our commitment to Australia and our valued partnership with Autosports Group. As the face and voice of the marque in Sydney, they play an important role in connecting our clients and friends of the brand with the elegance and craftmanship of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sydney has been on an extraordinary journey, and this reimagined showroom is the natural expression of where we stand today. Our clients are among Australia’s most dynamic and creative individuals; they don’t simply want a motor car – they want to commission a statement of who they are. This space has been designed precisely for them: an environment that inspires, invites exploration, and transforms the act of acquiring a Rolls-Royce into an experience they will remember for a lifetime.”
Nick Pagent, CEO & Managing Director, Autosports Group


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled its first reimagined showroom in Australia. The Sydney showroom opened on 18 June 2026, marking a significant milestone for the marque in this country and reinforcing its commitment to one of the most vibrant luxury markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The opening was celebrated in the presence of Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific.

The Sydney showroom also represents the continued commitment and strategic investment by Autosports Group in the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marque. Following the successful opening of the Auckland showroom in April 2025, this latest development further strengthens the group’s dual-market presence across Australia and New Zealand – reinforcing confidence in the region’s long-term growth and the increasing sophistication of its luxury clientele.

The revitalised three-car showroom on O’Riordan Street, Alexandria is the first in Australia to present Rolls-Royce’s bold retail design language in its full expression: a philosophy that has now been delivered across the marque’s finest global outposts, and which arrives in Sydney as a benchmark of what a Rolls-Royce client encounter can, and should, be.

More than a redesign, the opening signals a broader shift in how luxury is experienced in Australia and the evolving expectations of the new generation of clients seeking not only exceptional craftsmanship, but meaningful, bespoke experiences that reflect their personal identity. Demand for highly Bespoke motor cars has grown consistently, and Australian clients are increasingly commissioning works of remarkable complexity and ambition, such as Black Badge Ghost Gamer – a trajectory that mirrors the global record growth in Bespoke content value seen at Goodwood year upon year. The Sydney showroom has been conceived to meet this demand, offering an immersive space in which clients can shape their own Bespoke vision.

Drawing inspiration from the city’s celebrated interplay of harbour light, natural space and architectural confidence, the showroom translates the marque’s global design direction into an environment that is unmistakably ‘Sydney’. The entrance, artfully inspired by Rolls-Royce’s iconic Pantheon Grille, offers a discreet and elegant preview of the extraordinary world within, while the Spirit of Ecstasy presides over a space where cutting-edge luxury and the marque’s storied heritage converge seamlessly. Every element has been considered to create a welcoming client experience.

At the heart of the new showroom lies the Bespoke Commissioning Atelier: a dedicated, space where clients can explore the full breadth of Rolls-Royce craftsmanship and bring their own vision to life. Here, an extensive range of materials, finishes, and detailing options – from rare wood veneers to intricate embroidery threads – allows clients to create motor cars that are uniquely their own.

Honouring the city’s rich creative culture and natural grandeur, the showroom’s Cabinet of Curiosities presents a curated selection of objects, materials, and references drawn from the Australian landscape and its artistic traditions, offering a rich source of inspiration for clients embarking on a Bespoke commission.

Reflecting the growing significance of Bespoke in Australia, the Sydney showroom provides clients with a dedicated environment in which to explore new ideas and realise highly individual commissions. It reinforces Rolls-Royce's commitment to delivering an experience as personal as the motor cars it creates.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents the Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy, inspired by The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls’ victory in the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
• Bespoke commission displayed on the Isle of Man in the 120th anniversary year of Rolls’ triumph
• Recalls the Light 20 H.P. Rolls-Royce driven by Rolls and his riding mechanic, Eric Platford, featuring Bespoke details rooted in the history of the race
• Black Badge Ghost gives contemporary form to Rolls’ restless appetite for risk, speed and mechanical possibility

“Charles Rolls lived with an extraordinary sense of adventure. As a racing driver, balloonist, aviation pioneer, engineer and innovator, he helped define the courage and curiosity that still shape Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today. His victory in the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was not simply a sporting achievement: it was a test of judgement, nerve and faith in a finely prepared motor car. The Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy honours that spirit, recalling both the motor car he drove and the character that made his achievement so significant.”
John Beckley, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe and Central Eastern Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Charles Rolls was a high-voltage Edwardian: experimental, audacious and moving faster than the world around him. His victory in the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy demonstrated both courage and discipline – a demanding course, limited fuel, a finely prepared motor car and an absolute belief in what machines could make possible. The Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy carries that spirit with restraint. Every Bespoke detail is rooted in the race, yet the overall expression is contemporary, quietly assured and deeply controlled.”
Alistair Barkley, Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has presented the Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, marking 120 years since Charles Rolls’ victory in the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.

The commission takes its inspiration from the Light 20 H.P. Rolls-Royce driven by Rolls and his riding mechanic, Eric Platford. Held over four laps of the Isle of Man course, the Tourist Trophy tested touring motor cars in the most exacting terms: speed had to be balanced with endurance, mechanical sympathy and carefully judged fuel use.

The event took place on the Highroads Course, which was shortened to 40.38 miles. Rolls started fourth and was leading by the end of the opening lap. By the final lap, he had built a 10-minute advantage – a remarkable margin in a race governed by restraint as much as pace. He and Platford completed four laps of the course in 4 hours, 6 minutes, and 0.06 seconds, at an average speed of 39.4 mph. There was just one pint and one ounce of fuel remaining in the 20 H.P. at the end of the race; it is this level of precision, aptitude and attention to detail shown by Rolls and Platford that continues to define Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today.

Charles Rolls was independent in thought, technically fluent and restless in pursuit of what machines could make possible. It was his restless quest for the new and the extraordinary which drew him to the exhilaration of early motor racing, ballooning and aviation. In Black Badge Ghost, that restlessness finds a contemporary form – assertive in character, exacting in detail and disciplined in execution.

The Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy carries the memory of the race through quiet, precise Bespoke details – each one connected to the Island, the course, the winning motor car or the man behind the achievement.


THE COLOUR OF VICTORY

The exterior of the commission is finished in Dark Emerald, selected to recall the green hue of the Light 20 H.P. Rolls-Royce driven by Rolls in the 1906 Tourist Trophy. A single Tan Coachline provides a restrained contrast, accompanied by a hand-painted Coachline motif featuring the number 4 in Arctic White. The number references Rolls’ starting position for the race, and the four laps of the course he completed in just over four hours.


A PRIVATE ARCHIVE

Inside, the Black and Tan palette creates an atmosphere of controlled intensity. Black leather and Black Badge Technical Fibre give the cabin a darker, contemporary edge, softened by Tan leather, stitching and seat piping, and the warmth of Mocassin lambswool.

The rear Waterfall carries an embroidered outline of the Isle of Man Short Highroads Course, placing the landscape of the victory within the intimacy of the cabin. Further references are concealed within the central ‘eyeball’ air vents, where engravings record details from the race-winning motor car and the event itself, including the registration number AX157, chassis number 26350B, race date 27.09.1906, and start and finish line coordinates, 54˚09’27.1” N 4°29’ 54.7” W.

Bespoke Illuminated Treadplates fitted to all four door sills also reference chassis number 26350B. Together, these elements form a discreet private archive within the Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars pays tribute to Sir Ralph Robins, FREng, FIMechE, FRAeS, who has passed away aged 93.

Sir Ralph was Chairman of Rolls-Royce plc from 1992 to 2003, during which time he played a pivotal role in the agreement that secured the future of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the establishment of its Home at Goodwood.

He went on to serve as a non-executive director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars from 2003, the year in which the first motor car was hand-finished at Goodwood, and was a guiding presence through the marque’s modern renaissance and the years that followed. A Chartered Engineer and the holder of numerous professional and academic honours, he brought a depth of technical insight to bear on many of the marque’s innovations and continued in his non-executive role until very recently.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars extends its sincere condolences to Lady Robins, their two daughters and Sir Ralph’s entire family at this sad time.

Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “Sir Ralph was instrumental in the renaissance of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood, and remained a trusted counsel and steady hand in the years that followed in his capacity as a non-executive director. Beyond Rolls-Royce, his contribution to British industry and to UK plc was profound; he was, in every sense, one of the great engineers and business leaders of his generation. He will be deeply missed by all of us at the Home of Rolls-Royce.”

• Rolls-Royce presents Spectre Series II and Black Badge Spectre Series II: a landmark motor car, further elevated with greater power, extended range and an enhanced Bespoke offering
• Re-engineered technology extends range by up to 18% (390 miles/628km WLTP) and reduces charging times by up to 14%
• Black Badge Spectre Series II becomes the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever created, delivering 500kW of power through Infinity Mode and up to 1100Nm torque in Spirited Mode
• Bespoke possibilities expanded to support increasingly ambitious commissions
• Iced Black exterior detailing introduced for Black Badge Spectre Series II
• New clock design draws on aviation instruments, housed within a Clock Cabinet vitrine
• New Bespoke interior offering: Duality Twill and Placed Perforation now available for Spectre

“Spectre is a landmark motor car for Rolls-Royce – conceived by our engineers, designers and craftspeople, informed by our clients and acclaimed the world over. It amplifies the qualities our clients value most: silence, effortlessness and abundant power, confirming that Rolls-Royce is perfectly suited to electrification. This motor car’s extraordinary reception around the world has also established Spectre as one of the most compelling canvases for Bespoke in our contemporary product portfolio, inspiring clients to pursue ever more individual and ambitious commissions. With Spectre Series II, we extend those possibilities even further. This refinement of a modern masterpiece is made in the spirit of our co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, who said: ‘Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing’.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Spectre has consistently been recognised as one of the most elegant automotive forms of the modern era. Clients frequently cite its design as one of the defining reasons for their commission, and it will undoubtedly take its place in future collections of remarkable motor cars. In expanding the palette of materials and crafts introduced for Spectre Series II, we respond directly to our clients’ desire to approach Spectre with even more creative ambition, as they explore its possibilities as a canvas on which to tell their story.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce announces Spectre Series II, introducing a suite of technical and creative enhancements to the marque’s landmark super-coupé.

Since its introduction in 2022, Spectre has become one of the most significant and celebrated Rolls-Royce motor cars of the modern era, widely praised for its timeless design, serene performance and effortless driving character. Spectre Series II builds on this success. Engineering updates unlock up to 18% more range (390 total miles, WLTP), alongside higher torque of 1,015 Nm increased to 1,100 in Spirited Mode and up to 14% reduction in charging times. Newly crafted interior illuminations, an expanded palette of exquisite materials, and striking exterior treatments further elevate Spectre’s interior possibilities. These changes sharpen Spectre’s character while preserving the qualities that have already established it as a future classic.


CONSIDERED REFINEMENT, SILENT POWER

While Spectre's range and performance already exceeded client expectations, engineers at Goodwood have recalibrated the motor car’s drivetrain to deliver even greater immediacy and control for Series II, further strengthening Black Badge Spectre’s standing as the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history. Power output now reaches 442 kW whilst torque rises to 1,015 Nm. In Black Badge Spectre Series II, Infinity Mode unlocks 500 kW of power, while Spirited Mode summons up to 1,100 Nm torque.

Thanks to re-engineered battery cell technology Spectre Series II’s potential driving distance is increased by up to 18% to 390 miles (WLTP) and charging times have been reduced by up to 14%. This reinforces the marque’s commitment to both electric serenity and uncompromised capability.


SPECTRE: A DEFINING CANVAS FOR BESPOKE

Spectre has emerged as one of the most compelling canvases for Bespoke in Rolls-Royce’s contemporary portfolio, with some clients requesting more than 20 individual and personal Bespoke elements in their motor car. Demand for Bespoke commissions on Spectre is surpassed only by Phantom. In addition to the near-limitless opportunities for Bespoke through the marque’s Private Offices, Spectre Series II introduces a new suite of crafted elements, materials and finishes as a response to clients’ increasing desire for highly ambitious and expressive commissions.


EXTERIOR COMPOSURE, REINFORCED

The super-coupé’s celebrated fastback profile, clean surfacing and split headlamp signature are retained for Spectre Series II, underlining the marque’s confidence in this initial, widely acclaimed design. Since launch, Spectre has been widely praised as one of the most elegant automotive forms of the era and now stands alongside Phantom Coupé and other revered Goodwood-era models in the marque’s collector canon. Of the numerous international accolades Spectre has received, its timeless design is consistently celebrated by judging panels, while clients have embraced Spectre as a true modern masterpiece. To accentuate Spectre’s form and surfacing, a new solid exterior finish, named Ethereal Blue, has been developed for Spectre Series II.


SCULPTED WHEEL DESIGN

A new 23-inch forged alloy wheel design introduces a highly faceted multi-spoke treatment that captures and reflects light from every angle. The wheel is forged with exceptionally sharp 2.5 mm radii, allowing the surfaces to retain their crisp diamond-like definition even after polishing. Each wheel is hand-finished for up to six hours to achieve this precise faceting and is available in two finishes: part-polished and fully polished.


INTERIOR EXPRESSION AND MATERIAL INNOVATION

Responding to the exceptional creative ambition of Spectre clients, Spectre Series II significantly expands the interior palette, offering new materials, treatments and crafted details of remarkable depth and variety. Among them is Duality Twill – a contemporary interior rayon fabric made from bamboo, now available within Spectre for the first time. This material was inspired by the extensive bamboo grove in Le Jardin des Méditerranées on the Côte d'Azur, which neighbours Sir Henry Royce’s former winter home, Villa Mimosa.

The twill textile is embroidered with an artistic ‘Duality’ graphic. Based on an abstract interpretation of the two interlinked letter R initials of the marque’s founders, the design reflects a nautical influence, reminiscent of the interweaving rope lines found on sailing yachts – another subtle allusion to the French Riviera.

A Duality Twill interior on Spectre Series II can incorporate up to 2.6 million stitches, 10 miles of thread, requiring up to 25 total hours to construct. The twill textile is available in Lilac, Chocolate, Black and a newly introduced Sage: a cool, verdant green that introduces a soft luminosity to Spectre Series II’s interior suite. Clients can select from more than 50 different colours of thread for the embroidered elements, either contrasting with or complementing the base layer.

Placed Perforation leather is also available for Spectre Series II, where precision-cut patterns are created to reveal unique artworks. For its debut, designers created a pattern inspired by the shifting silhouettes cast by clouds in moonlight. Spanning the shoulder and headrest areas of the front and rear seats, it comprises 78,138 perforations in three different sizes: 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm. If the perforations are extended to the illuminated door option, the pattern subtly disperses as it approaches each light source, creating a soft, atmospheric diffusion effect reminiscent of starlight emerging through shifting night skies.

A new distinctive high gloss Brindled Walnut veneer reflects the marque’s deeply considered approach to material craft. The finish is created by combining walnut sourced from non-fruiting trees – which would ordinarily be burned – with residual eucalyptus fibres from fine paper production, forming a richly layered ‘tiger stripe’ pattern. These elements are first compressed and then precisely cut into veneer sheets.

The finish is sealed with a lacquer infused with a fine powder of glass flakes, before a final clearcoat is applied. This layered process creates the impression that the shimmering particles are suspended beneath the surface, adding a sense of depth and movement to the veneer.

The Interior Panel and Clock Gallery now span the entire width of the fascia, joined by a new Illuminated Fascia artwork. Its directional wave pattern is composed of 8,108 individual pixel-like illuminations that appear to flow across the surface, reinforcing Spectre Series II’s strong horizontal character. The design draws inspiration from the shifting mist that settles over the woodlands of the South Downs, which rise beyond the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

A new timepiece has also been introduced. Its design takes inspiration from precision aviation instruments, which prioritise absolute legibility. The dial features cast metal hands and a pared-back graphic treatment that reflects the motor car’s contemporary character. As well as housing a new timepiece, the unique inset vitrine showcases an up-lit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine crafted from solid stainless steel.


A BOLD NEW PALETTE FOR BLACK BADGE

For Black Badge Spectre Series II, a suite of new design enhancements further dramatise the marque’s alter ego, amplifying its intense and uncompromising character.

A new Iced Black Exterior Detailing offer has been developed, transforming almost all of the motor car’s brightwork with a matte finish. The treatment is applied to the grille surround, sideframe finishers, bumper inserts, ‘Double R’ Badge of Honour side surround, door handles and the Spirit of Ecstasy. The effect is achieved using a specially developed matte clear coat, creating a refined, satin-like finish. Notably, the vanes of the Pantheon Grille remain polished – a decision taken by Rolls-Royce designers to preserve the motor car’s identity.

A new wheelset has also been developed to create an even more imposing visual character for Black Badge. The open-spoke design places emphasis on the motor car’s powerful braking hardware while a polished outer ring – pushed to the very edge of the wheel – accentuates the diameter of the seven-spoke structure. A subtle sparkle effect is achieved through fine glass flakes embedded within the finish. This bold new design is also available in Iced Matte Black – the first time a Black Badge wheel has been offered in this finish – created using a specialised high-temperature curing process.


SPECTRE AND ITS CLIENTS

At the heart of Spectre’s success is its founding philosophy. It was conceived as a Rolls-Royce first – defined by silence, effortlessness and presence – brought to life through electric power. In doing so, it delivers an experience completely in tune with the marque’s values, confirming Rolls-Royce’s authority in shaping the future of super-luxury motoring.

This approach has clearly resonated with clients. In 2025, Spectre retained its position as the marque's second best-selling model globally.

To inform the development of Spectre Series II, Rolls-Royce specialists mapped how clients live with their Spectre. Typically the second Rolls-Royce in a seven-car garage, Spectre is nonetheless driven extensively. While the average annual mileage of around 4,000 miles (6,500 km) remains consistent with other two-door Rolls-Royce motor cars, such as Wraith, Dawn, and Phantom Coupé, Spectre is increasingly used for personal driving enjoyment, charged almost exclusively at home, and most often driven solo – affirming its identity as a true driver’s Rolls-Royce.

Spectre’s effortless usability has seen many clients embrace it as a daily motor car. One European client has travelled more than 30,000 miles (50,000 km) in the two years since taking delivery – more than three times the average annual mileage typically recorded by a Rolls-Royce.

In the United States, one well-known collector based in Los Angeles has also made Spectre a daily companion. One particular pleasure of their ownership, they have told the marque, is the short journey from their residence at the top of a hill to their garage below – a drive in which the motor car arrives with more range than it started, thanks to regenerative braking.

Spectre’s peerless driving experience is an important expression of this motor car’s success though not the only one. It is equally recognised by clients as a long-term emotional asset and a unique canvas for Bespoke individualisation. For example, Spectre has been reimagined as a tribute to a client-couple’s lifelong relationship, symbolised by a Bespoke Starlight Headliner configured with the constellations as they were on the day they first met; a celebration, through exquisite marquetry, of a cherished family dog, named Bailey; an extension of a client’s home, directly mirroring the hues and textures of their living space; and a continuation of a notable haute joaillerie collection, drawing inspiration from a colour associated with their favourite designer. A client in Korea has taken the act of commissioning further still by creating a gallery space within their residence in which to display their Spectre as a work of art.

These insights reflect the emotional breadth, creative depth and driving pleasure clients now associate with this landmark motor car, all of which shaped the subtle refinements introduced for Spectre Series II.


SPECTRE SERIES II: INTEGRITY, ENHANCED

Spectre’s evolution for Series II is a powerful affirmation of the motor car’s design integrity and engineering permanence. It emerges within a new era of commissioning shaped by deeper collaboration through the marque’s expanding global Private Office network, and a broader creative repertoire than ever before. It respects the instincts of those who recognised Spectre’s significance from the outset and offers new opportunities for expression to those who commission it next.

• Rolls-Royce presents Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo: a collaborative project featuring hand-painted artworks by acclaimed modern artist
• Artworks on Starlight Headliner and woodset hand-painted by Kongo, representing the vibrant ‘Kongoverse’
• Debuts first-ever Rolls-Royce Gradient Coachline, matching the colours of the brake callipers and the interior accents
• Kongo ‘tag’ motif adorns umbrellas, Illuminated Treadplates, hand-painted as the Coachline motif and re-created in embroidery
• Unprecedented collaboration: Kongo brought the artwork to life alongside the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce
• Five Private Commissions curated through Rolls-Royce Private Offices in New York, Seoul and Goodwood

“Creativity and imagination are the forces that define Rolls-Royce, shaping motor cars that are as individual as their owners. Our Private Offices, where clients co-create the most complex Bespoke commissions, directly reflect this belief. It was conversations within these spaces where the desire for bold contemporary art was identified among a uniquely daring and likeminded group of Rolls-Royce collectors. To bring this idea to life, we collaborated with Cyril Kongo, whose expressive, uncompromising style resonated perfectly with the spirit of Black Badge. What followed was an unprecedented collaboration, with Kongo working with and among our Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers to bring these extraordinary motor cars to life. Five unique Black Badge Cullinan Private Commissions are the result, each a unique work of art in its own right, and represents the complete fusion of two unmistakable creative worlds.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“When I first saw Black Badge Cullinan, I felt compelled to create my own interpretation of the universe it belonged to – what I call ‘The Kongoverse’. It is a place of fantasy, mathematical formulas, symbols, pyramids, atoms and imagined planets. Rolls-Royce welcomed these ideas and gave them form – that’s what made it special. It was a conversation, using my visual language and Rolls-Royce’s way of making, with the motor car itself as the canvas. To bring that to life in collaboration with the brand’s artisans has been an extraordinary experience.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo; five exuberant Private Commissions featuring veneer and leather interior surfaces individually hand-painted by world-renowned multi-disciplinary artist, Cyril Kongo. All five motor cars share the same creative theme, but each features a unique expression of Kongo’s work. This project has been curated through the marque’s Private Offices in New York, Seoul, and the original Private Office at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood.

Black Badge Cullinan is a powerful canvas for Kongo’s work. As the darker, more subversive alter-ego of Rolls-Royce, Black Badge is the most daring expression of the brand. This mirrors the intensity of Kongo’s art, which appears on the Starlight Headliner, picnic tables, fascia, and Waterfall between the rear seats.

Using the interior surfaces of Black Badge Cullinan, Kongo brought ‘The Kongoverse’ – the artist’s aesthetic universe conceived for the collaboration with Rolls-Royce – to life within the motor car. This unique expression is shaped by destiny, imagination, and the power of individuality: themes that became central to Kongo during this landmark project.


AN UNPRECEDENTED COLLABORATION

“What made this collaboration so special was the constant conversation between my universe and Rolls-Royce’s. Every idea was treated with care and curiosity. I was fully immersed in the brand’s creative studio.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

To bring his vision to life, Rolls-Royce embraced Kongo as a member of the marque’s Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and artisans. Though the marque has a rich heritage of collaborating with leading creatives, this project represents an unprecedented depth of co-creation. From the outset, Kongo was embedded within the Bespoke Collective, working alongside the Rolls-Royce teams at the Home of Rolls-Royce. He was involved in every stage of the project’s conception, design and realisation, with a dedicated space created for him, where Kongo painted each element by hand.

“The way we worked together with Cyril Kongo was unprecedented. Six months before production began, we brought him to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and immersed him in our world, meeting our specialists and craftspeople, sharing our tools and techniques, and placing our full paint palette at his disposal. When we came to co-create the motor cars, we set up dedicated workspaces within our Bespoke facilities, where Cyril and our specialists worked hand-in-hand, integrating his artistic language into each element. The collaboration fostered a continuous exchange of ideas and a shared spirit of curiosity and creative confidence. This fully embedded, in-house approach gave Cyril the freedom to explore his vision in the moment, true to the spontaneous nature of his art.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


VIVID WORLDS: ADVENTURES IN THE KONGOVERSE

“My art reflects the infinite power of imagination – picturing worlds that do not exist, but which could. To bring this vision to life with a Rolls-Royce was unforgettable.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Each motor car shares the same interior colour treatment: a Black foundation with vivid bursts of colour. For the first time, the interior is divided into four distinct zones, each defined by a contrasting colourway: Phoenix Red for the driver’s seat, Turchese for the front passenger’s seat, and Forge Yellow and Mandarin for the rear. These colours are expressed through stitching, piping, seat inserts and the ‘RR’ monograms on the headrests, as well as the lambswool carpets. From this shared palette, Kongo hand-painted five individual interior artworks, transforming each motor car into a true one-of-one collector’s piece.


STARLIGHT HEADLINER: THE KONGOVERSE, WRITTEN IN STARS

“When I first saw a Starlight Headliner, it inspired me straight away: they are a universe in motion, and truly immersive. I knew this feature would be my centrepiece .”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

A hand-painted Starlight Headliner – a roof lining creating the impression of a serene night sky within the motor car with 1,344 fibre-optic ‘stars’ – is the focal point of each Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo. In each artwork, Kongo introduces imagined planets and constellations alongside references to quantum physics – a subject that has fascinated him since sharing a studio with his brother, who is a physicist. Equations and formulae are embedded within his compositions, symbolising the infinite potential of the imagination: a theme echoed in the infinity symbol, which codifies all Rolls-Royce Black Badge motor cars.

To realise his vision, Interior Surface Centre craftspeople prepared more than 70 paint colours, giving Kongo complete creative freedom to bring his artwork to life. Each composition was applied using a combination of sponges, airbrushes and brush tools.

After painting the Starlight Headliner, Kongo worked closely with Bespoke engineers to define the precise placement and colour of all ‘stars’. Each ‘star’ was counted and individually marked by the artist before being painstakingly hand-punched and placed by the marque’s artisans. Each Starlight Headliner features various combinations of Blue, Phoenix Red, Forge Yellow, Cobalto Blue, Twickenham Green or Lime Green illuminations and eight Shooting Stars, including a final ‘star’ that spans the entire length of the ceiling – a Rolls-Royce first.

As a final, hidden detail, Kongo’s signature ‘tag’ motif is painted on the leather lining inside the sun visor and inside the luggage compartment lid. This hallmark design is also faithfully recreated in fine embroidery on the door leather.


HAND-PAINTED INTERIOR SURFACES: A CONTINUOUS COMPOSITION

“We talked about how to make the piece groove, how to keep the rhythm inside the motor car. For me, painting is like jazz. You move, but everything stays connected.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Each Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo features a Bespoke woodset individually hand-painted by the artist, extending across the fascia, centre console, rear console, Picnic Tables and the Waterfall between the rear seats. Together, these elements form a single, continuous composition within the motor car.

Ahead of Kongo’s arrival, the Interior Surface Centre prepared each of the 19 veneered pieces by painting them in black and mounting them on specially created fixtures within the marque’s paint laboratory. Working directly onto these surfaces, Kongo applied his signature Kongoverse designs using airbrushes of varying sizes to achieve different levels of detail.

To enhance and protect the artworks, Rolls-Royce artisans applied ten layers of lacquer to each surface. Each piece was then sanded and polished to a brilliant finish, ensuring the depth and durability expected of a Rolls-Royce interior.


BESPOKE EXTERIOR: A POWERFUL CANVAS

“I want people to discover this artwork step by step. The more you explore, the more you see. The exterior should only hint at the universe inside.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Each Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo motor car is presented in a rich Blue Crystal Over Black finish: the deep black paint is further elevated with a lacquer infused with blue particles that shimmer in sunlight, allowing the surface to appear almost blue in certain light. In a Rolls-Royce first, each features a Gradient Coachline: Phoenix Red transitions to Forge Yellow along the left side, Mandarin fades into Turchese along the right, with Kongo’s distinctive ‘tag’ symbol incorporated as a Bespoke motif within both. In another Rolls-Royce first, behind each 23-inch Part Polished Black Badge alloy wheel is a different coloured brake calliper: Phoenix Red, Turchese, Forge Yellow and Mandarin – colours selected to match the Coachline and the vivid colour accents in the interior.

The Phoenix Red ‘tag’ graphic used in the exterior Coachline is carried through to the Bespoke Illuminated Treadplates and the black Bespoke umbrellas concealed in the doors, where it appears as a subtle motif on the canopy.


CURATED BY PRIVATE OFFICES: THE POWER OF CONNECTION

The Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo project has been curated by Rolls-Royce Private Offices in Seoul, New York, and the original at Goodwood. Private Offices are creative hubs, available by invitation only, which serve as extensions of the Home of Rolls-Royce and further elevate the experience of commissioning a Bespoke Rolls-Royce motor car.

Each Private Office has a dedicated Rolls-Royce team based permanently in the region. Their deeply personal relationships with clients give them a unique insight into the cultural cues, passions, and interests of local collectors. It is through this lens that the Cyril Kongo collaboration took shape as both an artistic statement and a reflection of contemporary collector culture.

All five Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo motor cars are allocated to collectors worldwide.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to strengthen an unbroken 23-year relationship as a Principal Sponsor of Chichester Festival Theatre
• Part of the marque’s wide-ranging support for the local community and the arts world
• Continued sponsorship coincides with a recently discovered historical connection to the site of Chichester Festival Theatre

 
“Chichester Festival Theatre stands as a beacon of creativity, excellence and delight for its audiences, just as we do for our clients, and sends a powerful signal that talent, inspiration and brilliance can be found anywhere, not just in major cities, when they are given the support and commitment they need. We are privileged to support its invaluable work with local young people, as well as helping to bring landmark productions by world-class performers, directors, choreographers and producers to our corner of West Sussex. We’re delighted to be embarking on another year as Principal Sponsor of Chichester Festival Theatre, continuing a partnership that has deepened and thrived over the past 23 years.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is pleased to confirm that it will continue its long-running partnership with the world-renowned Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT) in 2026, as Principal Sponsor.

The relationship between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and CFT has now entered its 24th year; dating back to the opening of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2003. With confirmation that the partnership will continue, it is the longest-running initiative within the company’s wide-ranging philanthropic programme, providing practical, financial and in-kind support to charities, schools, organisations and local communities in Chichester and the surrounding area.

As a Principal Sponsor, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars provides vital support for CFT’s Learning, Education and Participation programme. This enables young people of all backgrounds in the local area to take part in and benefit from creative projects, including the celebrated Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with the world premiere stage adaptation of Matt Haig's A Boy Called Christmas.

The relationship between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and CFT is also linked by a recently discovered historical connection. Oaklands Park, which neighbours the theatre and is just 1.1 nautical miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, hosted one of The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls’ regular charity ballooning competitions in 1907. Soon after Charles Rolls’ ascent, twelve assembled cars set off in pursuit of the balloon, aiming to be first to reach him upon landing. The race took three hours and covered over 40 miles, concluding at Avington Park, Hampshire. This well-attended event, which raised large funds for local associations, mirrors the marque’s continued support for the local community.

“A distinguished presence in Chichester’s business community and a globally renowned brand, we are proud to mark over two decades of partnership with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. United by a shared commitment to our local community and a pursuit of excellence on the world stage, we are delighted to celebrate these 23 years. We extend our sincere thanks to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for their continued support and look forward to many more years of working together to inspire young minds, champion the arts and enrich our community.”
Liz McCarthy-Nield, Director of Development, Chichester Festival Theatre

• Rolls-Royce introduces four new craft techniques, inspired by the decorative arts
• Exploration of texture, material and depth influenced by art, haute couture, fine jewellery and architecture
• First-ever application of hand-sculpted 3D metal within a Rolls-Royce Gallery
• First showcase of layered 3D veneer that integrates brass elements
• Beadwork and leather sculpting applied to create realistic forms
• Innovations developed by the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce
• Available to view at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Mayfair, during London Craft Week 11-17 May

“Our Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople constantly looks to the history of decorative arts and asks how those techniques might be reinterpreted for the surfaces of a Rolls-Royce motor car and for today’s super-luxury clients. The concepts we present here are a playful expression of our craftspeople’s creative spirit. They show how hand and machine can work in concert, how a 17th-century still life or a Jacobean strapwork motif can become a modern sculptural form, and how Rolls-Royce is both a custodian and an accelerator of rare craft skills.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“London Craft Week is an important calendar event for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, bringing together leading specialists in contemporary craft. Each year, it is always truly mesmerising to see the exquisite examples of Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke craftsmanship created for the event. We are really proud to participate once again in London Craft Week and to display these highly complex examples of craft and creativity at our dealership in Mayfair.”
Claus Andersen, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London

“Craftsmanship lies at the very heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, with creativity nurtured at every turn. As a brand synonymous with exacting levels of craftsmanship, London Craft Week is a defining moment in our annual calendar. For this year’s event, our highly talented craftspeople and designers from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created two enchanting works of art – intricate Phantom Galleries with corresponding exterior jewellery pieces, inspired by the legacy of their crafts. This exhibition will be on display at our flagship showroom, in the heart of Mayfair, for the duration of the event in May.”
John Beckley, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople is dedicated to advancing the discipline of craft itself, developing techniques that expand the ways clients can express themselves through the surfaces of the motor car. Driven by this pursuit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils four new craft techniques inspired by historical craftsmanship: 3D leather hand-sculpting, 3D metal hand-sculpting, 3D veneers and beadwork application. To showcase the potential of these innovations, they are presented in two works built at the scale of a Phantom Gallery – concept pieces that translate the techniques into a finished form.


LEATHER AND THREAD IN THREE DIMENSIONS

The composition named 'Legacy Craft: Inspired by Still Life' draws inspiration from the nature morte paintings of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age – a style developed to display the skill of the artist through the exploration of texture and the play of light across natural forms – and the embroidery traditions revived by the Arts and Crafts movement.

Across the length of the Gallery, Interior Trim Centre artisans composed a still-life arrangement of fruit and flowers, recalling 17th-century art in a three-dimensional form using a combination of materials, textures and contemporary craft techniques.

The Gallery debuts the first application of 3D leather sculpting and beadwork. The hydrangeas are constructed from 50 individual flowers, each hand-sculpted from leather and painted by hand. After studying the texture and quality of natural flowers, the artist painted each petal with a fine brush in tones of pink that gradually deepen toward the centre of each bloom. Floral twine is used to shape and secure the flowers to the Gallery surface. Their leaves are formed entirely from thread using a newly developed style – Sphinx Moth 3D embroidery – introducing a uniquely tactile dimension.

The pomegranates are embroidered using the alternate stitch technique, with 76 jewel-like beads individually hand-sewn to form the seeds that replicate the ruby translucence of the real fruit. More than 250 hours of handwork were required to complete the Gallery.

A broad colour palette is central to the Gallery’s impact; rich, deep tones have been chosen to maintain focus on the subject matter. Peony, Cocoa, and Chartreuse have been used for the flowers.

“Still life painting interests us because it freezes a moment in time. It is also one of the most technically demanding traditions in art. We saw an opportunity to take that discipline further with a sculptural piece that draws on every skill within the Interior Trim Centre and is worked at the smallest possible scale. For the textures and layering, we looked to late-19th-century haute couture. The embroidered gowns of that period taught us how to build a surface that feels rich, refined and unmistakably contemporary.”
Rebecca Davies, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


SCULPTING METAL BY HAND

The artwork named 'Legacy Craft: Inspired by The Draught' is created by specialists from the Interior Surface Centre and brings together 3D metal hand-sculpting and layered 3D veneer with brass elements.

Conceived as a piece of fine jewellery, it draws on four historical references: the draught – the technical drawing a craftsman uses to guide architectural work; scribing – the act of marking a surface to guide cutting and carving; strapwork – the interlaced, band-like motif of Elizabethan and Jacobean ornament; and ferramenta – the ironwork support grid used to retain stained glass.

The 3D veneer uses multiple layers of laser-cut wood to create a complex, faceted relief, finished with brass inserts that catch the light like haute joaillerie. The composition reads from left to right as a journey from initial design to finished sculpture, culminating in a three-dimensional, jewellery-like flower. On the left side of the Gallery, the patterns laser-etched onto smoked Eucalyptus wood represent the maker’s plan – the draught. The etched design then transitions into 3D marquetry, marking the journey from drawing to object. The piece then becomes increasingly sculptural. A delicate brass lattice, inspired by strapwork and the ferramenta of stained-glass windows, is applied over the veneer and completed with subtle laser engraving for additional texture.

The centre point is a jewel-like flower, formed from five layers of brass, each cut into petal shapes using an advanced waterjet. This detail alone required over 45 hours to complete. Before assembly, each petal is hand-engraved with over 50 lines – each just 0.2 mm wide – and shaped using specially modified tools, a technique developed in-house by Rolls-Royce craftspeople.

“Clients often come to us with two or three ideas they want to see brought together, and we create ways for those inspirations to speak to each other. This composition was a chance to sharpen that instinct by taking a flat draughtsman’s drawing and growing it into a three-dimensional sculpture. We brought together four historical references – the draught, scribing, strapwork and ferramenta – in materials and techniques entirely new to Rolls-Royce. What emerged is something that feels highly modern, built from techniques that are centuries old.” Laura Salter, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


HAND AND MACHINE, IN ONE COMPOSITION

Both artworks have been developed around a single design philosophy: that hand and machine craftsmanship are most powerful when they work in concert. Laser cutting, waterjet shaping and digital pattern drafting are used to achieve geometries that no hand could repeat with the same accuracy. Hand-engraving, hand-painting, hand-embroidery and hand-sculpting are then applied to give the work its individual character.

The techniques introduced on these two Galleries have been developed as part of Rolls-Royce’s wider programme of bespoke craft research and exploration of new materials and techniques.

Both pieces will be presented to the public at London Craft Week, hosted at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 11 to 17 May 2026.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announces its Global Dealer Awards, recognising and celebrating the outstanding performance in 2025
• Categories connected to business objectives, brand communications and client services
• Global network of dealer partners is critical in delivering the marque’s ‘Inspiring Greatness’ strategy
• Global Dealer Awards complemented by a range of regional awards

“The global success of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a testament to our dealer partners’ incredible level of dedication to offering an exceptional client experience. Their local knowledge and insights, as well as deeply personalised individual client engagement, is central to the experience we offer our clients as a true House of Luxury. These awards recognise some truly outstanding contributions to excellence shown across the worldwide Rolls-Royce family last year. My sincere thanks and compliments to all our worthy winners.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Global Dealer Awards acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding performance of individual dealer partners in a range of categories connected to business objectives, brand communications and client service. They are complemented by a range of regional awards.

The winners of the global awards for outstanding achievement in 2025 are:

Rolls-Royce motor cars are sold in more than 50 countries worldwide through a global network of dealerships, ensuring the marque’s clients are never without the community, hospitality, and access that Rolls-Royce provides.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London celebrates fifth anniversary of its showroom in the heart of Mayfair
• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London was the first showroom worldwide to debut the new visual identity, before a global rollout across the marque’s network of showrooms
• To commemorate the five-year anniversary, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects on the remarkable events, achievements and highlights since opening its doors

 
“Mayfair has long been the home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; this part of London has real meaning for the brand, indelibly associated with the marque’s co-founder, The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls. Following a relocation and extensive redesign, five years ago we unveiled our new showroom at 50 Berkeley Street. Since opening the dealership here, we have created some remarkable brand experiences for our clients and won several global and regional awards for our contribution to the marque’s success. I would like to thank the team for all their hard work and determination over the last five years.”
Claus Andersen, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London

Mayfair has a long-standing connection with the marque; The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls was born in Hill Street in 1877, and the headquarters of Rolls-Royce Ltd was located at 14/15 Conduit Street – only a short distance from today’s showroom on Berkeley Street – for much of the twentieth century.

Five years ago, after extensive research, planning and restoration, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London opened its doors at its current location. Since unveiling the new showroom, with its elegant and contemporary design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has been awarded several prestigious accolades for the team’s commitment to providing clients with excellent service and outstanding client experiences. From exclusive parties and events, to showcasing the pinnacle of contemporary craft for London Craft Week, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has enjoyed a remarkable five years in its current location, in W1.

Highlights from the past five years include:

GLOBAL RECOGNITION

Since unveiling its new visual identity in 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has received seven regional and global awards for its contribution to the marque’s global success and delivery of personalised client experiences. In 2022, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London was named Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Global Dealer of the Year – the second time it received the accolade. This year, it was named Global Bespoke Dealer of the Year, recognising the team’s expertise in guiding clients through Rolls-Royce’s renowned personalisation process, working in close partnership with the Bespoke Collective of designers and craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood to realise the most ambitious individual commissions.

CELEBRATING CONTEMPORARY CRAFTSMANSHIP

At the very heart of the Rolls-Royce marque lies a deep commitment to creativity and artisanal excellence, resulting in an unrivalled client experience regarding the commissioning of truly unique and personal motor cars. It is fitting, then, that over the last five years, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has supported London Craft Week, transforming the showroom to showcase the exceptional works of craftsmanship designed and handmade by Rolls-Royce’s artisans and designers. Each year an entirely different yet exquisite example of craftsmanship has been created, illustrating the broad scope of the marque’s Bespoke capabilities. From a hand-painted fascia inspired by the shores of the Riviera, to an exquisite 3D artwork inspired by the rich and remarkable flora and fauna of the British Isles, the showroom has celebrated contemporary creativity and hosted craftsmanship events for clients and media.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London will once again participate in this year’s London Craft Week. To celebrate the twelfth year of the event, artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created an intricate display, featuring two highly Bespoke Galleries, inspired by the world of haute couture and jewellery design. The exhibition will be on display at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, from 11 to 17 May 2026.

• Rolls-Royce voted Britain's most iconic trade mark of all time in a new public survey
• Poll commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to mark the 150th anniversary of the first UK trade mark being registered
• The IPO now protects over 2.5 million registered trade marks
• Result confirms Rolls-Royce’s status as a brand woven into Britain’s national identity
   

“We’re delighted that the British public has chosen Rolls-Royce as their favourite trade mark of all time. Our name has been synonymous with excellence for well over 100 years: the Silver Ghost was officially dubbed ‘the best car in the world’ in 1913, and we proudly retain that crown with the motor cars we hand-build at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood today. We enjoy the rare privilege of a trade mark that transcends not only our own company, but our entire industry, with ‘the Rolls-Royce of…’ a global shorthand for the best of the best in any field. And for us as a team, it’s highly gratifying that our world-class engineering, craftsmanship and creativity resonate far beyond those who actually own and drive our motor cars.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce has been voted Britain’s favourite trade mark of all time in a new poll commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first UK trade mark being registered.

Members of the public were invited to nominate and share their favourite UK trade marks, past or present, and explain what they felt makes a trade mark iconic. From around 2,000 responses, Rolls-Royce topped the list, its famous ‘double R’ trade mark, formed by the interlocked initial letters of its founders’ surnames, representing more than a century of British engineering excellence and craftsmanship in the popular consciousness. One respondent described Rolls-Royce as “an iconic British brand name which over time has become a worldwide metaphor for the best of the best”, with another calling it simply “the mark of quality”.

The IPO is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights, including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright. It currently protects more than 2.5 million marks across 45 different classes of goods and services, with approximately 200,000 new applications received during the past 12 months alone. In its words, the 150th anniversary celebrates not just a legal milestone, but also the enduring role that brands play in connecting businesses with the public.

• Rolls-Royce presents Project Nightingale, the first Coachbuild Collection
• Name derived from Le Rossignol, the name of the designers’ and engineers’ house at Henry Royce’s French Riviera estate, which means ‘the nightingale’
• Draws inspiration from high-speed experimental ‘EX’ Rolls-Royces of the 1920s
• Constructed using the Rolls-Royce Architecture of Luxury aluminium spaceframe
• Sheer, monolithic aesthetic inspired by the discipline of Streamline Moderne design
• Project Nightingale is a production concept, global testing and validation programme commencing this summer
• Available by invitation only, offered to clients with a deep affinity for Rolls-Royce design
• Limited to 100 client motor cars worldwide, with deliveries beginning from 2028

“Some of the most discerning Rolls-Royce clients in the world asked us for our most ambitious work. We responded by bringing three things together that have never coexisted within our brand: the complete design freedom of coachbuilding, our powerful, near-silent all-electric powertrain, and a uniquely potent yet serene expression of open-top motoring – an experience that only this technology makes possible. Achieving this required the same audacious mindset that drove our co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, to create his radically different experimental ‘EX’ motor cars of the 1920s. Project Nightingale shares the spirit of those landmark projects and is the most extravagant expression of what Rolls-Royce is capable of today.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Project Nightingale is built on the design principles that define this marque at its most compelling – grand proportions, absolute surface discipline, and a clarity of line that rewards the closest attention. And yet, it takes them somewhere entirely new. For me, this landmark motor car feels both inevitable and completely unexpected, and it will shape everything that follows.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Project Nightingale, a Coachbuild Collection. Named after Le Rossignol, French for ‘the nightingale’, and the name of the designers’ and engineers’ house near Henry Royce’s winter home on the Côte d’Azur, this extraordinary production concept is an open-top two-seat motor car that introduces a dramatic new expression of Rolls-Royce design.

Defined by grand proportions and underpinned with a fully electric drivetrain that delivers a uniquely silent open-top experience, Project Nightingale draws on the glamour and confidence of the 1920s and 1930s while remaining entirely of its time. Its creative vision is fully resolved – the small number of design details that remain demand entirely new manufacturing techniques that are currently under development. Only 100 examples will be created for sale, each coachbuilt by hand at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Project Nightingale and the Coachbuild Collection programme have been crafted for aesthetes – individuals for whom beauty is both observed and lived. These clients are connected by a shared conviction in the primacy of Rolls-Royce design, the value of the most considered motor cars in the world, and a deep appreciation for experiences that only Rolls-Royce can offer. Clients are already participating in a multi-year programme of gatherings and moments curated by Rolls-Royce, immersing them in the creative and technical formation of their motor car, as well as private events in the world’s most desirable destinations.


STREAMLINERS, SPEED, AND THE DISCIPLINE OF SHEER, MONOLITHIC BEAUTY

Project Nightingale has been conceived for the uniquely design-literate clients at the heart of the Coachbuild Collection programme: people for whom a perfectly resolved surface is as compelling as the glamour of driving an open-top Rolls-Royce. The motor car’s aesthetic is inspired by the principles of Streamline Moderne design from the late Art Deco era, wherein precise lines and uninterrupted forms are more powerful than ornament. In that spirit, when conceiving Project Nightingale, Rolls-Royce creatives embraced sheer, monolithic volumes.

Another point of inspiration for Project Nightingale is Rolls-Royce’s experimental motor cars of the 1920s. Known as ‘EX’ models and fitted with red badges – which Project Nightingale is also equipped with – these are some of the rarest and most desirable motor cars in the marque’s history. Two of these prototypes were a particular focus: 16EX and 17EX.

These motor cars were created in 1928, at the height of the Jazz Age, just three years after the Art Deco movement was given its name. Henry Royce and his engineers cloaked two powerful Phantom chassis in lightweight aluminium bodies to achieve a new top speed for Rolls-Royce. 16EX and 17EX were designed to reach in excess of 90 miles per hour, and their torpedo-shaped form perfectly captured the audacity of Royce’s ambition: an imposing overall scale; a long bonnet; a shallow windscreen; and a snug, enveloping cabin with driver and companion set deep inside.

From these foundations, Coachbuild designers distilled three principles that directly inform Project Nightingale. ‘Upright to flowing’: the Pantheon Grille’s commanding vertical gesture transitioning into a long, graceful rear; ‘Central fuselage’, defined by a single unbroken hull line running from front to rear; and ‘Flying wings’: sculptural volumes that create tension across the overall form and pull the eye towards the rear. Project Nightingale channels these principles in a way that is both familiar to those fluent in the Rolls-Royce story, yet unapologetically contemporary and unlike anything before it.


FRONT ELEVATION

At 5.76 metres in length, Project Nightingale is almost exactly the same length as the marque’s flagship saloon, Phantom, yet devoted entirely to a two-seat convertible form. The drivetrain transforms the front elevation entirely: with no requirement for the large cooling intakes needed for an internal combustion engine, designers achieved unprecedented expanses of uninterrupted surfacing between the outermost edges of the wings and the Pantheon Grille.

The grille itself is a bold interpretation of one of the most recognisable icons in luxury. Its generous surround – almost a metre in width – appears to be carved from a solid block of stainless steel, with 24 vanes set deeply within it. The Spirit of Ecstasy figurine is integrated on top of the grille in a subtly recessed section, its lines flowing backwards and dissolving into the bonnet, as though the figurine is moving at speed through water, and the metalwork is parting gently around her.

Beneath the grille, a structured section widens at 45 degrees from each lower corner before dropping down vertically, from which a carbon fibre apron projects forward, traced by an elegant chrome belt. This creates the effect that the grille is presented on a structural plinth, recalling the great Art Deco skyscrapers whose uppermost decorative floors are supported by solid geometric forms beneath them.

At the outermost edge of the wing is Project Nightingale’s most progressive statement: slender, vertically orientated headlamp assemblies. This treatment is emphasised with polished stainless-steel bands that run the full length of the motor car from the bottom of the headlamps all the way to the tail lamps.


TORPEDO ‘CENTRAL FUSELAGE’ IN PROFILE

In profile, the full impact of Project Nightingale’s driver-oriented, torpedo-shaped design is revealed. An expansive bonnet gives way to the dramatically raked windscreen, framed on each side by a stainless-steel form housing a delicate quarterlight window, inspired by the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé. Behind it is a compact cabin for two, set deep within the body, before the rear deck falls and tapers towards a dramatically low trailing edge. This is a motor car that is almost entirely bonnet and tail, its two-seat cabin an intimate counterpoint to the grandeur of the volumes surrounding it.

A single hull line runs continuously along Project Nightingale from front to rear, inspired by the line that separates a yacht’s hull from its superstructure. It begins at sculpted ‘Pinnacles’ on the front wings – a subtle reference to heritage Rolls-Royce designs – before flowing uninterrupted to the trailing edge. Set intentionally high, it creates the sensation of being enveloped deep inside the motor car. An upswept volume behind the headrests rises like a turned collar, cosseting driver and companion against the elements, integrating the height of the headrests into the sculpture of the motor car itself.

Beneath, a progressive negative sculpture in the lower bodyside deepens the impression of a central fuselage, balanced by a solid carbon fibre sill that makes an understated historical reference to the running boards of prominent heritage Rolls-Royce motor cars.

To add restrained decoration to the rear of the motor car, a second lower polished stainless-steel band is introduced just behind the centre of the rear wheels, its position and proportion recalling the gentle white water of a sailing yacht’s wake.

Significant development has been focused on the surfacing, ensuring that Project Nightingale appears to have been carved from a single, solid billet. To minimise visual noise, engineers developed a handle for the coach doors that incorporates a hidden lock mechanism and a discreetly integrated indicator lamp. The Rolls-Royce ‘Badge of Honour’ is also distilled into an elegant stainless-steel ‘Double R’ monogram, placed sparingly on each front wing and in the centre of the luggage compartment.

Against this serenity, 24-inch wheels – the largest fitted to a Rolls-Royce – strike a considered contrast. Their directional design is inspired by the propellers of a yacht viewed from beneath the waterline: forms that appear to be in continuous motion even when the motor car is stationary. The surface also includes subtle, machined stripes, creating the impression of wire wheel spokes moving at speed, while aluminium flakes within the black finish introduce a delicate sparkle as the wheel turns.


A TAIL OF CONSEQUENCE

Towards the rear, the surfacing swells around the rear wheel arches, creating an impression of planted, muscular strength that balances the overall design’s grace. The deck above is purposefully horizontal, broken by two rear lamps of exceptional precision: these slim clusters fall from the upper surface to the lower at an almost perfect right angle. This striking treatment is further dramatised by the Piano Boot, which opens sideways on a cantilever, both recalling the ceremony of a grand piano and transforming a functional moment into a considered act of arrival.

A single longitudinal brake lamp is placed directly at the centreline on the rear of Project Nightingale, recalling the speed stripes of great Streamline Moderne design. Directly below, a recessed chrome number plate surround is set into the lower rear face with the precision of a watch bezel: a small detail that rewards the closest attention.

Beneath, the same precision extends to the engineering. The bold lower transom diffuser, known as the Aero Afterdeck, is enabled thanks to the use of a fully electric drivetrain, which eliminates exhaust pipework. This single carbon fibre piece ensures stability at high speed without the addition of a spoiler, preserving the uninterrupted flow of Project Nightingale’s elegant silhouette.


OPEN-AIR SERENITY, CLOSED-ROOF DRAMA

Project Nightingale becomes an exercise in serene, open-air travel with the roof lowered. With it raised, the character transforms entirely, creating a commanding, coupé-like presence.

Within the roof itself, a unique sound-deadening material combines cashmere, fabric and high-performance composites. Paired with Rolls-Royce’s fully electric drivetrain, which generates virtually no mechanical noise, the marque’s acoustic engineers aim to achieve an exceptionally serene experience whether the soft top roof is raised or lowered, while still preserving the sounds that enhance the romance of driving – such as raindrops on canvas.

The near-silent sensation of driving even early Project Nightingale prototypes with the roof lowered is described by Rolls-Royce designers and engineers as akin to travelling by sailing yacht. The fully electric drivetrain generates virtually no mechanical noise, and wind noise is all but eliminated: what remains is the world itself – the sound of ocean waves breaking on the shore, the movement of air through trees, the particular silence of open countryside at speed, the chorus of birdsong.


THE INTERIOR SUITE: A WORLD FOR TWO

It was this extraordinary serenity that inspired the centrepiece of Project Nightingale’s interior. During an early prototype drive, Rolls-Royce designers were able to hear birdsong with unusual clarity. Intrigued by this experience – and in tribute to the motor car’s name – they began studying recordings of nightingales and analysing the distinctive sound-wave patterns created by their song. From these studies emerged an idea: to translate the rhythm of birdsong into a visual form that could envelop those within the motor car.

The result is the Starlight Breeze suite – a flowing constellation of ambient illumination comprising 10,500 individual ‘stars’ in three subtly varied sizes. Named after the gentle movement of air suggested by the nightingale’s song, the pattern of light draws directly from the soundwave forms studied by the designers. Extending from the front of each door around the driver and companion’s seat, the illumination wraps those within in their own celestial field, transforming melody into light.

The Starlight Breeze illumination is carried within a sculptural interior form called the ‘Horseshoe’, which rises behind the seats and frames the occupants in a protective architectural gesture.

The leather of the door card is overlaid as a raised section recalling a finely crafted saddle. This motif continues through the centre console in a leather-covered saddle armrest – split into two delicate pieces – which aligns precisely with the Coachline that runs the length of the bonnet, through the cabin to the rear central brake light.

On opening the coach door, the armrest glides rearwards automatically to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller. It is operated with an exceptionally tactile stainless-steel collar formed with four grooves reminiscent of contemporary haute joaillerie. Within each groove, the metal is facetedand then glass-blasted, delicately subduing the controller’s high polish. This jewelled treatment extends throughout the interior to the gear selector and remaining rotary controls, which are sparingly curated to just five in total.

At the touch of a button, the armrest moves further to reveal a concealed compartment for personal items. Polished individual aluminium cupholders – machined from billet – add a further jewel-like accent, and a hidden shelf behind the seats incorporates space for hand luggage: a considered and practical gesture for a motor car conceived for long, unhurried journeys.


BESPOKE EXPRESSIONS OF PROJECT NIGHTINGALE

For Project Nightingale, Rolls-Royce is developing an entirely new colour and material palette and set of Bespoke features, designed and reserved exclusively for this specific Coachbuild Collection. These will not be available on any other Rolls-Royce motor car. Each of the 100 examples will be meticulously curated with its commissioning client to reflect their personal taste, character and vision.


THE ‘EX’ MOTOR CAR PRESENTED TODAY

The motor car presented today reflects the creative spirit that shaped Project Nightingale’s design story. The exterior paint finish draws inspiration from the experimental Rolls-Royce 17EX of 1928, though it is interpreted rather than replicated. The pale, solid blue hue – named Côte d’Azur Blue – is infused with subtle red flakes that reveal themselves in changing light, a discreet reference to the red badges fitted to the ‘EX’ motor cars in period, and used today to denote Project Nightingale’s status as a production concept. The exterior is completed with a silver-coloured convertible soft top roof.

The interior hues evoke the atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur. The seats are finished in soft pastel Charles Blue, paired with a warm Grace White tone, creating an environment of gentle, sunlit calm. Deep Navy seat inserts introduce contrast and depth, while delicate flashes of Peony Pink appear within the fascia surround and headrests, inspired by the wild blooms of the Riviera. The palette is resolved with Openpore Blackwood laid in a ‘V’ shape that opens upwards, encouraging the eye to the sky above.


ENGINEERED ELEGANCE

Project Nightingale is powered by the marque’s fully electric drivetrain. For a Coachbuild Collection conceived for the most discerning and design-literate clients in the world, the qualities of electric power are deeply considered. The silent and effortless delivery of power amplifies every characteristic that has defined the Rolls-Royce experience for more than a century, and the nature of this powertrain unlocks completely new design possibilities. Further engineering details will be shared as the motor car progresses through its global testing and development programme.


HENRY ROYCE’S LEGACY, PROJECT NIGHTINGALE’S PROMISE

Project Nightingale marks the beginning of the Coachbuild Collection story. The individuals who inspired it represent a growing community of passionate clients who seek Rolls-Royce design at its most ambitious and uncompromising. In drawing on the experimental spirit of Henry Royce and the glamour of the Art Deco era, it is a motor car that looks to the past with the confidence of a marque that has always known its future. As Project Nightingale progresses through its global testing and development programme, Rolls-Royce will share further details of the motor car, its engineering and the extraordinary experiences that await its 100 clients.

Entry to the Coachbuild Collection programme is by invitation only and client deliveries will commence from 2028.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates triple anniversary of three Goodwood-era Experimental motor cars
• 101EX, 102EX and 103EX record 20, 15 and 10 years respectively in 2026
• Essential proving grounds for battery electric technology and Bespoke individualisation
• Part of a through-line of EX motor cars extending back to 1EX in 1919

“Throughout its history, Rolls-Royce has created Experimental, or EX, motor cars, as part of its product development process. But an EX motor car is not a concept created to ‘test the waters’: it is fully realised, drivable, and informed by our deep understanding of our clients’ needs and desires. Each of the three EX cars marking their anniversary this year has made an immense contribution to the development of Goodwood-era models such as the legendary Phantom Coupé, Spectre and the coachbuilt Sweptail, as well as introducing the world to Bespoke through expressions like our signature Starlight Headliner. In their innovation, creativity, dynamism and engineering accomplishment, they perfectly translate the technical brilliance of Sir Henry Royce and the pioneering vision of Charles Rolls into the modern age.”
Bernhard Dressler, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


In 2026, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks a special triple anniversary; three groundbreaking Experimental – or EX – motor cars, built during the Goodwood-era, are recording 20, 15 and 10 years since their respective unveilings.

Each of these motor cars played a foundational role in establishing Rolls-Royce’s contemporary design language, technology, engineering hallmarks and commitment to Bespoke individualisation. Unlike conventional concept cars, which are used to ask the market what it wants, EX motor cars are developed to answer specific needs and desires, identified through Rolls-Royce’s deep understanding of its clients and a clear view of what comes next. They allow Rolls-Royce’s engineers to evaluate innovative technologies, advanced production methods, and bold new material palettes.

The three Goodwood-era EX cars are part of a through-line going back to 1EX, which Henry Royce built in 1919. When Royce found his new Phantom II, launched in 1929, too large and heavy for his own use, his designers produced a lightweight Experimental version, 26EX, on an adapted short chassis. It proved ideal for high-speed, long-distance touring on Europe’s smooth, straight roads, and entered production as the now rare and highly prized Phantom II Continental. During the early-to-mid 1930s, Rolls-Royce built 30EX and nine further experimental cars under the codename Spectre as part of the V12 engine development programme that would enter production in 1936 as Phantom III. Drawing inspiration from those experimental Phantom III motor cars, the name Spectre was later revived for the marque’s first battery electric motor car, unveiled in 2022. The last of the pre-Goodwood EX motor cars, 45EX, was built in 1957.


101EX, UNVEILED IN 2006 – 20 YEARS AGO

101EX made its debut at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. A full four-seat coupé with twin coach doors, it was built on the same aluminium spaceframe as Phantom VII, but is 240 mm shorter. Combined with bodywork constructed from carbon fibre composite, and power from a 6.75-litre V12 engine, it was designed to have a more performance- and driver-focused character than its larger sibling. It also has a lower roofline and shallower glass area; the Pantheon grille is discreetly reclined and extended back across a brushed aluminium bonnet and windscreen surround.

The interior features the first-ever Starlight Headliner. Comprising hundreds of fibre-optic ‘stars’, it proved an instant sensation and is now a fundamental element of almost every Rolls-Royce motor car, with its own almost unlimited potential for Bespoke individualisation. Like its predecessor – 100EX, unveiled in 2004 – 101EX would find lasting fame as a series production car; the legendary Phantom Coupé, launched in 2008.

Phantom Coupé, together with the closely related Phantom Drophead Coupé, was foundational to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ development as a modern House of Luxury. They introduced the world to the full possibilities of Bespoke, informed by the company’s growing understanding of the wider luxury market, and the idea of a Rolls-Royce as a canvas for deep, Bespoke individualisation. 101EX also gave designers and engineers vital insights into materials and construction techniques that would inform the development of the first Coachbuild project of the modern era: Sweptail, presented in 2017.


102EX, UNVEILED IN 2011 – 15 YEARS AGO

102EX has a unique place in history as the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) ever built by Rolls-Royce. Also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), it was created as a one-off, working test bed for alternative drive-train technologies, and thus represented the first tangible step on the road that would lead to the advent of Spectre, more than a decade later.

One of the most significant engineering challenges was converting everything that runs directly off the engine in a standard motor car, from power steering and ABS to heating and audio, to battery power. 102EX had what was then the largest capacity battery fitted to a motor car anywhere in the world: its wireless induction charging system was also a world first.

Following its Geneva debut, 102EX embarked on a year-long ‘world tour’ of client, media and public events, culminating in a landmark appearance at the prestigious Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This gave owners, VIPs, media and enthusiasts the opportunity to discover Rolls-Royce’s emerging drivetrain technology and share their experiences and impressions; this information proved crucial to engineers’ understanding of the potential and practicalities of BEVs. 102EX’s international odyssey would later be eclipsed by the 2.5 million kilometres Spectre accumulated in some of the world’s most hostile climates and challenging terrain for its own pre-launch testing.


103EX, UNVEILED IN 2016 – 10 YEARS AGO

In 2016, the marque commissioned a special ‘Vision’ motor car named 103EX, which would define the future of luxury. Hand-built using the most advanced materials, and powered by a zero emissions powertrain, it revealed a future in which Rolls-Royce offered clients a completely personal, effortless and autonomous experience.

The passenger cabin, known as ‘The Grand Sanctuary’, surrounds occupants with precious and contemporary materials carefully chosen to create a feeling of lightness, simplicity and effortless elegance. The seats are replaced with an opulent sofa, which, thanks to artful lighting, appears to ‘float’ within the cocoon of the cabin.

At 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the same dimensions as Phantom Extended – 103EX guarantees a Grand Arrival for its owner. For the first time, the Spirit of Ecstasy was made in glass and illuminated from below.

As well as an all-electric powertrain, 103EX includes a digital assistant called ‘Eleanor’. The choice of name was inspired by Eleanor Thornton, who was believed to have been sculptor Charles Sykes’ muse for the original Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. Within the Vision motor car, Eleanor was conceived to enable fully autonomous driving while also facilitating a seamless digital interface between motor car and owner. This forward-looking concept anticipated aspects of today’s Whispers app, which provides clients with a curated digital connection to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.


UNITED BY HERITAGE

Although these three motor cars are very different in conception and execution, they share a single, highly exclusive, distinguishing feature.

The use of the Rolls-Royce Badge of Honour, with its overlaid double ‘R’ for the founders’ second initials, can be traced back to the earliest days of the brand, with the first examples appearing on Rolls-Royce 10 H.P. motor cars in 1905. The first badges featured the ‘RR’ symbol in red on a silver background, but in 1931, the process began to change the lettering to black – a style that has remained ever since.

However, the original-style red badge has periodically resurfaced over the decades – albeit rarely and on a highly restricted basis. In 1979, to mark the company’s 75th anniversary, Rolls-Royce fitted red badges to all 212 examples of the Silver Shadow II Anniversary model, together with a single Camargue and the sole Silver Wraith II. Red badges were also specified for the final series of 25 Corniches, the turbocharged Corniche S.

This practice continues today, with red badges occasionally assigned to carefully selected motor cars. Most notably, they have also been fitted to all the Goodwood-era EX models – including the three celebrating their anniversaries this year. This shared feature underlines their historic importance to Rolls-Royce, preserving a through-line of innovation, experimentation and challenging of convention that can be traced back to the marque’s foundation.

• Le Rossignol: the name of the house in which Sir Henry Royce’s designers and engineers lived in the South of France
• French for ‘the nightingale’, Le Rossignol was named as a tribute to Rolls-Royce’s Derby factory
• Henry Royce personally designed the Derby factory on Nightingale Road
• Nightingale Road was home to Rolls-Royce motor car production from 1908 to 1939
• Royce later built Le Rossignol near Villa Mimosa, his residence in the South of France
• Le Rossignol reflects Royce’s pursuit of creative focus and deep connection with the Côte d’Azur

 
“The time Sir Henry Royce spent on the French Riviera offers a more private view of how he worked. Le Rossignol, which was purpose-built as a residence for his designers and engineers, adjacent to his house, became a setting for focused creativity, where ideas were formed, tested and refined. That it was named as a heartfelt tribute to Nightingale Road, the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby which Sir Henry himself personally designed, only adds to the significance of this special location in Rolls-Royce’s story. Sir Henry’s closeness to his creative team, and his belief in their ability to achieve remarkable things, remains a point of pride at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today. It lives on in the work that demands the most from us and matters most to our clients.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

During the later years of his life, Sir Henry Royce spent each winter at his private residence on the French Riviera. The villa, named La Mimosa, was built in the hills above the village of Le Canadel in 1911, after Sir Henry had visited the area during a period of rest after the intense effort of establishing Rolls-Royce’s manufacturing base at Nightingale Road, Derby.

In addition to La Mimosa, Royce had two other houses built: Le Bureau served as a design studio, and Le Rossignol – French for ‘the nightingale’ – was the house in which the designers and engineers lived. It was very important to Royce that the designers and engineers were close to him, so they were able to bring their respective visions to reality quickly.

Le Rossignol’s naming was a heartfelt tribute to Nightingale Road, where Royce had personally designed the factory buildings, down to their internal layout, in 1908. He also revealed his genius for logistics, orchestrating the transfer of plant and machinery from the previous Manchester site without a single day’s delay in production. The name Le Rossignol commemorated Sir Henry’s achievements in Derby, and reflected the purpose of this new building: a quiet space where ideas could be developed, tested and perfected to Royce’s standards.

Royce often invited his most trusted engineers and designers to visit him at La Mimosa, many of whom stayed at Le Rossignol while working closely with him. Despite the tranquillity of the French Riviera, he remained obsessive in his commitment to precision and productive use of time.

One visiting engineer recounted how he was once invited to listen to some records with Royce. Expecting an evening of music, he was instead handed a set of recorded French language lessons. When the guest remarked that this was not what he had anticipated, Royce replied: “No time for leisure. We must use every moment to learn.”

Yet even with such discipline, Royce found moments of pleasure on the Riviera. In a rare moment of levity, he was photographed on the balcony of La Mimosa, playing the flute in the sunshine with the renowned British sculptor Francis Derwent Wood. He also took every opportunity to test his creations on the winding corniches near Le Canadel, often driving them himself.

Even when unwell, Royce couldn’t resist the thrill of his motor cars’ performance. On one journey back to England for emergency surgery, with Commercial Managing Director Claude Johnson at the wheel, Royce noticed a car gaining behind them and urged Johnson to accelerate, insisting: “A Rolls-Royce should never be overtaken.” As the motor car drew closer, Royce recognised its outline and said: “Don’t worry. It’s one of ours.”

The Riviera remained Royce’s sanctuary until his death in 1933, and was a place where nature, design and discipline coexisted. The legacy of Le Rossignol, both as a name and a place of disciplined creation, endures quietly within the Rolls-Royce story: an echo of the brand’s creative heritage that continues to inspire today.

• Four Cullinan motor cars celebrate the material palette and design codes of yachting
• Each features a hand-painted fascia inspired by the wake of a tender at speed
• Unique Starlight Headliners chart the prevailing winds of the Mediterranean Sea
• Intricate marquetry compass motif comprises more than 40 individual pieces
• Reflects Rolls-Royce’s links to yachting, including C.S. Rolls’ family yacht, Santa Maria

“Yachting is a world inhabited by many of our clients, and one we’ve come to know intimately. These highly Bespoke Cullinan motor cars celebrate the deep connection between that culture and Rolls-Royce: a relationship that began with our founder, Charles Rolls, and continues to this day. From shared design values with racing vessels to collaborations with marine designers for clients who wish to pair their motor car with their yacht, maritime craft has long informed our approach. In these four Bespoke commissions, that long-standing association is expressed through meticulous marine-inspired details and authentic materials, true to the spirit of adventure that defines Cullinan and the world of yachting alike.”
Martina Starke, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce presents Cullinan Yachting: four Private Commissions celebrating the aesthetics, materials and spirit of contemporary yachting. Each motor car is defined by one of the cardinal points of the compass – North, South, East or West – a subtle thematic thread expressed through both interior and exterior details.

All four commissions feature marine-grade teak detailing, hand-painted nautical fascias, Mediterranean wind-pattern Starlight Headliners, and distinctive exterior finishes. Together, they reflect Rolls-Royce’s longstanding relationship with the world of maritime craft – from Charles Rolls’ own family yacht to contemporary client collaborations with leading yacht designers.


HAND-PAINTED FLOURISHES: AWASH WITH COLOUR

Hand-painted elements are an increasingly sought-after form of Bespoke expression, with Rolls-Royce now employing full-time artisans dedicated to this specialised craft. In each of the Cullinan Yachting motor cars, the fascia and picnic tables include artworks that capture the trailing wake of a tender at speed, bound for a yacht at anchor. The direction of the wake reflects the orientation of each commission – North, South, East or West – ensuring each motor car is a true one-of-one.

Development of the composition required two months of experimentation, refining paint hue combinations, application techniques and lacquering processes. To achieve the lifelike wave effect, pigment is airbrushed onto the wet lacquer before being shaped by hand with a fine brush. By directing air across the surface and manually guiding the paint, the artist achieves a natural sense of movement.

The painted composition sits within a broader treatment spanning the full width of the motor car. The fascia is finished in a Bespoke paint named Piano Milori Sparkle: a rich, metallic blue that evokes the deep, crystalline tones of the Côte d’Azur.

Beyond the fascia, Open Pore Teak is used throughout the interior, including the rear Waterfall, rear centre console lid and door panels. Commonly found on yacht decks, this material was selected for its maritime authenticity, natural tactility and understated visual warmth.

On the rear Waterfall, a marquetry compass motif anchors the theme. Each design comprises more than 40 individual pieces of veneer in Sycamore, Teak, Ash and Black Bolivar, precisely cut and assembled by hand.


BESPOKE INTERIOR: A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

The interior is finished in Arctic White and Navy Blue leather, with contrast stitching, piping and headrest monograms in Navy. The seat inserts feature a Bespoke rigging pattern, hand-stitched in diagonal bands using Rolls-Royce’s signature thread. Created by an artisan with a personal connection to the Royal Navy, and trained in yarn, weave and embroidery construction, the piece has been carefully orchestrated to echo the twining of rope, where multiple strands are twisted together to create strength. The direction of each stitch reflects this structural composition, elegantly translating the craft of nautical ropework into embroidery. A rope motif also appears on the illuminated treadplates, visible when opening the coach doors.


STARLIGHT HEADLINER: STEER BY THE STARS

Each Cullinan Yachting is fitted with a unique Starlight Headliner, combining static and animated hand-placed fibre-optic ‘stars’ in patterns inspired by Mediterranean wind maps. The shifting air currents – charted and interpreted by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers – are rendered in subtle motion across the roof of the interior suite.


FOUR DIRECTIONS, FOUR IDENTITIES

The exterior finish of each Cullinan Yachting reflects the cardinal point of the compass it is named after. North is presented in Crystal over Light Blue, evoking the colder waters of higher latitudes; South captures warmer climes in a deep, serene Crystal over Arabian Blue IV; East is rendered in Dark Silk Teal, suggesting the calm and mystery of deep water; while West appears in Sapphire Gunmetal, echoing a storm-lit ocean sky. The motor cars are finished with a hand-painted compass motif on the front wings, in which the corresponding directional point is highlighted in red, complemented by a hand-applied Twin Coachline in Phoenix Red and Arctic White.

Each commission is resolved with 22-inch Fully Polished alloy wheels, subtly recalling the mirror-polished brightwork and deck fittings of contemporary yachts.


ROLLS-ROYCE’S YACHTING LEGACY: MORE THAN A CENTURY OF CONNECTION

The connections between Rolls-Royce and the world of yachting are deep and longstanding. In Rolls-Royce's design language, the lower line of the bodywork – known as the ‘waft line’ – borrows directly from yacht design, creating an uncomplicated sense of motion by reflecting the road passing beneath it, much as a yacht hull reflects the water as it cuts through it.

Many heritage motor cars, together with Goodwood-era series models including Phantom Drophead Coupé and Spectre, as well as the contemporary coachbuilt Boat Tail commissions, have incorporated design cues and material influences from racing yachts. A particularly potent reference-point is the peerless J-class, built in the 1930s to compete in the prestigious America’s Cup. With their elegant proportions, long overhangs, sweeping lines and large sail plans, these classic high-performance vessels combined beauty with breathtaking speed, and are still revered as floating works of art.

There is also a more direct, personal link between the marque and the maritime world. Long before he met Henry Royce, Charles Rolls' family owned the substantial but graceful Santa Maria - a 154ft (47m), 235 ton single screw schooner, powered by a twin cylinder 80HP steam engine, typical of fashionable late Victorian and early Edwardian nautical society. After graduating from Cambridge in 1898, the youthful Rolls briefly served as her Third Engineer in what was one of his earliest engineering roles, before fulfilling his true vocation as a pioneer of both motoring and aviation.

Logbooks and records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show Santa Maria taking the family on frequent cruises from Shoreham, less than 30 miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce, on the south coast of England to the Mediterranean, where her ports of call included Naples, Malta, Algiers and Côte d'Azur. The latter – still a favoured destination and home port for many Rolls-Royce clients who are also yacht owners – provides the creative focal point for Cullinan Yachting.

• Roman well constructed from recycled timbers unearthed during Rolls-Royce archaeological dig
• Discovery made during detailed investigations on new Rolls-Royce extension site at Goodwood
• Comparable with evidence of Roman material reuse previously identified in York, Carlisle and London
• Adds to the long record of human habitation in the local area, dating back more than 6,000 years

 
“Working with the experts from Oxford Archaeology to uncover the history of our Goodwood-based site has been both fascinating and illuminating. It has long been understood that the Romans reused and recycled materials; discovering direct physical evidence on the site of our landmark new extension has been enormously exciting. The well timbers uncovered on our extension site demonstrate that recycling was a standard part of Roman construction practice, even beyond large urban centres like London and York. Finds like this remind us that recycling is not a modern invention – it is a legacy of the ancient past, and one we are proud to continue here at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

A rare example of Roman-era recycling was recently unearthed during archaeological investigations on the site of the landmark new extension to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Experts from Oxford Archaeology, one of Europe’s largest and longest-established independent archaeology and heritage practices, discovered the remains of a Roman well during the closing stages of a six-month investigation, following earlier geophysical surveying and exploratory trenching. The well would have stood seven tiers high and was constructed from 28 timbers. The team identified evidence that eight timbers had previously been used as they displayed mortices, tenons and chamfered edges. These woodworking features suggest they were formerly used in buildings, most likely as sill beams and posts, before being reshaped to build the lining of the well. Comparable examples of recycled timbers have been recorded at other major Roman settlements, including York, Carlisle and London.

The timbers found at the Home of Rolls-Royce extension site originated from the base of the well and would have been permanently waterlogged; the timber bracing would have extended to ground level. The timbers are now being sampled for dendrochronological dating, which involves counting the rings to help determine the year in which the trees were felled. Further analysis should reveal the kinds of tools used to work the timbers; it may even be possible to reconstruct the forms of the trees from which the timbers were cut, providing insight into how woodlands were being managed and felled in the locality. 

The Home of Rolls-Royce lies on the outskirts of Chichester, which from the mid 1st century when the Romans established the settlement was known as Noviomagus Reginorum until the end of their rule in Britain in the early 5th century; ‘Noviomagus’ widely thought to mean ‘new market’ in Latin and ‘Reginorum’ referring to the Regni, the local Celtic tribe allied with Rome. In addition to the well, the dig has revealed evidence of human activity dating back to the Neolithic period (4000-2200 BCE), including tools and pottery.

The artefacts are currently undergoing further study and cataloguing to develop a more detailed understanding of life in the local area over the past six millennia. One early hypothesis is that the site was once used for metal-working activities. If confirmed, this would suggest that Rolls-Royce is continuing a long, but often overlooked, tradition in this part of southern England.

Throughout the process of preparing its planning application, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been committed to transparency and positive engagement with the local community. In this spirit, the artefacts were displayed at a Neighbours Information Evening and will eventually be given to Chichester’s Novium Museum situated less than three miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce, allowing the local community to gain new and fascinating insights into the place they and Rolls-Royce call home.

• Rolls-Royce introduces the Coachbuild Collection: a new proposition in super-luxury
• Unites a coachbuilt motor car with a multi-year journey of unforgettable experiences
• A Coachbuild Collection is a limited number production motor car, conceived and authored by Rolls-Royce, never to be repeated
• Entry by invitation only via the marque’s global Private Office network, offered to clients with a deep affinity for Rolls-Royce design
• Offers extraordinary access to the motor car’s creative and engineering development
• Private events hosted for clients in the world’s most desirable destinations

“I have had the privilege of meeting clients around the world who seek the very pinnacle in luxury and share an extraordinary passion for Rolls-Royce design. It became clear that they wished to see not only what Rolls-Royce would create if left entirely to its own imagination and with the freedom offered by coachbuilding, but they also wanted to witness that journey at every stage. Coachbuild Collection is the result. This is something the super-luxury world has never seen before. The experience of this programme is inseparable from the motor car itself, and both will be brought to life with the care and ambition worthy of the collectors who inspired them – and of Rolls-Royce itself.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In response to global client demand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announces the Coachbuild Collection: an entirely new proposition in super-luxury, in which a true coachbuilt motor car and an extraordinary multi-year programme of experiences are conceived as one. Each Coachbuild Collection is rare and extravagant, authored entirely by Rolls-Royce and created on a completely new canvas, never to be repeated. Clients with a special affinity for the marque are invited to participate in the programme through the global Rolls-Royce Private Office network.


AN UNPRECEDENTED COACHBUILDING LEGACY

Coachbuilding has been central to Rolls-Royce since the marque was founded. In the earliest years, a rolling chassis was delivered to specialist coachbuilders, who would design and construct a body of almost any form to the client’s precise requirements – similar to commissioning a suit on Savile Row or a dress from a Paris couturier. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce introduced one critical constraint: fixed proportions around the radiator ensured every motor car remained unmistakably a Rolls-Royce. That discipline endures today, enabling creative freedom while preserving an identity more than 120 years in the making.

THE WORLD'S MOST DESIGN-LITERATE COLLECTORS

The announcement of landmark coachbuilt motor cars in the Goodwood era – Sweptail in 2017, Boat Tail in 2021, Droptail in 2023 – deepened the affinity that the world’s most influential collectors had long held for Rolls-Royce design. For a significant and growing number among them, admiration evolved into something more.

What distinguished this group was the nature of their ambition. They were not seeking to direct the design process themselves. Instead, they were fascinated by the idea of entrusting Rolls-Royce to create something entirely of its own – to see what would emerge when the marque expressed its design principles with the total freedom of coachbuilding. This dialogue, sustained over years and geographies, became the foundation of the Coachbuild Collection.


THE COACHBUILD COLLECTION PROGRAMME

A Coachbuild Collection begins with a true coachbuilt motor car: a wholly unique body style formed, built and handcrafted by Rolls-Royce’s Coachbuild department. These motor cars will be fully homologated, road-legal, and created to be driven. Each Coachbuild Collection will be strictly limited in number and will never be repeated. Those clients known to have a special affinity for the Rolls-Royce brand, and who the marque believes would be fascinated to be part of such a remarkable project, are invited to participate in the programme through the marque’s global Private Office network: unique, creative and social spaces, located in Dubai, Seoul, Shanghai, New York, and at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood.

Rolls-Royce recognised that the collectors drawn to this proposition are equally collectors of singular experiences, and conceived a programme of equal ambition to reflect this. For the first Coachbuild Collection, clients will be granted exclusive access to closed testing facilities, witnessing the motor car’s development across performance and climate extremes. They will travel to locations chosen for their deep connection to this motor car’s story. They will be granted rare access to the innermost design studios within Rolls-Royce. They will be welcomed into the ateliers of master craftspeople from adjacent worlds within super-luxury, whose dedication to perfection mirrors that of Rolls-Royce itself. Clients will also gather in the world’s most desirable destinations for remarkable, curated private events at which the designers behind each Coachbuild Collection will share the inspirations and convictions that shaped it.


THE FIRST COACHBUILD COLLECTION

The design and engineering treatment of a Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Collection – as well as the number of motor cars produced, the features within them, and the experiences that participation unlocks – is not fixed and will be curated to serve the singular vision of each Collection.

The first Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Collection will be a fully electric motor car, reflecting the passion that so many clients have for a fully electric Rolls-Royce. Many of the collectors who inspired the Coachbuild Collections programme are existing Spectre owners who celebrate how its electric powertrain elevates the Rolls-Royce experience. For these individuals, the question of how the first Coachbuild Collection should be powered had only one answer. That so many of the world’s most exacting collectors responded this way is the most authentic measure of what Rolls-Royce has achieved with electrification.

The inaugural Coachbuild Collection represents a deeply considered first statement – one shaped as much by the convictions of its collectors as by the marque itself. Further details will be announced in April 2026.

• Landmark Rolls-Royce extension project at Goodwood adds £3.1 million to the local economy in first year of build
• Figures set out in new Social, Local, Economic Value (SLEV) report
• Up to 700 people across more than 50 trades working on site each day
• Over 100 local supply chain jobs created
• Project generates more than £500,000 in new business for local hotels in first year
• New building remains on schedule to be fully operational by 2029

 
“The new extension at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood is a once-in-a-generation project that will enable us to build ever more extraordinary motor cars for our clients worldwide, safeguarding our business’s future and its immense contribution to the UK economy for decades to come. This new Social, Local, Economic Value report reveals that the presence of up to 700 tradespeople on site has brought new business worth over £3 million in the last year alone, directly into Chichester and the local area; we expect strong levels of local spending to continue for the duration of the build. Throughout the project, we have worked closely with our neighbours, Westhampnett Parish Council and local councillors, and we remain grateful for their continued support.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


The landmark extension project currently under construction at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood has already added more than £3 million directly into the local economy, according to research.

The new Social, Local, Economic Value (SLEV) report, compiled by the project’s main contractor, TSL, shows that spending with local businesses involved in the supply chain totalled just over £3.1 million in 2025.

Local hotels have seen new business worth more than £500,000, with some now booked for weeks or even months in advance at a time.

The project has supported the creation of high-value roles, with 115 people recruited by local firms across the supply chain.

The SLEV report is the result of months of meticulous data-gathering and analysis by the project’s main contractor, TSL, which routinely conducts such studies on schemes of this magnitude, complexity and importance. It is the second major examination of Rolls-Royce’s contribution to the local economy, building on the foundational Economic Impact Report produced by the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2023. That study, the first of its kind in the company’s history, demonstrated that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars adds more than £500 million to the UK economy annually, with almost 20% generated locally in Chichester, West Sussex and surrounding areas.

The extension’s new building, which represents a total investment of over £300 million, has reached a significant milestone and is now fully weathertight, with the fit-out of Rolls-Royce’s specialist technologies already underway. Among their most significant tasks is installing a new Surface Finish Centre (paint shop) together with creating dedicated areas for Bespoke and Coachbuild commissions. The extension is on schedule to be fully operational in 2029.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars creates unique artwork in support of local charity Aldingbourne Trust
• Digital rendering created by Rolls-Royce designer inspired by a wooden model motor car made by the Wood@Aldingbourne team
• Strictly limited run of three framed prints, all individually signed and numbered
• One will adorn the Trust’s café and one will be retained by the Wood@Aldingbourne team. The third will be raffled at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in April
• Project extends support for the marque’s 2024 House Charity

 
“It was a privilege to work with Aldingbourne Trust as our House Charity in 2024. When we presented the final donation cheque, we received an unexpected gift – a model car made in Sapele wood by the Wood@Aldingbourne team. This delightful model inspired one of our designers to create a unique digital rendering, just as we would for a real client commission. We’re delighted that this artwork will be displayed in the Trust’s café and will also be offered as a significant prize in a fundraising raffle. It’s a pleasure to extend our support for this wonderful organisation beyond 2024.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has presented Aldingbourne Trust, the marque’s House Charity in 2024, with a set of unique framed artworks produced by the Rolls-Royce design team and inspired by a handcrafted model created by the Wood@Aldingbourne team.

When Rolls-Royce presented the final donation cheque to the Trust at the end of 2024, it received an unexpected thank-you gift: a wooden model motor car made by the Wood@Aldingbourne team. Dubbed the ‘Sapele Shadow’ after the hardwood used in its construction and now displayed at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, the model inspired one of the marque’s designers to create a unique digital image using the same rendering technology used to prepare initial visuals for clients’ real-life commissions.

Just three copies of the renderings have been produced, each framed and individually signed by the designer and numbered to guarantee their authenticity. One will be displayed in the Aldingbourne Trust café; another has been presented to the Wood@Aldingbourne team; the third will be offered in a charity raffle at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in April.

Wood@Aldingbourne is a social enterprise operating under the wider Aldingbourne Trust umbrella as a financially self-sustaining environmental group. It generates income through a wood collection service, wood and product sales and architectural salvage from local sources, including the Home of Rolls-Royce. Every piece of reclaimed wood is used productively, either transformed into unique wooden products sold in the Trust gift shop, or in its biomass boiler system.

Founded in 1978, Aldingbourne Trust provides a range of services for more than 1,500 people with learning disabilities, including autism, autism spectrum disorders and Down's syndrome, as well as those living with physical disabilities. The charity operates more than a dozen social enterprises, including Wood@Aldingbourne, as part of its entrepreneurial approach to provide opportunities, supported living and outreach. It delivers many of its work, training and other support activities through the Aldingbourne Country Centre, a popular visitor attraction and conference venue just 10 minutes’ drive from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

During 2024, Rolls-Royce colleagues raised money to help fund the charity’s life-changing work. This latest project is an example of the deep, lasting relationships that grow between colleagues and their chosen House Charity and how their support can extend beyond the initial period.

Abigail Rowe, Aldingbourne Trust, said: “We were so appreciative of the fundraising efforts by Rolls-Royce staff, and the tremendous awareness we were able to generate through being their House Charity. It’s wonderful that the relationship has continued through this collaboration, which meant so much to the client who created the original wooden model, and will help raise further money for us. We’d like to thank the whole Rolls-Royce team, and particularly the talented designer who created these images for us.”

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks 10 years of Black Badge following its debut in 2016
• Black Badge set a bold template for modern super-luxury that echoes across the sector
• 1928 20 H.P. with black grille and Spirit of Ecstasy archived as early aesthetic precedent for Black Badge
• The spirit and attitude of Black Badge trace back to John Lennon’s all-black 1964 Phantom V
• The current Black Badge portfolio includes Black Badge Spectre, Black Badge Ghost and Black Badge Cullinan
• Black Badge has inspired Bespoke commissions across gaming, sneakers and street art

“From the outset, Black Badge was created to welcome a new generation of clients into Rolls-Royce: individuals who express their success unapologetically and with conviction. By serving them with the care and precision that defines the wider Rolls-Royce experience, we have made the marque relevant to many clients who may never have previously considered it. This has supported the measured and sustained growth of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars over the ten years since Black Badge was introduced. Proof of its success is also evident beyond our own performance: Black Badge has established an aesthetic and experiential template that echoes throughout the luxury sector. I am excited to drive the further evolution of Black Badge in the years ahead.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

From the very beginning, Rolls-Royce has been defined not only by elegance, craftsmanship and superlative engineering, but by individualism, rebellion and a willingness to defy convention. This spirit was embodied by the marque’s founders themselves. Although their backgrounds could scarcely have been more different, both Sir Henry Royce and The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls rejected the limitations of their circumstances in pursuit of greatness.

Henry Royce overcame poverty, illness and a lack of formal education to become one of the world’s great engineers, creating what the media describes as ‘the best car in the world’, and ultimately being knighted for his achievements. Charles Rolls, born an aristocrat and educated at Cambridge University, could have lived a life of privilege. Instead, he chose the danger and discipline of early motor racing and aviation, becoming a pioneer in both. Today, both men would be described as disruptors: visionaries who shaped the world by daring to do things differently.

That same spirit of self-expression and creative defiance has echoed through Rolls-Royce’s history ever since. It found its most contemporary and powerful expression in Black Badge, the marque’s alter ego.


EARLY PRECEDENT: 1928 ROLLS-ROYCE 20 H.P. BREWSTER BROUGHAM

During the ongoing digitisation of the Rolls-Royce archives, marque historians formally documented a motor car whose daring specification anticipated the Black Badge aesthetic by almost a century.

In 1928, a Rolls-Royce 20 H.P. Brewster Brougham was delivered with a striking and highly unusual addition: its Spirit of Ecstasy and radiator grille were finished in black rather than the traditional bright metal. This treatment would have been exceptional at a time when polished chromium symbolised modernity and prestige. Yet this client chose a darker, more assertive expression, anticipating by almost a century the codes that would later define Black Badge.

The motor car was commissioned by J. E. Aldred, a founding financier of Rolls-Royce of America, Inc. Configured for his use in New York during the late 1920s, it reflected the tastes of a new, cosmopolitan generation who expressed their success through bold, progressive design. That sensibility extended beyond the motor car: Aldred later commissioned the landmark Aldred Building in Montreal, a striking Art Deco tower defined by geometric forms and rich, dramatic interiors. His decision to specify a black Spirit of Ecstasy and radiator grille was entirely consistent with this confident, urban aesthetic, which continues to shape Black Badge commissions today.


THE FIRST TRUE EXPRESSION: 1964 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM V

While earlier motor cars anticipated elements of this darker aesthetic, the spirit of Black Badge can be traced to a single, remarkable motor car. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, galvanising their status as the most famous band on Earth. That December, John Lennon ordered a new Rolls-Royce Phantom V from R. S. Mead of Maidenhead. He specified that it should be black everywhere, inside and out, including all the brightwork normally finished in chromium or stainless steel. Built by coachbuilders Mulliner Park Ward, his Phantom V was delivered in deep black gloss, including its bumpers and wheel discs. Only the Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy remained in chrome.

The motor car also featured darkened, reflective Triplex Deeplight glass in the rear doors, quarterlights, backlite and division. Lennon explained why in a 1965 interview with Rolling Stone: “It’s for when you’re coming home late. If it’s daylight when you’re coming home, it’s still dark inside the car. You just shut all the windows, and you’re still in the club.”

Inside, the rear suite was trimmed in black Bedford cord cloth with black nylon rugs, while the front featured black leather. It carried electric aerials for a radio and a Perdio Portarma television, along with seven pieces of black fitted luggage. Reports of a record player, fridge, telephone and even a pull-out bed persist, though these may have been later additions.

This motor car, uncompromising in its subversive intent and unapologetically unique, is now regarded as the spiritual progenitor of Black Badge.


A NEW GENERATION

It would take more than half a century and a technological revolution for this aesthetic to re-emerge as the defining expression of rebellion in luxury. In the early 2010s, a new generation of entrepreneurs began approaching Rolls-Royce. They had built their success at a young age, frequently leveraging new technologies and platforms to completely reshape industries. They projected their influence unapologetically, demanding exquisitely crafted products and uncompromising experiences, but with a dynamic edge and a defiant attitude that reflected their lives, their ambitions and their daring. Their taste defined new codes of luxury: darker in aesthetic, more assertive in character and bolder in design.

As the world’s pre-eminent super-luxury brand, they were naturally drawn to Rolls-Royce, and celebrated the marque’s effortlessly powerful V12 powertrain, commanding design and peerless material palette. Yet, they requested a more disruptive treatment that reflected the personal worlds they were creating: dramatic, expressive and modern.


THE FORMIDABLE ALTER EGO

Crafting an officially sanctioned response to this group was the subject of careful internal debate. It would require the marque to create a dedicated space within the brand for a more daring expression of Rolls-Royce, one that could coexist with its contemporary, classically inspired and globally celebrated identity. The result was Black Badge.

Black Badge motor cars introduced vivid new colours and technical materials, matched by a more powerful, agile and sonorous dynamic character, tailored to self-drivers who wanted to wield the power of a Rolls-Royce themselves, rather than be chauffeured. To signal their commitment to this disruptive group, designers cloaked the marque’s most precious assets – the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, Pantheon grille and double-R ‘Badge of Honour’ – in black.

Black Badge motor cars were also given a symbol of their own: the mathematical symbol for infinity, marking the birth of a distinct universe within Rolls-Royce. It evokes the seemingly endless surge of power delivered by Black Badge-tuned V12 engines and honours Sir Malcolm Campbell, who piloted the Rolls-Royce-powered Blue Bird K3 hydroplane to a record-breaking 130 mph in the 1930s, carrying the same emblem, and expressing the same audacious spirit.


ENGINEERED DARKNESS

Rolls-Royce designers wished to present this bold new expression of the brand to the world in a signature treatment: one of the motor car industry’s darkest blacks. To create it, 45 kg (100 lbs) of paint was atomised and applied to an electrostatically charged body-in-white before being oven-dried. The motor car then received two layers of clear coat before being hand-polished by four craftspeople to produce the marque’s signature high-gloss piano finish.

At between three and five hours in duration, this operation was entirely unknown in series production, creating a unique and peerless intensity. This depth of darkness also provided the perfect canvas for a bright, high-contrast, hand-painted Coachline.

To match the dramatic coachwork, the marque’s Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople collaborated to develop a process that allows Rolls-Royce hallmarks such as the highly-polished Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon grille to be presented in black. Instead of painting these icons, a specific chrome electrolyte was introduced to the traditional chrome plating process that is co-deposited on the stainless-steel substrate, darkening the finish. Its final thickness is just one micrometre – around one hundredth of the width of a human hair. Each of these components was precision-polished by hand to achieve a mirror-black chrome finish before it was fitted to the motor car.

Specially designed Black Badge wheels enhanced the stance and presence of the motor car, signalling a more intense dynamic character. This was enabled through a Bespoke engine tuning that increased the power and torque output from the marque’s signature powertrain. Unique transmission and throttle calibrations to better exploit this increased potency were introduced, the chassis was lowered, reinforced and subtly stiffened, and a distinctive exhaust system that announced Black Badge’s arrival was fitted.

All V12 Rolls-Royce motor cars are equipped with a discreet ‘Low’ button on the gear selector stalk, allowing the driver to hold lower gears when required. In Black Badge motor cars, this existing control was recalibrated to access an additional reserve of power, reflecting the subtle and considered manner in which Rolls-Royce engineers approached this more urgent treatment.

Inside, new materials were developed that reflected Black Badge motor cars’ enhanced dynamism, drawing on technical palettes from the world of aerospace. Rolls-Royce artisans explored surfaces including carbon fibre through an entirely new lens, celebrating its intricate weave as a source of beauty rather than function. It was interlaced with fine threads of aluminium just 0.014 mm in diameter, then finished with six coats of lacquer, cured for 72 hours and hand-polished to a deep lustre.

Mirror-finished metal surfaces were also darkened in line with the Black Badge aesthetic. Interior brightwork, including the marque’s distinctive ‘eyeball’ air vents and Bespoke Audio speaker frets, was treated using a technique called Physical Vapour Deposition, one of the few metal-colouring processes that ensures parts will not discolour or tarnish over time, or with repeated use.

When clients experienced the motor cars for the first time, their response was emphatic: Rolls-Royce had perfectly captured the spirit these individuals wished to project by applying its uncompromising approach to craft to a bold new aesthetic philosophy.


THE BLACK BADGE CANON

The Black Badge legend was established in 2016 with the debut of Black Badge Wraith and Black Badge Ghost at the Geneva Motor Show. The dynamic intent of Black Badge was confirmed almost immediately. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed that same year, a Black Badge Wraith was driven up the rain-soaked hill by racing driver Justin Law and recorded one of the fastest timed runs ever achieved by a Rolls-Royce motor car, placing it among the five quickest road cars of the weekend. In doing so, it outpaced several purpose-built mid-engined sports cars, demonstrating that Black Badge delivered not only visual intensity but genuine dynamic substance.

Black Badge Ghost and Black Badge Wraith were followed by Black Badge Dawn in 2017 and Black Badge Cullinan in 2019. While Black Badge motor cars were often presented in a signature dark treatment, many clients drawn to the marque’s alter ego chose to express it in vividly individual ways. They commissioned notably vibrant exterior hues, either selecting from Rolls-Royce’s prêt-à-porter palette of more than 44,000 colours or creating entirely new Bespoke finishes of their own. Inspirations included a vivid lime green recalling the Australian green tree frog, a luminous red inspired by the blossoms of the ‘Ōhi‘a lehua, and a deep, iridescent purple drawn from the exotic butterfly Rhetus periander.

As the Black Badge universe grew, so too did the experiences that surrounded it. Black Badge ownership came to encompass gatherings and moments that echoed the bold, disruptive spirit of the motor cars themselves, from private night-time driving experiences on closed airport runways and immersive takeovers of underground music venues to highly choreographed handovers staged in dramatic industrial settings.

This culminated in the launch of Black Badge Spectre, with a highly exclusive fleet of clandestine motor cars. Following the launch of Spectre, clients made clear that they were eagerly anticipating its Black Badge counterpart. In response, Rolls-Royce granted a select group early access to these specially commissioned motor cars, ahead of the official reveal in 2025, on the strict condition that their ownership would remain secret – an unprecedented gesture that reflected both the confidence of the marque and the discreet, rebellious spirit of these clients. Their unequivocally positive response to Black Badge Spectre, and the motor car’s daring treatment that had been developed in their image, provided strong validation of the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history.


A DECADE OF INFLUENCE

In the decade since it was created, the disruptive clients for whom Black Badge was conceived have embraced Bespoke with the same conviction that first drew them to Rolls-Royce. They have worked directly with the marque’s designers, engineers and artisans to translate their own unique codes of collecting and connoisseurship into Black Badge motor cars, creating commissions that draw on influences far beyond the traditional luxury canon. These range from vintage video-game culture and collectable sneakers to graffiti art, land-speed records, influential nightclubs, and even the digital economy.

Notable examples of these landmark private collections and private commissions include Black Badge Adamas (2018); Black Badge ‘Neon Nights’ paint trilogy (2020); Black Badge Landspeed (2021); Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow (2023); Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ (2023); Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis (2023); and Black Badge Ghost Gamer (2025). This spirit has also extended into the marque’s collectables, with the Cameo desktop sculpture and Rolls-Royce luggage now available in the same subversive treatment.

As Black Badge enters its second decade, the template it has set echoes across the super-luxury sector. Demand continues to grow for ever more expressive interpretations of Black Badge around the world. Rolls-Royce will respond with an expanding portfolio that further intensifies the Black Badge experience for those who continue to shape luxury on their own terms.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects on its inaugural participation at the Oberoi Concours d’Elegance
• The marque celebrated its historic and enduring bond with India, and reinforced the marque’s commitment to the Indian market
• Black Badge Spectre showcased as a compelling bridge between the marque’s storied past and its future, reinforcing its place as a Goodwood-era collector canon

“India occupies a unique and highly meaningful place in the story of Rolls-Royce, past, present and future. We see a new generation of clients who bear a deep-seated appreciation for Bespoke craftsmanship and the depth of our heritage in equal measure. Oberoi Concours d’Elegance is an event that mirrors our own values of excellence and rarity, and it is a profound pleasure to engage with the Indian classic car community and meet so many enthusiasts and owners who continue to preserve the legacy of our motor cars. Their passion ensures that the spirit of Rolls-Royce remains as vibrant today as it was a century ago.”
Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects with satisfaction on its inaugural participation at the Oberoi Concours d’Elegance, recently held at The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur. This debut marked a significant moment in the marque’s history in India, a region that has been intrinsically linked with the spirit of Rolls-Royce for over a century.

Held for the second time, Oberoi Concours d’Elegance brought together some of the world’s rarest and historically important automobiles and motorcycles, many owned by Indian royalty and private collectors and preserved over generations. The event’s close affinity with Rolls‑Royce was reflected in a dedicated ‘Pre-War Classics – Rolls Royce’ class, a period which not only celebrated the marque’s historic presence in India but also underscored the country’s unique role in shaping Rolls-Royce’s legacy.

Set against the ethereal backdrop of Lake Pichola, the Rolls-Royce lounge on the sprawling garden lawns of The Oberoi Udaivilas served as a meeting point for brand enthusiasts and some of the world’s most discerning collectors, celebrating the pinnacle of automotive excellence in one of the region’s most breathtaking settings.

In a compelling bridge between the marque’s storied past and its next chapter of timeless luxury, Rolls-Royce displayed Black Badge Spectre at the event. Spectre fulfils a prophecy made by Charles Rolls in 1900, who predicted that the electric car would be “perfectly noiseless and clean”. As the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé, Spectre is increasingly recognised by clients and collectors alike as a motor car of lasting significance.

Spectre’s status as a future classic is also underpinned by exceptional engineering. Conceived with the same commitment to longevity and resilience as every Rolls-Royce, it delivers what many have regarded as the perfect execution of an electric powertrain.

Rolls-Royce’s presence at the Oberoi Concours d’Elegance reflected the growing importance of India within the marque’s global strategy, both as a historic heartland and as a dynamic, forward-looking luxury market. The country emerged as the highest growth market in the Asia-Pacific in 2025, achieving double-digit growth for four years consecutively. As Rolls‑Royce continues to evolve – marrying timeless craftsmanship with technological progress – the company remains dedicated to meaningful engagement with markets and communities that value permanence, provenance and Bespoke expression.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates landmark moment as new extension building declared weathertight
• Occasion marked by CEO and Board of Directors signing final wooden exterior louvre panel
• Initial fit-out by Technologies already underway within the building
• Some areas and equipment will be operational this year; project remains on schedule for completion in 2029
• 40,000 m² facility will provide increased capacity for Bespoke and Coachbuild operations

 
“This moment marks the point at which our new extension building becomes fully weathertight, meaning our specialist Technologies can begin the complex, exacting process of fitting-out, in readiness for full operation in 2029. It’s a really pivotal point in the project – a project that upholds the standards and vision of our founder, Sir Henry Royce, and his famous injunction to strive for perfection in everything we do. The Directors and I have also been inspired by his practice of personally inspecting and signing off each new component, giving them his own ‘seal of approval’. Having previously signed off the final element of the structural steelwork, we wanted to do the same for the last of the wooden louvres that now clad its exterior. It’s enormously exciting to see the work progressing with such pace and precision. To have that sense of personal connection with such a significant project through these signing ceremonies is very special for all of us.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has completed a significant phase in the construction of its extension at Goodwood, with the new building now formally declared fully weathertight.

To mark the occasion, Chief Executive Chris Brownridge and the Board of Directors hand-signed the final one of 1,745 wooden louvres fitted to the side of the 40,000 m² building. The Directors had previously signed the final steel beam to be installed in the building’s internal structure, before it was lifted into place at the structure’s highest point in a similar ceremony last year.

The louvres, each measuring 100 cm x 58 cm, are made from red cedar – the same material used to clad the original building it now adjoins. Red cedar has been selected for its longevity and the way it gently weathers over time to a soft silver-grey colour, blending sympathetically into the surroundings. The building’s front elevation is also clad in red cedar panelling.

With the new building now fully weather-tight, work can commence on the fit-out by Rolls-Royce’s specialist Technologies. One of the most significant projects is the new Surface Finish Centre, or paint shop; other departments will be busy with installing new equipment and creating dedicated areas for Bespoke and Coachbuild commissions.

At £300m+, the extension represents the largest single investment in the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since it opened in 2003. It will further strengthen Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars’ contribution to the UK economy, which currently stands at over £500m annually.

• First-ever laser-engraved Rolls-Royce bonnet: a technique five years in the making
• One-of-one commission by Private Office Dubai honours Middle East’s cultural legacy
• Inspired by mashrabiya latticework, a feature of traditional Arabian architecture
• Gallery marquetry artwork mirrors geometric mashrabiya patterns
• Mashrabiya design recurs as hand-painted, embroidered and illuminated motifs

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continuously seeks to extend the vocabulary of contemporary craft, developing new techniques and materials to interpret time-honoured forms that resonate across generations and cultures. Phantom Arabesque speaks to that ambition, exploring Middle Eastern architectural heritage through a newly patented laser-engraving technique, developed at the Home of Rolls-Royce. 

Curated by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office Dubai, one of five invitation-only commissioning hubs in key global luxury destinations around the world, this one-of-one Phantom Extended celebrates the forms and geometry of traditional mashrabiya latticework – a defining feature of traditional houses, palaces and courtyards throughout the Middle East. The mashrabiya pattern is reinterpreted in various ways: as the first laser-engraved bonnet ever created for a Rolls-Royce, as an intricate Blackwood and Bolivar marquetry Gallery artwork, and as a suite of Bespoke motifs subtly placed throughout the motor car.


ARCHITECTURAL INSPIRATION

In an architectural setting, mashrabiya is built using intricately carved wooden screens that create privacy, allowing those inside to look out without being seen. The latticework also encourages airflow, providing natural cooling for the building’s interior. Decorative, functional and perfectly attuned to the region’s climate, these geometric forms are a hallmark of regional craftsmanship and architectural identity.

“Mashrabiya is one of the Middle East’s best-known and most enduring design languages. For Phantom Arabesque, we were inspired not only by its beauty but also by the privacy, light and airflow it creates. Our aim was to interpret these qualities in ways that feel both culturally rooted and unmistakably Rolls-Royce.”
Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer, Private Office Dubai

 
LASER ENGRAVING: A NEW CRAFT FORM BY ROLLS-ROYCE

Phantom Arabesque is the first Rolls-Royce in history to be graced with a fully laser-engraved bonnet. This newly patented technique is the result of a five-year development programme led by the marque’s Exterior Surface Centre. It draws inspiration from the Italian sgraffito technique – the artistic practice of revealing contrasting layers of colour by precisely removing upper surfaces. Five years of experimentation, testing and calibration were required to perfect a process capable of delivering the depth, clarity and consistency demanded by Rolls-Royce artisans.

To achieve the effect, the bonnet is first painted in a darker colour, then sealed beneath multiple layers of clear coat before a lighter top layer is applied. The geometric mashrabiya pattern is then engraved to a depth of just 145–190 microns into the uppermost surface, revealing the darker tone beneath. The result is a richly textured, three-dimensional surface that catches the light and invites exploration: a pattern intended to be discovered by both the eye and the hand.

Each of the engraved areas is meticulously hand-sanded to ensure an even, sculptural finish. By integrating the pattern within the paint itself rather than applying it on top, this method achieves an exceptional level of refinement and durability, while variations in laser velocity and intensity create subtle visual shifts as light moves across the surface. The project brought together the full expertise of the Exterior Surface Centre, with every team contributing to the development of this new craft form.

"Laser engraving allows us to create a surface that is both technically precise and visually alive. Developing this patented process required years of experimentation by the entire team. Phantom Arabesque is the first expression of a technique that opens entirely new creative possibilities for future clients.”
Tobias Sicheneder, General Manager, Exterior Surface Centre

Phantom Arabesque is presented in a Bespoke two-tone finish, with the main body in Diamond Black and the upper surfaces in contrasting Silver. The same colour is used for the single hand-painted Short Coachline, which is elevated with a mashrabiya motif. The exterior is further enhanced with an illuminated Pantheon grille, set within a Dark Chrome surround and complemented by an uplit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, as well as 22-inch part-polished alloy wheels.


INTERIOR: A STUDY IN COOL RESTRAINT

Phantom Arabesque’s interior centrepiece is presented within the Gallery, which runs the full width of the front fascia. An intricate Bespoke marquetry artwork crafted from Blackwood and Black Bolivar wood echoes the mashrabiya design cues and is subtly elevated with an offset clock presented in a complementary dark colourway. 

The interior suite is finished in serene Selby Grey and Black leathers with Black seat piping and carpets, elevated by contrasting Black mashrabiya motifs embroidered on the front and rear headrests. Mesmerising Starlight Doors are trimmed with Selby Grey piping and Black contrast stitching. Illuminated treadplates bearing a cross-section of the bonnet engraving motif complete this landmark commission.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Arabesque was delivered to the commissioning client from the Middle East, taking its prominent place within their collection. 

• Spectre consistently commissioned as a collector’s item by clients around the world
• Confirms Spectre’s place in the marque’s growing Goodwood-era collector canon
• Spectre engineered as a Rolls-Royce motor car to be preserved, admired and passed on
• Recent long-term multi-season testing results confirm exceptional battery longevity
• Recent prototype Spectre indicated 99% battery capacity after more than 100,000 kilometres
• Protected by 15-year, unlimited mileage battery warranty and secured future cell supply
• Spectre received a significant share of the most valuable Bespoke commissions in 2025
• Several Goodwood-era Rolls-Royces now join revered classics as appreciating collectables

“Spectre has been created with the same legacy that defines every Rolls-Royce. As the first of its kind, it marks a distinct moment in our history. Our clients understand this intuitively and commission Spectre as a Rolls-Royce to be admired and passed down for generations. This was reflected in its reception: Spectre was our most successful coupé launch to date.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Spectre is increasingly recognised by clients and collectors as a motor car of lasting significance. Commissioned with the same permanence that defines every Rolls-Royce, Spectre and its Black Badge alter ego have rapidly established their place within the marque’s emerging Goodwood-era collector canon.

Spectre’s status as a future classic was evident from the outset. In its first full year of availability, it outperformed both Wraith and Dawn in their debut years – clear evidence that clients are embracing Spectre as an authentic and desirable expression of the marque’s legacy. Many collectors with established Goodwood-era portfolios now regard Spectre as an essential addition, confirmed by its global popularity: it was the second most demanded Rolls-Royce motor car worldwide in 2025.

2025 also marked the debut of a number of highly Bespoke Spectres, signalling that many are choosing to commission Spectre as a long-term emotional asset, rather than a short-term acquisition. These include Spectre Bailey, a joyful and deeply personal tribute to a client’s beloved dog; and Spectre Soulmate, commissioned to honour the shared journey of a couple whose lives have long intersected with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Each commission demonstrates the emotional depth and creative range through which clients around the world are embracing Spectre.

Spectre’s design supports this shift in perception. Its monolithic form, elegant proportions and clean surfacing reflect a modern, yet timeless, interpretation of classic Rolls-Royce design principles. The dramatic split headlamps, reminiscent of Spectre’s spiritual predecessor, Phantom Coupé, and expressive Pantheon grille establish a powerful identity, while the sweeping fastback silhouette recalls the grace of historic Rolls-Royce coupés. Inside, features such as Starlight Doors and the Illuminated Fascia invite new forms of Bespoke expression, realised with the control and restraint expected of the marque.

Spectre fulfils a prophecy made more than 120 years ago – and proves the prescience of this vision. In 1900, The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls made a bold prediction: “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” With this conviction in mind, Spectre was always destined to become a defining motor car for Rolls-Royce collectors.

Spectre’s status as a future classic is also underpinned by exceptional engineering. Conceived with the same commitment to longevity and resilience as every Rolls-Royce, it delivers what many have regarded as the perfect execution of an electric powertrain. The marque’s confidence in and commitment to long-term performance is expressed with an unprecedented 15-year, unlimited mileage battery warranty, offered as standard to new and existing Spectres.

Following Spectre’s initial 2,500,000-kilometre testing programme – the most extensive engineering validation programme in Rolls-Royce history – prototype motor cars continue to be operated by the marque’s specialist engineering teams. One recently retired test Spectre indicated 99% battery capacity was remaining after 100,000 kilometres of real-world driving and charging across multiple climates and geographies. Regardless of the battery’s proven endurance, Rolls-Royce has confirmed supply of replacement batteries that extends well beyond the middle of this century, providing future support for every Spectre, as the marque’s clients would rightly expect.

Several early Goodwood-era Rolls-Royces – including Phantom Coupé – are now joining the ranks of revered classics. Spectre follows in this tradition, reflecting a generational shift among collectors towards highly Bespoke electric Rolls-Royces: an evolution the marque has noted with interest as it develops its future product road map.

A photographic series accompanies this release. Spectre is pictured beside a 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud coupé in one of London’s most desirable districts, reflecting its place at home in the most prestigious locations around the world, and in the company of other collector motor cars of lasting value.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai City Walk celebrates the opening of its new luxury showroom
• The new showroom brings Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ new global visual identity to life
• Dubai becomes the first city in the Middle East to host two Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showrooms
• Located in City Walk, the showroom sits at the heart of one of Dubai’s most prestigious open-air lifestyle and high-end retail destinations

“The opening of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai City Walk reflects our long-term commitment to markets that value individuality, craftsmanship, and personal expression at the very highest level. This showroom is a confident embodiment of our new visual identity and our evolution as a true House of Luxury, creating an environment where Bespoke is not simply offered, but thoughtfully experienced. Dubai continues to lead by example globally, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai City Walk represents an important step in how we bring our vision of modern luxury to life.”
James Crichton, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East & Africa

“We are incredibly proud to unveil the new Dubai City Walk showroom, a space that reflects the exceptional craft and personal attention that define Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Dubai has long been central to our success in the Middle East, and the opening of this second showroom marks a natural evolution in how we serve our clients. Designed around commissioning and personalisation, City Walk creates the ideal setting for deeply immersive Bespoke experiences, while reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global centre for luxury and craftsmanship.”
Mamdouh Khairallah, Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai


Passionate about providing its clients with personalised experiences, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai has officially opened the doors to its new Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai City Walk showroom.

Honoured by the presence of the marque’s Chief Executive, Chris Brownridge, this opening marks a significant milestone for the marque in the Middle East, as Dubai becomes the first city in the region to host two Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showrooms. This milestone underscores the region’s enduring importance to the marque and reflects Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ continued commitment to delivering highly Bespoke client experiences across the Middle East, while reinforcing its position as a global leader in Bespoke commissions by value.

Located in the heart of City Walk, the showroom brings to life Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ highly contemporary visual identity, creating an immersive yet inviting environment designed to resonate with a younger, self-made and distinctly individual clientele. Thoughtfully conceived to complement the existing Sheikh Zayed Road location, the City Walk showroom offers an intimate and highly curated experience centred on personalisation and craftsmanship. While both showrooms continue to serve Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ discerning clientele, City Walk has been purposefully designed as a destination where Bespoke commissioning takes centre stage, providing the ideal setting for clients to explore, engage with, and embark on a deeply personal creative journey.

From the moment clients arrive, they are welcomed into a contemporary environment that delivers an immersive experience. A natural flow of space, enhanced by abundant sunlight and carefully framed architectural openness, leads guests through a sequence of environments designed for both social interaction and quiet reflection, including a speakeasy-style bar that encourages relaxed conversation and connection. Carefully considered materials, tactile finishes, and innovative digital technologies create a setting that encourages discovery, dialogue, and creativity – inviting guests to experience the timeless allure and innovation that defines Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

At the heart of the showroom resides its immersive creative sanctuary, the Bespoke Commissioning Atelier. Located on the upper level to ensure enhanced privacy, the atelier offers an elevated environment where clients can engage deeply with the full breadth of Rolls-Royce Bespoke possibilities – from leathers and wood veneers to embroidery threads, materials, and finishes. Enhancing the experience is a carefully curated Cabinet of Curiosities, showcasing objects, materials, and inspirations that further spark creative dialogue, while the atelier’s expansive layout allows for extended collaboration. Designed to foster collaboration, this private space empowers clients to bring their imaginations to life, crafting a motor car that is entirely personal and deeply meaningful.

Further reinforcing the marque’s position as a true House of Luxury, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai City Walk showroom stands as a clear statement of intent: a space designed not only to showcase extraordinary motor cars, but to inspire imagination, celebrate individuality, and deliver an exceptional Bespoke client experience.

• Rolls-Royce invites applications for its 2026 Apprenticeship programme
• Rolls-Royce’s Apprenticeship programme was launched 20 years ago in 2006
• Many former apprentices now hold senior positions at the Home of Rolls-Royce
• Application window for all roles will remain open until 28 February 2026
• Wide variety of practical training opportunities and nationally recognised qualifications available
• To find out more, visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/careers or email
  futuretalent@rolls-roycemotorcars.com

“The Apprentice programme is something we are immensely proud of at Rolls-Royce, and it remains one of the most respected future talent programmes in the country. Our Apprentice programme was first launched 20 years ago, and many former apprentices continue to work at the Home of Rolls-Royce today, many of whom are now in senior managerial positions. Our apprentices gain hands-on experience across a broad range of business areas, including project management, manufacturing and engineering. They are vital to the continued development of our business, alongside the other Future Talent programmes at the Home of Rolls-Royce, including our Internship and Graduate schemes. With qualifications available from Level 2 right up to Level 6, we offer Apprenticeships suited to a wide range of ambitions, and we look forward to receiving applications and meeting prospective candidates over the coming weeks.”
Matthias Treubel, Director of Human Resources, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is now inviting applications for its 2026 Apprenticeship Programme. The application window will remain open until 28 February for all roles; applications can be made online, with open roles available to view on the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars careers portal.

The Apprenticeship programme is a key facet of the Rolls-Royce Future Talent scheme, which also includes Internships and Graduate Placements, and is one of the most respected in the UK. It offers successful candidates outstanding development opportunities in departments and functions across the company, as well as nationally recognised qualifications through local further and higher education partners.

The Rolls-Royce Apprentice scheme was first launched in 2006; since then, more than 200 people have completed the programme, the majority of whom remain employed at the Home of Rolls-Royce today. Those who complete the programme have a clear progression plan, with many former Apprentices now holding senior management positions within the company.

Rolls-Royce is seeking applications from young people with a wide range of prior experience, interests and educational backgrounds. Most Apprenticeships will begin in August 2026, with opportunities available in specialisms and at levels including:

Level 2 – two years, equivalent to GCSE

• Interior Trim Centre
• Vehicle Production
• Industrial Sewing
• Interior Surface Centre, Wood

Level 3 – three to four years, equivalent to A-Level

• Exterior Surface Centre
• Vehicle Production
• Vehicle Paint Engineering & Maintenance
• Metrology

Level 6 – four years, equivalent to undergraduate degree level

• Vehicle Quality Management
• Production Maintenance
• Site Services
• Sales Operations & Planning
  
  

Rolls-Royce has a carefully considered selection process designed to provide equal opportunity to prospective candidates, ensuring the right candidate is placed in an appropriate role. The process begins with setting up a candidate profile and completing the online application form, followed by an online assessment testing verbal and numerical skills. Successful candidates will then be invited to a face-to-face assessment centre in April 2026, with all applicants receiving detailed feedback on their performance.

To be able to craft the best motor cars in the world, Rolls-Royce needs the very best people, who possess the skills, dedication and potential to shape its products, services, client experience and commercial success for years to come. This continued investment in the future is also reflected in the landmark £300m+ extension project currently being undertaken at the Home of Rolls-Royce, the largest investment in the marque’s Goodwood headquarters since it first opened in 2003. This is the next step in the company’s commitment to creating value for clients by handcrafting the most complex, personal and valuable luxury goods, while providing an unparalleled client experience.

• John Beckley takes up position as Regional Director for the United Kingdom, Europe and Central Asia
• Beckley assumed his new role from 1 January 2026 and is based at the Home of Rolls-Royce
• He brings nearly three decades of experience across BMW Group and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
• Beckley succeeds Boris Weletzky, who moves to a new position inside the BMW Group

   
“I am delighted to welcome John Beckley to his new role as Regional Director for the United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia – a significant and sizable geographical region which is extremely important to our business.

"John brings his extensive strategic and operational experience, having held several senior positions during his 20-year tenure within Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. His recent experiences, particularly within Sales and Bespoke, will ensure the continued momentum in these key markets underpinning the increasing requests for Bespoke Rolls-Royce. I wish John every success in his new role.

“John succeeds Boris Weletzky, whom I would like to thank for his contribution to Rolls-Royce’s success in the region and wish him well in his new senior role within the BMW Group.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced the appointment of John Beckley as Regional Director for the United Kingdom, Europe and Central Asia, effective 1 January 2026.

John brings deep strategic and operational experience across sales, Bespoke and brand leadership, built over almost 30 years within BMW Group and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. His appointment reflects the importance of a region that encompasses the marque’s home market and a diverse group of established and emerging luxury markets.

John began his career with the BMW Group in 1996 as an apprentice technician at a BMW dealership in the United Kingdom, progressing through the technical ranks, which saw him become one of the lead Field Product Engineers for BMW UK, later joining Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 2008 as an Aftersales Manager. Since then, he has successfully transitioned to the sales side of our business and has held a series of senior roles across the business, including Regional Head of Sales, Global Bespoke General Manager and most recently Global Sales Steering and Performance roles. He also played a central role in the highly successful launch of Cullinan, extending the Rolls-Royce portfolio to clients seeking a different expression of Rolls-Royce.

He succeeds Boris Weletzky, who moves within the BMW Group to take up a senior role in the Motorrad division in Munich. Prior to Rolls-Royce, Boris held various leadership positions within the BMW Group. During his four-year stewardship, the United Kingdom, Europe and Central Asia region experienced consistent growth and long-term value creation.

• Rolls-Royce clients’ passions and interests reflected in Bespoke trends of 2025
• Themes extend from personal legacy and cultural symbolism to contemporary collectables
• Reflects the success of Rolls-Royce Private Offices around the world: commissions from these creative hubs more than doubled year-on-year in 2025
• New materials and innovations in 2025: Three-dimensional ink layering, marquetry and embroidery, 24-carat gold leafing, polished concrete and hand-painted Starlight Headliner
• Most complex Bespoke Rolls-Royce Private Collection ever: Phantom Centenary
• Rolls-Royce Cullinan most requested model in 2025, followed by Rolls-Royce Spectre
• Significant year-on-year uplift in luxury lifestyle accessory commissions
• £300m+ site extension to accommodate increasing Bespoke and Coachbuild demand

“In 2025, Rolls-Royce Bespoke reached new creative and technical heights, extending far beyond traditional boundaries. This was a year defined by thematic richness, global collaboration and artistic evolution. The astonishing creative execution of these themes is enabled through the extraordinary talents found at the Home of Rolls-Royce, our Bespoke Collective and the expanding reach of our Private Office spaces around the world. Our clients’ increasing interest and engagement in more ambitious commissions are realised in our joint pursuit of perfection. Every motor car is a singular expression of its owner’s vision, and together they reflect the spirit of innovation, craft, and cultural fluency that defines Rolls-Royce today.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

2025 marked a defining year for Bespoke at Rolls-Royce, not only in terms of artistic output but in the evolution of craft, material expression, and the commissioning experience itself. It was also the first year of operation for the marque’s full suite of global Private Offices, located in Dubai, Seoul, Shanghai and New York, alongside the original Private Office at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. These unique, creative and social spaces enable clients to collaborate more deeply and imaginatively than ever before, resulting in more than double the number of Private Office commissions year-on-year. Many of these personal visions led to the introduction of entirely new techniques, materials and approaches during 2025.

Several disciplines entered new dimensions, conceptually and literally, as embroidery, marquetry and printing were reimagined in sculptural form. These included self-supporting thread structures for 3D embroideries, specially developed 3D ink layering techniques and complex 3D marquetry. New materials such as 24-carat gold leaf, polished concrete and a patented fragrance concept for the interior suite of a Rolls-Royce further expanded the marque’s repertoire. Innovations such as a fully hand-painted Starlight Headliner demonstrated how traditional techniques continue to evolve within Rolls-Royce.


THE MOST COMPLEX PRIVATE COLLECTION EVER

The many Bespoke innovations in 2025 reflect a defining mindset: the vision comes first, and Rolls-Royce will shape the technology and material landscapes to meet it.

A vivid representation of this philosophy is Phantom Centenary Private Collection, the result of three years of development and more than 40,000 collective hours of painstaking work. Created to honour 100 years of the Phantom nameplate, this landmark collection was strictly limited to 25 examples and represents the most technologically complex and creatively ambitious Private Collection motor car in Rolls-Royce history.

The motor car is finished in a Bespoke two-tone exterior paint. Recalling the elegance and glamour of Hollywood’s black and white era, the lower body is presented in Arctic White, with the upper body in Black. The motor car’s exquisite lustre comes from the specially developed Super Champagne Crystal finish: Rolls-Royce paint specialists infused the clear coat with champagne-coloured particles and doubled the quantity to create spellbinding depth, giving the exterior an extraordinary metallic shimmer. This timeless treatment is crowned with a solid gold Spirit of Ecstasy.

Inside, this Private Collection tells Phantom’s remarkable story through a series of exceptional Bespoke features. They include the Anthology Gallery, which uses 50 3D, hand-polished aluminium fins engraved with quotes from 100 years of press acclaim; rear seats upholstered in high-resolution printed fabric, developed with a couture atelier and embroidered with 160,000 stitches to depict the people, places and moments that shaped Phantom’s legend; a Starlight Headliner that captures highlights from Phantom’s history using more than 440,000 stitches; and the most intricate woodwork ever crafted for a Rolls-Royce, incorporating 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering and 24-carat gold leafing. An unforgettable motor car, 100 years in the making.


DISTINCTIVE CREATIVE THEMES

The Bespoke motor cars of 2025 reveal a series of distinct creative themes. Some draw on legacy and love, shaped by personal stories, family journeys and intergenerational connections. Others explore the natural world, or reinterpret art, architecture and cultural symbolism through a contemporary lens. Together, they represent the most compelling creative directions of the year and reflect an ongoing expansion of what it means to create a Rolls-Royce.

Below, Rolls-Royce presents the defining themes and innovations of Bespoke in the past 12 months, illustrated through a selection of the 5,664 motor cars created for clients around the world in 2025.


FAMILY, MEMORY AND LEGACY

From childhood letters and generational gifts to celestial tributes and love stories, many of 2025’s commissions reflect personal legacies and intimate milestones.

Spectre Soulmate

This deeply personal commission was created to honour a couple’s extraordinary shared journey. Born in the same hospital, they came together later in life and built significant success while raising a child. The motor car is finished with a hand-painted coachline selected by their daughter, adding generational significance to the design.

Bespoke details include a Starlight Headliner replicating the constellations over Kuala Lumpur on the day their story began – a date that is also subtly engraved into the air vents. This motor car also marks the realisation of an ambition held for 45 years – at the age of 10, the client exchanged letters with the marque’s then-Chief Executive, stating that one day they hoped to become a Rolls-Royce owner.

Spectre Bailey

Commissioned by long-standing Rolls-Royce clients in the United States, Spectre Bailey is a one-of-one tribute to a cherished family dog. Outside, the motor car is finished in a unique two-tone finish based on the Labrador-Golden Retriever mix’s soft colouring. The exterior is subtly embellished with a hand-painted paw print coachline motif.

Inside, an exquisite, true-to-life marquetry portrait of Bailey is placed in the Waterfall section between the rear seats. Comprising 180 pieces from nine natural veneer types, it captures the character and warmth of this beloved pet in stunning detail. The interior palette also mirrors Bailey’s soft fur, perfectly suiting a passenger of such distinguished pedigree.

Cullinan Cosmos

Commissioned by a family with a shared fascination for space and distant galaxies, Cullinan Cosmos celebrates the drama of the stars with a constellation of Bespoke details. Its centrepiece is Rolls-Royce’s first-ever fully hand-painted Starlight Headliner, created over 160 hours by an in-house artist using 20 layers of paint.

A Bespoke Star Cluster motif appears on the door panel and passenger fascia, and as an exterior coachline motif. The commission is resolved with an Illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy, which glows like a distant star by night.

Ghost Extended Foundation

Commissioned by the owner of a leading construction company, this Ghost Extended was created with the intention of making it available to their firm’s employees: a gesture of appreciation to elevate the team’s personal milestones.

One distinctive feature is the rotary controller, which has been crafted from polished concrete using material sourced from one of the company’s most significant architectural projects. Developed in-house by the Bespoke Collective, the component required the creation of a bespoke, 3D-printed carrier to support the added material thickness. To achieve the necessary strength and finish, the concrete was blended with a specially developed composite, then carefully shaped, cured and turned using a custom-built chuck. Finally, the surface was hand-polished to a brilliant shine using fine abrasives typically reserved for jewellery making.


NATURE, PLACE AND THE ELEMENTS

Clients continued to look to the natural world to express resilience, renewal and serenity. These commissions often combined traditional craft with new material exploration.

Phantom Extended Cherry Blossom

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Hanami, Phantom Cherry Blossom is a tribute to Sakura blooms and the fleeting beauty of springtime. Commissioned by a Japanese client, this Phantom Extended features more than 250,000 stitches within the interior and a Starlight Headliner embroidered with cascading cherry branches.

The rear passenger suite is a stage for the marque’s first use of sculptural 3D embroidery, with cherry petals formed from layered, self-supporting thread structures. A cherry blossom motif also adorns the coachline and umbrellas, placing the motor car and its passengers under a permanent flurry of falling petals.

Black Badge Cullinan Daisy

Commissioned by a client with a lifelong passion for hiking, Black Badge Cullinan Daisy is inspired by wildflowers seen on a favourite trail in the High Tatras mountains. With a hand-painted Daisy motif on the coachline, the commission reflects themes of perseverance and resilience drawn from the natural world.

Inside, the Daisy motif appears throughout: as an engraving on the veneers, an embroidery on the headrests, and concealed as a delicate design on the underside of the umbrellas, which stow within the doors. A Bespoke Starlight Headliner charts constellations in the client’s native northern latitudes – a celestial map for well-walked paths.


ART, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY COLLECTIBLES

From vintage video games and early couture to ancient mural painting, clients drew inspiration from artistic movements, historical materials, cultural symbols, and emerging asset classes.

Black Badge Ghost Gamer

Inspired by the 8-bit universe of vintage video games, Black Badge Ghost Gamer is coded with immersive Bespoke details and joystick-era Easter eggs. Commissioned by a technology entrepreneur from Asia-Pacific, the motor car is completed with a ‘Cheeky Alien’ coachline motif made of individually hand-painted ‘pixels’.

The interior features seat embroideries labelling each occupant from ‘Player 1’ to ‘Player 4’, and headrests emblazoned with ‘Cheeky Alien’ motifs, also made up from individually stitched pixels. Between the rear seats, the lid of the Champagne cooler incorporates a hand-painted lunar scene and inlaid metal UFOs, inspired by arcade game cabinet art. A Bespoke Illuminated Fascia depicts a gunship surging through the constellations, while a ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner features 80 bitmapped battlecruisers – complete with animated ‘laser fire’. Hidden inlays and engravings transform this commission into a stunningly realised game-like experience.

Phantom Dentelle

Commissioned through Private Office Dubai, Phantom Dentelle is a one‑of‑one tribute to the art of couture lace. Inspired by a rare ‘Leavers loom’ fabric, the design uses embroidery to translate delicate, 3D lace textures into the motor car’s Gallery and rear Waterfall section.

The interior features more than 230,000 stitches across eight embroidery techniques, combining Rose Gold, Oatmeal and Sunrise threads to evoke pearls and floral filigree. A Bespoke two‑tone exterior is finished with a hand-painted coachline motif and a Rose Gold Spirit of Ecstasy, echoing the design’s soft elegance.

Phantom Dragon

Commissioned by a Chinese client to mark the lunar Year of the Dragon, this one-of-one Phantom Extended is a contemporary tribute to one of China’s fabled legends. Inspired by the tale of two dragons and a divine pearl, the design symbolises kindness, harmony and enlightenment – themes reflected throughout the motor car’s interior.

At its centre is a spectacular marquetry Gallery, crafted from 297 pieces of four different wood species. It depicts two dragons swirling through clouds, guarding a central pearl, represented by a Bespoke clock. This motif is mirrored on the Bespoke Starlight Headliner, which depicts two dragons through 768 red and 576 white fibre-optic ‘stars’, individually hand-fitted, providing a celestial stage for an extraordinary legend.

Chinese Mural Art Tribute

Commissioned through Private Office Shanghai, this trio of unique motor cars draws on the mural paintings of Dunhuang – an ancient landmark located along the Silk Road. A Silken Spirit motif, inspired by imperial silk and the Spirit of Ecstasy, links all three commissions and appears across exterior coachlines, embroideries, wood inlays and illuminated features.

The Phantom Extended features a hand-painted leather Gallery, embroidered Starlight Headliner and stainless-steel inlays. The Black Badge Cullinan introduces a new Danqian Pink exterior hue, while the Black Badge Spectre presents a Bespoke colour named Qingshan Blue, dramatised with a Turchese Illuminated Grille – each a modern tribute to ancient artistry.


EXPANDING THE LANGUAGE OF BESPOKE

In 2025, the growth of Bespoke at Rolls-Royce extended beyond motor cars, as clients increasingly looked to the marque to express their tastes and preferences in their private spaces. Rolls-Royce responded with a growing range of exclusive lifestyle items that bring Bespoke into clients’ homes and professional worlds.

Requests for table-top, boutique pieces increased by 13% year-on-year, reflecting a broader shift in how clients engage with the marque’s creative capabilities. Among the most popular items was the charming Rolls-Royce Cameo desktop sculpture, which premiered in a bold new Black Badge treatment in 2025 and saw demand rise by more than 50%.

Also launched in 2025, the Rolls-Royce Chess Set reimagines one of the world’s most revered strategy games as a sculptural, hand-crafted centrepiece for the home. Featuring leather-lined drawers, magnetised ceramic-coated aluminium pieces, and a board crafted from hand-finished veneers and polished aluminium, the set is both playable and highly collectable. Clients can individualise their sets with a choice of leather colours, echoing the commissioning process of a Bespoke motor car. Building on this success, the marque will expand its board game collection in 2026.


BUILDING FOR A BESPOKE FUTURE

As clients explore ever more ambitious expressions of Bespoke, supported by the global Private Office network, Rolls-Royce is building for an even more ambitious future. The year saw rapid progress on the marque’s site extension at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Above-ground construction began in February 2025, and the building was declared weathertight in November.

This £300m+ investment will provide additional space and state-of-the-art facilities for Bespoke and the marque’s Coachbuild division, enabling more and increasingly complex commissions to be undertaken. In 2026, the first technologies will move into the new building, with completion of the project expected before the end of the decade.

• Rolls-Royce reflects on a year of global celebrations marking Phantom's centenary
• Debut of Phantom Centenary Private Collection: the most complex and technologically ambitious Collection yet
• Phantom client commissions for 2025 delivery reflect anniversary’s significance
• Famous historical Phantom owners from the worlds of art and music honoured
• Site extension at Goodwood creates new Bespoke possibilities for future Phantoms
  
  

“For Rolls-Royce, 2025 has revolved around the centenary of our pinnacle product, Phantom. This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to honour the stories that built this nameplate’s legend — from the incredible motor cars themselves, the zenith of effortless motoring in their respective eras, to the towering figures in music, art, business and statecraft who have chosen a Phantom of their own. We marked this extraordinary occasion with landmark commissions and exceptional global celebrations that reflect the spirit and stature of our marque today, perfectly setting the tone for Phantom’s next 100 years.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Throughout 2025, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has celebrated the centenary of its pinnacle product and the most famous nameplate in luxury history: Phantom. These celebrations focused on the people, places and events that shaped Phantom’s incredible story, and how this extraordinary motor car has both reflected and influenced the world around it.

Designed by Sir Henry Royce, the original ‘New Phantom’ made its debut in 1925. Over the next 100 years and throughout eight generations, Phantom has always been the grandest, most impressive and effortlessly refined motor car built by the marque: a century of unassailable luxury and engineering excellence.

The centenary year has featured appearances by all eight generations of Phantom at celebratory events across the globe, culminating in the unveiling of the Phantom Centenary Private Collection, Rolls-Royce’s own Bespoke tribute to its most storied model.

Clients around the world also chose to take delivery of their Bespoke Phantoms in 2025 – in many cases beginning the journey years in advance, in anticipation of the anniversary – ensuring their motor cars would not only become part of their personal legacy, but also take a once-in-a-lifetime place in the ongoing story of this remarkable nameplate. To mark this milestone, every Rolls-Royce Phantom hand-crafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce this year was completed with a special centenary chassis plaque.

Rolls-Royce takes this opportunity to reflect on Phantom’s legacy, revisiting the stories and moments shared among clients, the media, and the wider world throughout this centenary year.


PHANTOM CENTENARY PRIVATE COLLECTION: A BESPOKE TRIBUTE 

Rolls-Royce honoured 100 years of the Phantom nameplate with the Phantom Centenary Private Collection. Limited to just 25 examples, this Private Collection combines traditional and highly innovative craft techniques to explore a century of stories: pivotal figures, notable clients, significant models, journeys, places and moments that defined Phantom’s first 100 years.

Its iridescent two-tone exterior, finished in Super Champagne Crystal over Arctic White and Black – crowned with a solid gold Spirit of Ecstasy – recalls the elegance of Phantom’s early Hollywood era. Inside, exquisitely crafted Bespoke features tell the story of Phantom’s legend. The Anthology Gallery is composed of sculpted words selected from 100 years of media acclaim. The rear seats are finished in high-resolution printed and embroidered fabric, meticulously developed with a couture atelier over a year.

The Starlight Headliner captures historic moments and references in 440,000 stitches. The sculptural doors feature the marque’s most intricate woodwork to date, combining 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering and 24-carat gold leafing. The result is the most complex and technologically ambitious Private Collection to date – a defining statement, 100 years in the making.


CELEBRATING PHANTOM’S PLACE IN MUSIC BY BRINGING A LEGEND TO LIFE

In 2025, Rolls-Royce celebrated the legendary figures in music who chose Phantom, both as a symbol of success and a source of creative inspiration. From Marlene Dietrich and Liberace to Elvis Presley, Sir Elton John, Pharrell Williams and Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, these artists helped shape, and were drawn to, Phantom’s magnetic presence.

Perhaps the most memorable tale from Phantom’s musical mythology is Keith Moon’s infamous 21st birthday party, when The Who’s drummer reportedly drove his Rolls-Royce into a swimming pool. Though witnesses have only a hazy recollection of what really happened, a Rolls-Royce submerged in a pool became the ultimate symbol of rock ‘n’ roll indulgence.

To mark Phantom’s centenary, Rolls-Royce brought the myth to life by submerging a Phantom Extended body shell –  a retired prototype destined for recycling — in the Art Deco Tinside Lido in Plymouth, England.

The location also has Beatles heritage: on 12 September 1967, The Beatles visited while filming The Magical Mystery Tour. That same year, John Lennon debuted his yellow, hand-painted Phantom V, forever linking the nameplate with music history.


REFLECTING ON PHANTOM’S CONNECTION TO A CENTURY OF ART

As part of the centenary celebrations, Rolls-Royce reflected on Phantom’s long-standing connection to the art world. In one of the most surreal arrivals in history, Salvador Dalí once filled a friend’s Phantom with 500kg of cauliflowers, then flung open the door upon arrival at the Sorbonne in Paris, sending the brassicas cascading to the ground. This moment – which itself will celebrate its 70th anniversary on 26 December, 2025 – was commemorated by the marque, along with reflections of other Phantom owners who led the creative conversation, including Andy Warhol, who was so compelled by Phantom that he acquired a 1937 model on the spot after seeing it parked outside a Zurich antiques shop in 1972.


COMMISSIONS INSPIRED BY AN UNFORGETTABLE LEGACY

Aware of the historical significance of 2025, clients around the world placed Bespoke commissions for delivery in Phantom’s centenary year — in many cases beginning that journey years in advance. These Phantoms stand among the most ambitious ever created by the marque’s Bespoke Collective and resident designers in the Private Offices of Shanghai, Dubai, Seoul and New York, and the original at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex.


PHANTOM YEAR OF THE DRAGON

Commissioned by a Chinese client to mark the Year of the Dragon, this one-of-one Phantom Extended is a contemporary tribute to one of China’s foundational legends. At its centre is a spectacular marquetry Gallery depicting two dragons swirling through clouds, guarding a central pearl represented by a Bespoke clock.

The dragons also appear on the Bespoke Starlight Headliner as 768 red and 576 white fibre-optic ‘stars’, each individually hand-placed.


PHANTOM CHERRY BLOSSOM

Inspired by the Japanese tradition of Hanami, Phantom Cherry Blossom is a tribute to the fleeting beauty of springtime Sakura blooms. Commissioned by a Japanese client, the rear cabin of this Phantom Extended includes the marque’s first use of sculptural 3D embroidery, with cherry petals formed from layered, self-supporting thread structures. The Starlight Headliner is also exquisitely embroidered with cascading cherry branches, completing an interior comprising over 250,000 stitches.


PHANTOM DENTELLE  

Phantom Dentelle is a one‑of‑one tribute to couture lace, using embroidery to translate the material’s delicate, three-dimensional textures into the Gallery and rear Waterfall section. The interior features more than 230,000 stitches across eight embroidery techniques, combining Rose Gold, Oatmeal and Sunrise threads to evoke pearls and floral filigree.


PHANTOM CHINESE MURAL ART

One of a trio of Bespoke motor cars commissioned through Private Office Shanghai, in tribute to the ancient mural paintings of Dunhuang, China. The Phantom Extended, features a Gallery with a landscape painting on black leather, rendered in an adapted Chinese technique of reduction block printing.

The Silken Spirit motif, inspired by imperial silk and the Spirit of Ecstasy, appears in the hand-painted Coachline, interior embroidery, wood inlays and on illuminated treadplates.


A WORLD STAGE FOR PHANTOM

Throughout its centenary year, Phantom was celebrated on a truly global stage, with commemorative events held across five continents. From prestigious concours to exclusive gatherings, these moments reflected the power of Phantom’s legacy in every sense.

The centenary journey began at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, followed by the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival in the UK, where five historic Phantoms – including the celebrated Phantom I ‘Brougham De Ville’, or ‘Phantom of Love’ – graced the Aerodrome Lawn. In Spain, all eight generations of Phantom were showcased at the beautiful Torre Loizaga in Bilbao.

A celebratory drive across Scandinavia and the Baltics saw members of the 20-Ghost Club journey more than 2,000 kilometres from Helsinki – where the cavalcade was waved off by a Phantom VIII – through Nordic landscapes in 26 pre-War Rolls-Royces, including three examples of Phantom I. The oldest participating motor car dated from 1927.

Celebrations continued in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, where Phantom’s cultural role was marked at the city’s renowned film festival. In Warsaw, Poland, Rolls-Royce hosted a jazz evening featuring renowned vocalist Stacey Kent, while in Baku, Azerbaijan, an exclusive cultural club paid tribute to Phantom’s deep-rooted musical connections and its appearance in song lyrics across musical styles and generations.

In North America, Phantom’s centenary was honoured with a dedicated class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where eight generations of Phantom were united for this occasion. This milestone was celebrated at gatherings in Colorado Springs for the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Annual Meet, the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance, and the grand opening of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Oakville in Canada.

In Asia, Rolls-Royce hosted a standout event at Azabudai Hills, Tokyo, showcasing a selection of rare Phantoms – from Phantom II Continental to Phantom Oribe, designed in collaboration with Hermès for a Japanese collector. 100 Years of Phantom was celebrated in Singapore with a contemporary culinary journey, and in Shanghai, five generations of Phantom were honoured at a showcase for Chinese clients and friends of the marque.

Across the Middle East, the Phantom Centenary made landmark appearances at the National Museum of Qatar and at private events in Dubai, Riyadh, Manama, and Abu Dhabi. These showcases included historic and modern Bespoke Phantoms such as the Phantom Drophead Coupé Zenith, Phantom Scintilla Private Collection, replete with an 869,500-stitch interior, and Phantom Centenary Private Collection.


PHANTOM’S BESPOKE FUTURE 

In a year defined by Phantom’s legacy, Rolls-Royce also looked to its future. At the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, construction progressed on a landmark £300 million extension to house advanced equipment and capabilities dedicated to Bespoke. This expansion enhances every element of the marque’s creative and technical process, creating space for bold new ideas, materials and artisanal techniques. Phantom, as the marque’s pinnacle product and most expansive canvas, will continue to be where these innovations are brought to life on the grandest scale, today and into its next century.

CHARLES ROBINSON SYKES: 18 DECEMBER 1875 - 6 JUNE 1950

• Rolls-Royce remembers Charles Sykes, born 150 years ago on 18 December 1875
• A gifted artist and sculptor, best known for creating the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot
• The marque’s original creative soul, who introduced artistry as a defining element of Rolls-Royce
• Many works held in the collection of the world-renowned V&A Museum, London

“Charles Rolls, with his competitive spirit and daredevil attitude to life, was the heart of Rolls-Royce. Henry Royce, the meticulous and driven engineer, was its mind. But the figure with the strongest claim to be its first soul is Charles Robinson Sykes. Best known as the sculptor who created the Spirit of Ecstasy, Sykes was a multifaceted and prolific artist whose work is still held in high regard 150 years after his birth. He was the first of the marque’s foundational figures to bring artistry and creativity to Rolls-Royce, a legacy that endures today in our ever more ambitious and elaborate Bespoke and Coachbuild work. That his most famous piece represents only a fraction of a rich, varied body of work speaks to the breadth of his talent.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the birth of one of the most important individuals in the marque’s foundation story: Charles Robinson Sykes. A gifted artist, illustrator and sculptor, Sykes was best known for creating the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, which has gracefully guided Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911. Today, his work is recognised as the moment artistry and emotional expression first became part of the marque’s identity – a contribution that shaped the creative spirit still evident in every Rolls-Royce motor car.

To commemorate this anniversary, Rolls-Royce explores his life and lasting influence on the marque.

Charles Robinson Sykes was born on 18 December 1875 in Brotton, a mining village near Saltburn, in what is now North Yorkshire, England. Encouraged by his father and uncle, both talented amateur artists, he decided to pursue a professional career, and began his artistic training at Rutherford Art College in Newcastle. In 1898, he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London, where he studied drawing, painting and sculpture. After graduating, he remained in the capital, where he quickly established himself as a multitalented artist.

His skill as a draughtsman is evident in the large collection of his drawings, paintings and cartoons held in the collection of the world-renowned V&A Museum, London. These include beautifully detailed designs for horse-racing trophies, vases and bowls, and atmospheric illustrations for magazine covers and advertisements, produced under the pseudonym ‘Rilette’. His talent for sculpture was formally recognised when his bronze, A Bacchante, was exhibited to considerable acclaim at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London and the Paris Salon.

In 1902, Sykes was commissioned by a magazine publisher to produce some sketches. Unable to pay in cash, the client introduced him to John Montagu, later 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, who at that time was attempting to launch his own glossy weekly magazine, The Car Illustrated.

With Sykes providing ‘Illustrated’ elements from cover artwork to fashion drawings, the magazine flourished. It was one of the first to print images in full colour, and Sykes took full advantage of the new creative opportunities this offered him. He had a particular interest in Greek mythology, and often introduced classical references into his work.

Sykes’s artwork soon caught the attention of Claude Johnson, known simply as ‘CJ’, the first commercial managing director of Rolls-Royce. He commissioned six original Sykes oils for the company’s 1910-11 Catalogue, depicting Rolls-Royce motor cars arriving at venues and occasions befitting the marque’s aristocratic patrons. These images framed Rolls-Royces not simply as engineering achievements, but as a source of elegance and experience – an early expression of what was to follow. The marque also bought the copyright to other works showing Rolls-Royces driving at dusk, arriving at the top of a steep hill and effortlessly overcoming a snowstorm – real concerns for drivers of the day.

Soon afterwards, Sykes took on what would be his most famous and enduring commission: an official Rolls-Royce mascot. The company described the winged figurine as “a graceful little goddess”, in which Sykes perfectly captured, “the spirit of ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce car to revel in the freshness of the air, and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies”. Through this work, Sykes introduced a new dimension to the marque – the idea that a motor car could possess not only technical excellence, but also grace, elegance and serenity.

In creating the figurine, Sykes played a crucial role in establishing Rolls-Royce’s defining characteristics. From the daredevil racing driver, pioneering balloonist and record-breaking aviator Charles Rolls, the marque acquired its spirit of endeavour, always seeking to set new standards for performance, comfort and excellence. And if Rolls was the company’s heart, then Henry Royce – analytical, meticulous, restless, innovative – was its mind; the intellectual foundation of everything it produced.

Sykes was the company’s soul; he brought artistry and creativity to the brand, which finds their expression today in ever more elaborate and ambitious Bespoke and Coachbuild commissions. And through his paintings and the Spirit of Ecstasy, he played a defining role in shaping the mystique and mythology that still surrounds Rolls-Royce to this day.

Charles Sykes died in 1950; though best remembered for his contribution to Rolls-Royce, he enjoyed a long, varied and successful artistic career, leaving a substantial, diverse and delightful body of work that is still highly regarded 150 years after his birth.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars funds two new Speed Indicator Devices for local community
• Initiative developed in close partnership with Westhampnett Parish Council
• Part of the marque’s long-term strategy to improve traffic flows and safety on local roads

“At Rolls-Royce, we’re committed to being a good neighbour and having a positive impact on our local community. As the largest local employer, we inevitably have an impact on local traffic volumes, so we are especially keen to be involved in initiatives that support road safety and improved driver behaviour. We were therefore delighted to be able to support Westhampnett Parish Council by funding two new Speed Indicator Devices at key locations. The Speed Indicator Devices will make a lasting contribution to the safety and wellbeing of residents and our workforce alike.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was delighted to contribute to a local community project to install two new Speed Indicator Devices at key locations on roads in the neighbouring village of Westhampnett and the attached hamlet of Maudlin.

The Speed Indicator Devices, which are operated by Westhampnett Parish Council, are solar powered and display a ‘happy’ face if an approaching vehicle is below the speed limit, and a ‘sad’ face to those travelling at excessive speed. Unlike speed cameras, their purpose is educational and preventative, encouraging safer driving behaviour by making drivers more aware of their speed, especially in sensitive areas close to schools and in residential streets.

In Westhampnett and Maudlin, the Speed Indicator Devices will also collect useful data, including logging the date and time of each vehicle passing and its speed. The data is anonymous and not linked to number plates or driver identities. These insights can be used to identify speeding trends, traffic volumes or times of day when higher speeds are more prevalent. This, in turn, can inform planning for enforcement activities such as police speed checks, or road safety measures like traffic calming or new road signage.

Rolls-Royce is working closely with Westhampnett Parish Council on the project as part of its wider community engagement activities, and its long-term commitment to improving traffic flows and road safety around the Home of Rolls-Royce.

• Rolls-Royce extends its 2025 House Charity support into a second year
• First time a House Charity has been extended since the programme began in 2003
• Builds on momentum created during the first 12 months for even greater impact
• All future House Charities will be appointed for a two-year term to maximise community benefit

“For the first time since we began the House Charity programme back in 2003, we are extending our support for our current local good cause to a second year. Long experience has shown us that by the time we say goodbye to each House Charity, there is genuine trust, understanding, respect and affection between our respective organisations, and real momentum behind the fundraising effort – all of which is then set aside and started again from scratch with a new partner. Extending our support into a second year gives us the time and opportunity to really capitalise on all the good work done in the first year, enhancing our overall impact and making a more meaningful contribution over time.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to confirm that it is extending its support for its 2025 House Charity, Dementia Support at Sage House, for a second year. The announcement came at a gala fundraising evening hosted at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

Although some local good causes have been the marque’s House Charity more than once, this is the first time in the history of the programme, which was launched in 2003, that Rolls-Royce has supported the same House Charity two years running. In future, every House Charity will be appointed for a two-year term.

The announcement means that in 2026, staff will continue to raise funds for Sage House, which brings vital support, guidance and care services for people living with dementia together under one roof. In Tangmere, West Sussex, Sage House acts as an inclusive and welcoming central hub for dementia support services that has positively changed the lives of thousands of families across the county. An independent report by the University of Chichester found that, as well as improving wellbeing and quality of life for people living with dementia, Sage House saves the Local Health and Social Care economy over £1,700 per person per year by providing integrated services which support people from pre-diagnosis through to end of life.

Staff at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars nominated Sage House as their House Charity at the end of 2024 and have been engaged in fundraising throughout 2025. Extending the relationship into a second year will allow both parties to build on the close working relationship and momentum they have developed in 2025, to produce an even greater positive impact.

The gala event, which would normally have signalled the end of formal fundraising efforts for the year, saw over 120 guests enjoy an evening of fun, wine-tasting and a charity auction, raising more than £50,000 for the charity.

Sally Tabbner, Chief Executive of Sage House, said: “We could not be more thrilled – and deeply honoured – to be chosen once again as the Rolls-Royce House Charity, particularly as this is the first time in the history of the programme that such an extension has been made. When the announcement was revealed at the gala event, it took us completely by surprise and transformed an already extraordinary evening into something truly magical. This continued partnership means we can reach and support even more families living with dementia, and we are profoundly grateful to Rolls-Royce for their belief in our work and for placing their trust in us for another year.”

• First-ever Bespoke Rolls-Royce inspired by vintage video game culture
• Features ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner and ‘Laser Base’ Illuminated Fascia
• Interior and exterior details based on Bespoke 8-bit ‘Cheeky Alien’ motif
• Arcade-style artwork hand-painted on Technical Fibre interior surfaces
• Hidden retro gaming-inspired details turn the motor car into a game of its own

“The unique privilege of working within Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design is the extraordinary breadth of ideas we’re asked to bring to life. This brief was particularly exciting. Over the course of a month, we immersed ourselves in the 8-bit aesthetic that defined late 70s and early 80s gaming – from the games themselves and archive imagery of arcade halls, to original promotional and cabinet artwork. As well as capturing the distinctive colour palette, mood and atmosphere of this rich source material, we wanted the client to feel that the motor car itself was an immersive experience – and that every time they stepped inside, it would recreate the same thrill they felt when they pressed ‘start’ on an arcade machine for the very first time.”
Joshua McCandless, Bespoke Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce unveils Black Badge Ghost Gamer: a Bespoke commission inspired by the 8-bit universe of vintage video games. Created for a client with a deep passion for early arcade culture, this nostalgic motor car incorporates intricately crafted references to the dawn of gaming. Coded with details including a hand-painted ‘Cheeky Alien’ exterior Coachline motif, ‘Player One’ seat embroidery, ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner, a unique ‘Laser Base’ Illuminated Fascia, and a hidden cache of joystick-era Easter eggs, the discovery of every feature turns the motor car itself into a stunningly crafted game.


INSERT COIN: A NEW GENERATION OF COLLECTABLES

Black Badge Ghost Gamer is the first-ever Bespoke Rolls-Royce commission to be inspired by arcade gaming culture – a rapidly emerging space in the contemporary collectables landscape, defined by early video games, vintage consoles, and early media formats. Several Rolls-Royce clients are actively engaged in this growing market – their interest driven not only by accelerating value, but a nostalgic personal connection, and a desire to preserve the artefacts of the late 1970s and 1980s.

It is this mindset that inspired Black Badge Ghost Gamer: a motor car that reimagines the 8-bit aesthetics of vintage video games through stunningly immersive Bespoke features. The marque’s designers also placed each detail in such a way that discovering every element, which ranges from bold and expansive to hidden-until-found, becomes an immersive game of its own.


PRESS START: BESPOKE EXTERIOR PAINT

Black Badge Ghost Gamer is presented in a striking two-tone finish, with the main body in Salamanca Blue and the upper body in deep-shimmer Crystal over Diamond Black – a theme that echoes the super-metallic, neon-lit aesthetic of classic arcade hardware.

Rolls-Royce designers worked closely with the client to develop a unique motif to codify the commission. Nicknamed the ‘Cheeky Alien’, it appears as a hand-painted green Coachline motif alongside a pink 8-bit explosion design on one side of the motor car, and yellow and blue on the other. Created from 89 individual ‘pixels’ – each just 3mm by 3mm – it recalls the bitmapped graphics of early video games.

The retro-futurist theme continues with the Illuminated Pantheon Grille. Completing the exterior, black brake callipers complement the 22” seven-spoke forged Black Badge wheels.


READY PLAYER ONE: BESPOKE INTERIOR SUITE

The Black and Casden Tan interior suite of Black Badge Ghost Gamer is a richly layered and tactile homage to the early digital age, and where the game truly begins. Each detail has been designed and crafted to reward exploration, echoing the logic and visual language of a late 1970s video game arcade.

The seats feature Bespoke embroideries, with ‘Player 1’ and ‘Player 2’ in the front and ‘Player 3’ and ‘Player 4’ in the rear, rendered in an 8-bit-style font. The colours used in the stitching take inspiration from the electric, flickering hues displayed on vintage arcade monitors. This is contrasted with block-colour ‘Cheeky Alien’ embroideries on each headrest. Like the Coachline motifs, the artwork is made up of individual ‘pixels’ – 89 in total per design – creating a richly tactile graphic.

The area between the rear seats, named the Waterfall, is finished in Black Badge Technical Fibre and embellished with another tribute to early gaming iconography: two inlaid stainless steel ‘flying saucer’ spaceships hover above a hand-painted lunar scene with a starscape backdrop; a design inspired by the artwork on early arcade game cabinets.

Crafting this remarkable battle scene required more than two weeks of intensive development, with multiple paint iterations refined to create the final, period-perfect hues. The final artwork was brought to life using a combination of Black and Mandarin paint: a Black background, Mandarin highlights, and blended mid-tones created by mixing the two. The design was then applied entirely by hand using a mix of traditional brushwork, a specialised sponge technique to create texture and depth, and subtle blending with an airbrush.

To add extra celestial intrigue, a subtle silver sparkle has been added to the lacquer of all the Technical Fibre surfaces. Some of these surfaces also include hidden ‘Easter eggs’ – the rear picnic table has a metal ‘Cheeky Alien’ inlay on the upper surface; the 8-bit motif is also engraved on the hidden side of the front black chrome ‘eyeball’ air vent.


HIGH SCORE: ‘PIXEL BLASTER’ STARLIGHT HEADLINER AND ‘LASER BASE’ ILLUMINATED FASCIA

Every hallmark Rolls-Royce illumination is reimagined for this commission, each serving as a tribute to the visual cues of early gaming. The Illuminated Fascia – a feature that debuted on Ghost – is subtly reworked to evoke the ‘Laser Base’ backdrops of many early games. It includes a gunship composed of 85 individual stars, while the constellations themselves are adjusted so the ship appears to surge through the starfield.

Black Badge Ghost Gamer is crowned with a ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner. A formation of 80 bitmapped battlecruisers spans the canopy, each crafted using hand-placed fibre-optic lights. The marque’s signature Shooting Star function has been reprogrammed to simulate laser fire, and beams of light pulse from the ships across the ceiling, adding nostalgic drama to the night sky.

The commission is completed with Bespoke Illuminated Treadplates, visible when the doors are open. Engraved in the same 8-bit graphic lettering as the seat embroidery, they display classic arcade-game prompts: ‘PRESS START’, ‘LOADING…’, ‘LEVEL UP’ and ‘INSERT COIN’.

Delivered to a tech entrepreneur, this commission shows how Black Badge responds to the passions, tastes and cultural codes of a new generation of collectors – who dare to play differently.

• Landmark Private Collection of 25 motor cars honours Phantom’s centenary
• The most complex and technologically ambitious Private Collection to date
• A century of stories: interior celebrates pivotal figures, notable clients, significant models, journeys, places and moments that defined Phantom’s first 100 years
• Rear seats in high-resolution printed fabric, developed with a fashion atelier, completed with 160,000 stitches
• Laser-etched front seats depict hand-sketched linework inspired by Phantom’s heritage
• Most intricate Rolls-Royce woodwork ever introduces three Rolls-Royce firsts: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering, and 24-carat gold leafing
• Spirit of Ecstasy in solid gold, hallmarked and enamelled, based on 1925 casting
• Bespoke Gallery recalls pages of a book with abstracted text formed in aluminium

“The Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection is our tribute to 100 years of the world’s most revered luxury item. This uncompromising work of art uses the meticulously engineered Phantom VIII as the canvas to tell the story of Phantom’s remarkable life and the people who shaped it – from the visionaries within Rolls-Royce to the owners who helped create its legend. For a century, the Phantom nameplate has expressed the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce’s abilities. To honour that legacy, this extraordinarily ambitious Private Collection introduces new techniques and is the result of over 40,000 hours of work, culminating in a motor car which reaffirms Phantom’s status as a symbol of ambition, artistic possibility, and historical gravitas.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Having the privilege to pay a Bespoke tribute to the Phantom nameplate is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Seizing on the significance of this moment, a record number of designers spent a year immersed in the motor car’s rich history, uncovering the stories that shaped its legend. Their research was distilled into 77 hand-sketched motifs, each capturing a defining moment in Phantom’s journey and expressed with levels of detail we have never attempted before. The result is a true collective work of art that celebrates the skill, ambition and imagination of everyone at the Home of Rolls-Royce, and the profound respect the marque’s creatives have for this extraordinary motor car.”
Martina Starke, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Phantom Centenary is the most intricate and technologically ambitious Private Collection ever undertaken by the designers, engineers, production specialists and craftspeople of our Bespoke Collective. Developed over three years, this project uses new techniques to blend metal, wood, paint, fabric, leather, and embroidery into a single, stunning composition. The surfaces read like a book revealing 100 years of Phantom’s history, rich with symbolic references for clients to admire and decipher over many years to come.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


For 100 years, Phantom has been recognised as the ultimate symbol of success and discernment, chosen by the world’s most influential figures. As this legendary nameplate celebrates its 100th anniversary, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars pays tribute with the Phantom Centenary Private Collection, limited to 25 examples.

The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and artisans poured their skill and imagination into what has become their magnum opus. They immersed themselves in Phantom’s world, studying the spirit and identity of each generation from the 1920s to today. They explored defining owners, pivotal figures within Rolls-Royce, the places where Phantom was conceived and built, and the events that defined its times.  These influences, first captured as 77 hand-sketched motifs, are woven into the Phantom Centenary Private Collection through stunningly crafted archival references, creating a statement that honours Phantom’s past, defines its present, and projects the principles that will shape the nameplate’s next 100 years and beyond.

Each historic moment is brought to life through advanced artisanal techniques, many conceived specially for this rare and collectable tribute. Inside, couturier-designed textiles, sketch-like embroidery, laser-etched leather, and groundbreaking woodcraft – including 3D marquetry, gilding, and 3D ink layering – tell Phantom’s story in stunning, intricate detail. Outside, the grille is crowned with a unique Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, reinterpreted from the very first to grace a Phantom, and presented in solid gold to mark this milestone.


EXTERIOR: AN ELEGANT, BESPOKE STATEMENT

Evoking the timeless elegance of a black-and-white film star, the Phantom Centenary Private Collection’s exterior recalls the golden age of Hollywood, when Phantom graced premieres, carried screen icons, and became a symbol of the era’s glamour. The motor car is finished in a Bespoke two-tone paint, its long-sided application a nod to the flowing silhouette of 1930s Phantoms. The side body is presented in Super Champagne Crystal over Arctic White, with the upper body in Super Champagne Crystal over Black. The specially developed finish gives the exterior an extraordinary metallic shimmer, achieved by infusing the clear coat with iridescent particles of crushed glass. For this celebratory Private Collection, Rolls-Royce paint specialists replaced the clear flakes with champagne-coloured particles and doubled the quantity to create spellbinding depth.

This timeless treatment is crowned with a unique reimagining of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Using the first Spirit of Ecstasy ever fitted to a Phantom as their reference, designers created an homage to this landmark figurine, cast in solid 18-carat gold for strength, then plated in 24-carat gold for a flawless, tarnish-resistant finish. The piece was then presented to the London Assay Office for testing and hallmarking, where it received a full UK hallmark accompanied by a specially developed ‘Phantom Centenary’ mark.

The base of the figurine is finished with hand-poured white vitreous enamel delicately inscribed with the collection’s name.  For the first time, the ‘RR’ Badge of Honour – positioned on the front, rear, and each side of the motor car – is presented in 24-carat gold and white enamel.

Resolving the exterior is a set of Phantom disc wheels, each engraved with 25 lines – honouring the 25 motor cars within the collection and, together, making 100 lines to celebrate the centenary year.


INTERIOR: IMMERSED IN THE PHANTOM LEGEND

A century of Phantom’s stories elegantly unfold across the many canvases of the Private Collection’s interior, through magnificent archival references – some immediately recognisable, others revealed over time.

In homage to Phantoms of the past, Phantom Centenary’s interior combines textiles and leather, recalling the marque’s foundational years when the chauffeur’s front seat was finished in hardwearing leather and the rear cabin in luxurious fabrics. This contrast is a subtle reminder that Phantom has always balanced both authority at the wheel and absolute serenity in the passenger suite.


REAR SEATS: TAILORING EXCELLENCE

The rear seats of Phantom Centenary are inspired by the famed 1926 ‘Phantom of Love’, commissioned with handwoven Aubusson tapestries. The artwork on the seats unfolds across three distinct layers of storytelling. The first is the background, rendered in high-resolution print, showing places and artefacts from Phantom’s history – from the marque’s original Conduit Street premises in London to Henry Royce’s oil paintings of Southern France. The second layer, also printed in high resolution, portrays great Phantoms of the past in finely drawn detail. The third and uppermost layer is formed of embroideries, abstractly representing seven significant owners from every generation of Phantom.

This complex fabric was developed over 12 months in partnership with a fashion atelier, marking its first commission beyond the world of haute couture. To meet Rolls-Royce’s exacting longevity, tactility and aesthetic standards, the high-resolution printing process was perfected with specially adapted inks and techniques devised exclusively for the Phantom Centenary Private Collection.

The high-resolution printed fabric is completed with embroideries, designed to have a uniquely hand-drawn quality. Described by the Bespoke Collective as “sketching with thread”, this embroidery process captures the expression of a pencil line in textile form. To outline and define each image, artisans applied Golden Sands thread in sketch-like, irregular stitches, creating the illusion of lines floating lightly above the surface. Texture and depth were added with Seashell thread, applied in high-density stitches. Across the full composition, this intricate craftwork amounts to more than 160,000 stitches.

The finished artwork spans 45 individual panels, each precisely aligned and fitted around the curvatures of the seats at the Home of Rolls-Royce: a process inspired by Savile Row tailoring techniques. The result is the most intricate seat composition ever created by Rolls-Royce.

“Conceived as a contemporary interpretation of a handwoven tapestry, the rear seats tell Phantom’s story through carefully curated details, captured in textiles and embroidery.  Every embroidered element was digitally re-drawn by artisans who selected specific stitch application for every stroke. For example, in the horse motif, we used spaced stitches to recreate the hair texture, then dense stitching to define the muscle. These fine details required extraordinary precision to get right: one motif went through 24 iterations before we were satisfied. This reflects the deep personal pride we felt in creating a fitting tribute to the Phantom nameplate, and the responsibility we all share in carrying its legacy forward.”
Celina Mettang, Bespoke Colour and Material Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


FRONT SEATS: A DESIGN STATEMENT IN THE DRIVER'S QUARTERS

The leather on the front seats features laser-etched artwork based on hand drawings by a Bespoke designer, evoking the draftsman’s craft. Among the motifs are symbolic details that elegantly carry the extraordinary weight of Phantom’s 100-year legacy, from a rabbit design – a nod to “Roger Rabbit,” the codename for the relaunch of Rolls-Royce in 2003 – to a seagull, the codename for the 1923 Phantom I prototype.


ANTHOLOGY GALLERY: A STORY OF DISTINCTION TOLD OVER 100 YEARS

The centrepiece of the Phantom Centenary Private Collection is the Anthology Gallery. This dramatic composition features 50 3D-printed, vertically brushed aluminium ‘fins’ interlaced like pages of a book. Each fin is composed of sculpted letters that can be read from both sides, forming quotes drawn from a century of press acclaim.

The sculpture is subtly lit by shifting illuminations that recall the shimmer of falling fireworks. The brushed edges of each fin create a play of reflections, changing with the viewer’s moving perspective.


WOODWORK: A SCULPTURAL STATEMENT

The Private Collection features the most intricate woodwork ever created for a Rolls-Royce. Developed over a year and rendered in stained Blackwood, the door panels depict Phantom’s most significant and formative journeys. Within each composition, geographical maps, winding routes, sweeping landscapes, floral elements, and depictions of experimental motor cars intersect to form an artwork alive with Phantom’s heritage.

The rear doors portray the coastline of Le Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, where Sir Henry Royce spent his winters. The right-hand side front door shows the landscape of West Wittering, home to his summer residence, just eight miles from today’s Home of Rolls-Royce. The left-hand side front door recalls the epic 4,500-mile journey of the first-ever Goodwood-era Phantom, which crossed the Australian continent from Perth.

Each composition combines 3D multi-directional marquetry, laser etching, 3D ink layering and gold-leafing to create dimension and texture. Etched motifs, which include maps, landscapes, flowers and trees, are applied onto the wood at three different depths using a laser. The roads representing these journeys gleam in 24-carat gold, crafted from squares of gold leaf just 0.1 micrometres thick. Each road is painstakingly crafted, cut and placed.

The rear doors also incorporate depictions of flora native to Southern France – pine, cypress, ferns and palm – while a section of the rear passenger door recreates one of Sir Henry Royce’s original oil paintings of the region, translated from canvas to wood. The exact locations of Royce’s homes – Villa Mimosa in the South of France and Elmstead in West Wittering – are marked with a single gold-leaf dot just 2.76 mm in diameter.

“We drew on an extraordinary range of sources – original texts, diaries, photographs and paintings – to create a composition that weaves together many threads of Phantom’s story. New technology developed for this project, including 3D ink layering, allowed us to add details at a scale never before possible – some just 0.13 mm in height – from a boat sailing across the sea to location names on a map. It’s a privilege to have the time and technology to realise moments in Phantom’s history with the detail and precision the nameplate deserves.”
Katrin Lehmann, Bespoke Colour and Material Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The wooden surfaces on the doors transform into masterfully embroidered leather panels. The 24-carat gold ‘roads’ continue as golden thread embroidery; details of the maps and landscapes are stitched in black, echoing the etched details on the veneered section of the doors.

The woodwork is completed with depictions of the original 1925 Phantom I and the current Phantom VIII, individually etched on the rear picnic tables. The models are mirrored in embroidery on the leather-finished backs of the picnic tables – another gesture uniting past and present.

The Piano Black veneer is infused with gold dust, echoing the central rotary dial, also plated with 24-carat gold.


A GOLDEN LEGACY

The magnificent engineering masterpiece that is the 6.75-litre V12 engine is celebrated with a specially designed cover, finished in Arctic White. The cover has been detailed with 24-carat gold, honouring the effortless power that has helped define Phantom’s modern legend and success.


PHANTOM'S STORY IN STARLIGHT

A subtly animated and embroidered Starlight Headliner captures moments from Phantom’s history in 440,000 stitches.  Its design includes references to the mulberry tree under which Henry Royce was photographed in his garden at West Wittering, seated with two close colleagues: Charles L. Jenner, the marque’s Chief Engine Draftsman, and Ernest Hives, the head of Rolls-Royce’s experimental department. Drawing on this moment, the Bespoke Collective sought to create an atmosphere of inspiration so that clients seated beneath the Starlight Headliner might experience, as Royce once did, their own flashes of imagination and possibility.

The scene unfolds to include the distinctive square-crowned trees in the courtyard of the marque’s Goodwood headquarters. The honeybees – a reference to the 250,000 residents of the Rolls-Royce Apiary – are in full flight, perhaps towards the Phantom Rose, grown exclusively on the grounds of the Home of Rolls-Royce. Interwoven within the constellations are quiet tributes to great Phantoms of the past – among them a bird motif representing Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Phantom II, known as the ‘Bluebird’. Hidden amongst the mulberry leaves is a reference to the locking mechanism on the vault door at ‘The Bank’ – the secret 1990s design studio where the first Phantom of the Goodwood era was drafted.


AN UNFORGETTABLE HERITAGE, IN MOTION

For the designers, engineers and artisans who created the Phantom Centenary Private Collection, this motor car was a once-in-a-generation responsibility. What has been achieved reflects the same spirit that gave rise to Phantom itself: the marque’s relentless pursuit of excellence and ambition to craft the best motor car in the world.

• Wildlife thrives at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood
• Flora and fauna flourish across the 42-acre site, nestled in the heart of the West Sussex countryside
• Long-term sustainability partnership with neighbouring Goodwood Estate benefits wildlife, biodiversity and the local community
• Western portion of Rolls-Royce site forms part of proposed Strategic Wildlife Corridor
• Landscaping and environmental enhancements will encompass one-third of the extension of the Home of Rolls-Royce

As well as being the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are designed and hand-built, the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood is an important refuge for a huge variety of wildlife.

The site extends to 42 acres and the new site extension extends this by over 10,000 square-metres. It includes more than 400,000 trees, shrubs and plants, both wild and cultivated. It lies within the bounds of the magnificent 12,000-acre Goodwood Estate, the seat of the Dukes of Richmond for more than 300 years and a pioneer of sustainable agriculture and land management. It is also less than a mile from the boundary of the South Downs National Park, which incorporates the former Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Alongside Rolls-Royce playing a major role in sustaining the unique habitats and species within this beautiful corner of Southern England, it is the largest commercial employer in the area making a significant positive economic contribution locally too.


LIVING IN STYLE

The ducks and other wildfowl living on the lake adjoining the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have perhaps been attracted to the area by the palatial accommodation available, befitting their splendid surroundings and address.

Apprentices and Interns designed and built a floating platform to provide a safe place for the birds to rest, in line with recommendations from the team at Chichester District Council.

The hexagonal platform, designed by Interns in the Rolls-Royce design team and skilfully hand-built by Apprentices in the Interior Surface Centre, has ramps providing easy access to and from the water. It is topped with a six-sided hut, roofed in traditional style with weatherproof cedar cladding. The platform is moored a safe distance from the bank, carefully anchored to the bottom of the lake to ensure it remains in position, even in high winds and when water levels fluctuate.


ALL GOING SWIMMINGLY

The lake itself was built as part of the original site construction and forms an essential part of the manufacturing plant’s cooling system. As a well-established and important feature within the local habitat, it is also a magnet for wildfowl of all kinds. Among the flock of resident mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Amber-listed species, 15 have a remarkable backstory. Seven are members of an orphaned family found wandering around one of the on-site car parks, who were reared to adulthood by the team at Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital in nearby Sidlesham. They, and eight other rescued ducks, were brought to the Home of Rolls-Royce in style in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and are now among the lake’s permanent residents.

Such is their status that visitors to the Home of Rolls-Royce are cautioned to drive carefully by specially-made ‘Wildfowl Crossing’ warning signs as they enter The Drive that leads to the main building.


REWILDING THE WILDLIFE GARDEN

The Rolls-Royce Wildlife Garden, a small and secluded area next to The Drive, supports a wide variety of plants, insects, birds and animals native to the South of England. It has been carefully updated, in partnership with Chichester District Council and the South Downs National Park Trust, to reflect changes in conservation thinking and practice since the Wildlife Garden was first established over 20 years ago. In particular, the project focused on ‘rewilding’ – returning land to its former uncultivated state, reconnecting fragmented habitats and allowing nature a freer hand. Today, this is seen as an essential strategy for maintaining functional ecosystems and protecting biodiversity.

The Wildlife Garden now includes elements of the winning design from a competition, in which children aged 5-11 were invited to submit ideas for new features that would benefit both wildlife and people. Iris, then aged eight, created Tiggy Town – inspired by The Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle by Beatrix Potter ­– tohelp support the UK’s wild hedgehog population, which is in critical decline. Rolls-Royce Apprentices crafted individual hedgehog houses made to Iris’ design, each of which has its own address, as well as beautiful Bespoke nest boxes for birds, bats, dormice and solitary bees. Human visitors are greeted by a new sign and can pause to take in the natural beauty around them by taking a seat on benches crafted using recycled wooden pallets. An all-weather bark pathway means the area can be accessed throughout the year, enabling visitors to enjoy the changing scenery and wildlife according to the season.


WILD AT HEART

The Strategic Wildlife Corridor initiative aims at improving biodiversity and habitats across the Chichester District. This forms part of Chichester District Council’s Local Plan. The initiative seeks to connect the South Downs National Park to Chichester and Pagham Harbours, both of which have numerous conservation designations, including Local Nature Reserve (LNR), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is one of the first times that wildlife corridors have been strategically included in planning policies anywhere in the UK.

The proposed route takes in the western part of the Rolls-Royce site, which includes the Wildlife Garden. This will play an important role in protecting biodiversity, particularly honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies and other pollinators, by reconnecting habitat areas previously fragmented by human activity.


JOINT ENTERPRISE

In a further rewilding initiative, colleagues from Rolls-Royce and Chichester District Council have worked together on a hedge-laying project. Over three days, volunteers laid 20 metres of hedge on the site’s southern boundary, adjacent to the Claypit Lane car park, as recommended by the Council’s biodiversity survey. The new hedge, comprising native species and laid using traditional tools and techniques, provides vital food sources for mammals, birds and invertebrates, as well as linking formerly isolated habitats, thereby forming another important element of the Strategic Wildlife Corridor.


A HIVE OF ACTIVITY

Perhaps the site’s best-known wild inhabitants are the 250,000 European honeybees (Apis mellifera) who live in the six grand hives that comprise the Goodwood Apiary. Originally inaugurated in 2017, this large and diligent workforce produces ‘the Rolls-Royce of honey’ each year: just like the marque’s motor cars, it is made in extremely limited quantities at the Home of Rolls-Royce. This unique comestible is reserved exclusively for customers and other visitors to Goodwood. Following the success of the Goodwood Apiary, the marque has extended its beekeeping activities to other regions around the world including UAE, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Germany.

The Apiary bees at Goodwood share their domain with a substantial and diverse contingent of their wild cousins. The most recent Habitat Survey conducted by Chichester District Council notes the presence of large numbers of bumblebees, including the Red-tailed (Bombus lapidarius), White-tailed (Bombus lucorum) and Buff-tailed (Bombus terrestris), among seven species of bees identified on the site. It concludes that “although none of these are rare, the presence of this much variety is indicative of a healthy and varied habitat”.


A SMALL MIRACLE

Alongside these common species, one exceedingly rare creature is in residence at Goodwood. A recent ecological survey found conclusive evidence that water voles, officially designated a ‘rare and highly threatened species’ and legally protected in Britain, are now living in the pond area. As well as being highly endangered, water voles are (perhaps understandably) exceptionally shy, so there have been no sightings to date; however, the survey team have found footprints, burrows, droppings and signs of feeding.

The survey was carried out as part of a project to install three new electric vehicle (EV) chargers and associated parking spaces in the visitors’ car park near the main building. A mitigation strategy, overseen by an ecologist, ensured neither the water voles nor their habitat were disrupted during construction work. The Goodwood water vole population, though likely very small, is nonetheless significant: after a decline of more than 90% in recent decades, only around 130,000 water voles are thought to remain in Great Britain.


SPECIAL VISITORS

While the marque receives clients and other important guests to the Home of Rolls-Royce with all due ceremony, other significant visitors pass through Goodwood with far less fanfare. A number of bird species on the IUCN Red List, including swifts, house sparrows, starlings and lapwings, have been observed at the site; hedgehogs and stag beetles are among the Amber-listed species that have been recorded as part of a long-term monitoring programme in partnership with the Environmental Strategy team at Chichester District Council. A recent bioacoustics survey at the Home of Rolls-Royce identified 36 species of birds on site. This included several which can be considered key indicator species, as their presence reflects the health of the ecosystem. Species of interest that were identified include swift, greenfinch and reed warbler.


JOINED-UP THINKING

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues its longstanding environmental partnership with the neighbouring Goodwood Estate, with projects designed to benefit wildlife, biodiversity and the local community.

Specific projects include a joint study with a local ecologist and Chichester District Council into the flight patterns of the rare Barbastelle bats that live on the wider Estate. Rolls-Royce has also supported the Estate’s investment in a specially built mechanised wildflower seed harvester, which gathers seeds from a wide variety of species to be planted on the Estate’s grasslands and around the Rolls-Royce site. Additional initiatives include the opening of a permissive path linking two historic local villages, bordered by over 65,000 newly planted trees, some planted by Rolls-Royce colleagues. A new dew pond has also been created on Goodwood Estate Farm to support the natural habitat of the pigs kept there. Determined to avoid using a man-cmade liner, the team explored various methods and ultimately employed the innovative gleying technique – a natural process that mimics the way ponds sometimes form in the wild.

BUILDING FOR OUR FUTURE

In March 2024, Rolls-Royce obtained planning permission for the first major extension to the Home of Rolls-Royce since it opened in 2003. In all, approximately one-third of the new site will consist of features and measures specifically designed to support wildlife and promote biodiversity. These include planting thousands of trees and bushes from a range of native British and locally occurring species. A landscaped perimeter bund will provide a visual screen; lighting schemes and equipment are designed to minimise light pollution, in accordance with ‘dark skies’ guidance. Attenuation will be provided across the site to capture all surface water.

The extension will feature a bio-solar roof, combining solar panels with a ‘living roof’. The roof will consist of native wildflowers, thereby supporting native insects and birds as well as mitigating the long-distance views from the neighbouring South Downs National Park.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars worked closely with ecologists and the Goodwood Estate to safely translocate protected reptiles from the construction site. Following a detailed ecological assessment, a new receptor site was confirmed as suitable, and over the summer months, two grass snakes, 11 common lizards and 215 slow worms were carefully relocated. To support their long-term habitat, Goodwood’s Forestry team created a range of enhancements, including six hibernacula, six timber and brash piles, multiple ponds and a series of scrapes designed to promote biodiversity and provide secure overwintering conditions.

An existing footpath that crosses the site has been diverted and significantly upgraded for all-weather usability and year-round wheelchair access. Its width has been doubled to increase accessibility, while extensive landscaping will enhance both its recreational value and support for biodiversity.

• Rolls-Royce opens new permissive footpath linking upgraded Footpaths 416 and 417
• Creates ‘clean boots’ circular walk around Westhampnett and Home of Rolls-Royce
• Fully accessible route, usable year-round by residents, visitors and local schoolchildren
• Works go beyond the scope of the planning permission obligations for the marque’s extension
• Instigated and funded by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in consultation with residents

 
“We have always considered ourselves part of the local community, and actively seek out opportunities to be a good neighbour and bring tangible benefits to the surrounding area. Opening this new permissive footpath is the culmination of a year-long project to improve access and infrastructure, as part of our commitment to supporting the wider ‘green travel’ agenda. For the first time in living memory, these historic rights of way are now fully accessible to everyone, all year round, and provide a real, practical alternative to the car for short journeys between the villages, including walking children to and from school. It’s been our privilege and pleasure to undertake these improvements, and we’re grateful to the Parish and County Councils, and local residents, for their support and enthusiasm throughout.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to announce the opening of a new permissive footpath completing a long-term programme of improvements to ancient rights of way. The route serves the villages adjoining the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Councillor Jeremy Hunt, West Sussex County Council, was the guest of honour during a ceremonial walk, hosted by Werner Lulay, Director of Finance at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, to mark the official opening of the newly opened footpath.

Running parallel to an existing bridleway, the new footpath connects two historic rights of way – Footpaths 416 and 417 – for the first time, to create a ‘clean boots’ circular walk around Westhampnett and the Home of Rolls-Royce. Over the past year, both footpaths have been comprehensively upgraded to provide year-round, all-weather access. Prior to these improvements, they were narrow, badly overgrown and so muddy as to be all-but impassable in wet weather.

Footpath 416, linking the villages of Westerton and Westhampnett, was opened in August 2024 following resurfacing to coincide with the start of the new academic year. Similar works to widen, resurface and landscape Footpath 417 were completed in December 2024, and inaugurated by local Chichester MP, Jess Fuller-Brown. Both footpaths have already proved popular with local residents, particularly children attending The March CE Primary School in Westhampnett, as well as their families, and visitors exploring this beautiful corner of West Sussex.

The improvements to the existing footpaths, and the creation of the new link, have all been instigated and funded by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in close consultation with Westhampnett Parish Council and West Sussex County Council.

• Rolls-Royce reflects on 100 years of Bespoke Phantom motor cars
• Examines Phantom as both a reflection of, and an influence on, contemporary culture
• Traces evolution of commissions in response to social, technological, and cultural change
• Underlines Phantom’s enduring ability to enhance and enable its owner’s lifestyle
• The ultimate blank canvas for individualisation over eight generations

“The story of Phantom’s first 100 years is uniquely human, told through the Bespoke details commissioned by generations of clients. The evolution of their requests, richly detailed here, reflects profound shifts in society, culture and technology. It also highlights Phantom’s unique capacity to capture its owner’s personal tastes and desires – a quality that continues to draw clients to the marque, and indeed to Phantom itself, today.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

PHANTOM’S CULTURAL LEGACY: A 100-YEAR STORY TOLD THROUGH BESPOKE

Since the launch of the first Phantom in May 1925, motor cars bearing this storied nameplate have enabled their owner to create something entirely unique and personal to them. Through the Bespoke details they commissioned, Rolls-Royce Phantom clients have also expressed the values, priorities and aesthetics of their time. Tracing Phantom’s evolution shows how these have shifted – sometimes subtly, often profoundly – over the past 100 years. Yet Phantom remains a constant: the perfect canvas for individualisation and self-expression.

In its early years, Phantom was supplied as a rolling chassis, on which the owner commissioned bodywork from a specialist coachbuilder. Many of the examples referenced here stand as monuments to the art of these superlative craftspeople – one that was almost lost entirely, until Rolls-Royce initiated a spectacular present-day revival at Goodwood through its Coachbuild department.

POWER AND PRESTIGE: PHANTOM AS A SYMBOL OF INFLUENCE

As the largest, most imposing and unashamedly luxurious Rolls-Royce model, Phantom immediately became the instinctive choice of royalty, heads of state and other dignitaries as a way to project their status and influence.

Among the earliest Phantom I commissions of the 1920s were elaborate conveyances for India’s rulers, the Maharajas. Some examples had bodywork decorated with intricate silverwork, or fabricated entirely in burnished copper, specifically designed to reflect the sunlight and create a dazzling spectacle to impress their audiences.

Almost half a century later, a Phantom VI built for the Lord Mayor of London featured a specially shaped central armrest in the rear cabin to help support the impressive but extremely weighty ceremonial mace – part of the incumbent’s official regalia – during public appearances.

PRIVACY AND EXCLUSIVITY: THE EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL SPACE

In stark contrast to their modern counterparts, these high-ranking early 20th century Phantom owners were generally remote figures, rarely seen and largely unknown to the public. A Bespoke Phantom was the perfect means to preserve their mystique, reinforcing their status while giving them complete control over their exposure to the public eye.

Many Phantoms featured rear cabins fitted with privacy curtains – a feature still available today. They were especially popular in India, where so-called ‘purdah’ motor cars were fitted with thick curtains to screen passengers from outside observation. Other exalted owners took a more direct, mechanical approach to maintaining their distance; a Phantom IV made for the British Royal Family had rear seats that were adjustable back and forth, so occupants could slide themselves in and out of view as the situation demanded.

This royal motor car’s successor, Phantom V, featured a transparent Perspex dome, giving the same visibility as an open car. Once necessary appearances were concluded, a two-piece aluminium cover, stowed in the luggage compartment, could be secured over the top to provide complete privacy.

CONFIDENCE AND CONFIDENTIALITY: PHANTOM AND THE AGE OF FAME

As the 20th century progressed, increasing public interest in prominent people’s lives, fuelled by the growth of mass media, made Phantom’s role as a sanctuary even more important. Celebrity owners frequently specified tinted rear windows: among the first cars in Britain to be equipped with them was the Phantom V commissioned by John Lennon in 1965.

Whether public figures or private clients, many Phantom owners used their motor cars to hold confidential discussions. There are numerous examples of Phantoms fitted with a soundproofed partition incorporating electric communication controls, so the rear-seat passengers could communicate with the chauffeur when necessary, but could not be overheard at other times. This feature is still available today with the marque’s Privacy Suite.

Secrecy and discretion could take other forms. In 1928, Otto Oppenheimer, a British businessman who ran the London operations of the De Beers diamond company, specified his Phantom I, known as ‘The Black Diamond’, with a secret compartment to transport uncut diamonds. Its location was known only to him, coachbuilder Hooper & Co. and Rolls-Royce. Almost a century later, this motor car’s beauty and mystique were reaffirmed when it was named overall winner of the prestigious Cartier Style et Luxe Concours at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

EXTRAVAGANCE TO UNDERSTATEMENT: THE CHANGING FACE OF LUXURY

While Phantom has long been the preferred motor car of the world’s wealthiest people, how they choose to express their success continually evolves. When Phantom debuted in 1925, the Art Deco movement was at its peak. The influence of this sleek industrial aesthetic, built on sharp geometric shapes and gleaming metallic surfaces, is clearly visible in Phantom III, launched in 1936. One example even featured polished copper wings, and many more incorporated decorative Art Deco flashes and motifs.

These commissions offer a vivid insight into the period’s perceptions of luxury, which leaned towards the lavish and opulent, with gold-plated brightwork, gold and silver inlays and interior fittings, intricate marquetry, exotic wood veneers, and soft furnishings finished in materials such as astrakhan wool and damask.

One of the most extravagant commissions was ‘The Phantom of Love’, created in 1926 by Clarence Gasque, finance director of Woolworths UK stores, as a gift for his wife, Maude. Inspired by an 18th century sedan chair in the Victoria & Albert Museum, the interior was conceived as a tribute to her passion for French design and history. With an unlimited budget, Wolverhampton coachbuilders Charles Clark & Sons created an interior worthy of Versailles, complete with Aubusson tapestry upholstery, a hand-painted ceiling with gilded cornices, and a Louis XIV-style drinks cabinet topped with an ormolu clock and porcelain vases of gilded metal and enamel flowers.

This was a time when some of the most spectacularly eccentric commissions in Rolls-Royce history were brought to life. Gerald Tyrwhitt, 14th Baron Berners — famous for dyeing pigeons in a variety of pastel hues at his Oxfordshire estate — specified a clavichord keyboard beneath the front seat. Mrs E. Churchill-Wylie went further still, commissioning a Phantom equipped with a bar, gramophone, picnic set, writing desk, cigar cabinet and boot-mounted wash basin.

The following decades saw a shift toward more understated commissions, where material provenance and quality spoke louder than decoration. William Playne Twill – an English take on Scottish tweed – was popular for its handsome, pinstriped finish. Though no longer in production, it remains highly prized by collectors. Equally favoured was ‘West of England’ cloth, sourced from traditional woollen mills in the South West of England and offered in a wide variety of colours. Her Majesty the Queen favoured Light Grey and Baroda Blue in her Phantoms of the 1950s and 60s.

LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT: THE MOTOR CAR AS A SOCIAL SPACE

Favoured by crowned heads and the international elite, Phantom quickly became a fixture of high society. Its first decade was defined by Art Deco elegance — what followed introduced a more discreet kind of indulgence.

For clients in the United States, this was the era of Prohibition. For those with sufficient thirst and imagination, Phantom could offer some relief. Several socialites – including one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era – specified a secret compartment to transport liquor in defiance of the law; one Phantom II Continental had what the order coyly described as a ‘cocktail set’ concealed in the C-pillar.

With the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in December 1933, drinks cabinets were more openly commissioned, displayed and enjoyed. That spirit of celebration continues today, with Rolls-Royce offering a wide array of Bespoke accessories for those with a taste for the exceptional, including the Champagne Chest and Cocktail Hamper. This ethos is woven into the very fabric of the contemporary Phantom: its Champagne Cooler features two distinct settings, precisely calibrated for vintage and non-vintage cuvées.

Of course, entertainment was not limited to the liquid kind. Bespoke features commissioned beyond Prohibition reflected developments in technology as well as society. Phantom II 18GX is known to have been equipped with a wind-up gramophone; from the 1930s, radios were widely specified in Phantom III and its successors. In the 1960s, Phantom V 5LVA33 was among the first Rolls-Royce motor cars to be fitted with a television, at a time when just one in four British homes owned one.

Through the 1960s and 70s, television would also transform the careers and profiles of a new generation of rock and pop superstars, for whom Phantom was the only choice. These motor cars included some of the era’s most sophisticated and potent in-car audio systems, providing a template for today’s meticulously engineered Bespoke Audio system. However, one feature – a microphone fitted for Elvis Presley – has the unique distinction of only ever being requested once.

A CONTEMPORARY CANVAS: THE GOODWOOD ERA

Phantom commissions in Rolls-Royce’s early Goodwood era drew inspiration from an increasingly wide range of themes, reflecting the global nature of the reenergised brand and the diverse lives and passions of clients around the world.

One Phantom VII commission in particular marked a watershed moment, challenging Rolls-Royce to push its Bespoke capabilities beyond craftsmanship and into the realm of art. Phantom Serenity combines imperial silk, fine embroidery and hand-painting — the latter requiring artisans to undergo specialist training — to reimagine the rear suite as a garden sanctuary beneath flowering trees. The response was instant and global: Serenity had expanded the definition of luxury.

A similarly defining moment was the unveiling of Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed. Celebrated today as an expression of the marque’s own history and values, this motor car pays tribute to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s record-breaking feats in the Rolls-Royce-powered Bluebird K3 boat. Its striking Maggiore Blue paint finish, brushed steel deck and open-pore Abachi wood interior signalled a new era of creative and technical confidence within the Bespoke Collective.

These motor cars inspired more clients than ever to bring increasingly ambitious ideas to the marque. Among the many Bespoke Phantoms that Rolls-Royce has been graciously permitted to share with the world is Phantom Syntopia, a collaboration with Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen. Inspired by the intricate layering techniques of haute couture, this one-of-one commission included a silk headliner that took almost 700 collective hours to complete — as well as its own unique fragrance.

Phantom Scintilla, meanwhile, draws its creative energy from the marque’s own mythology. Designed to capture the fleeting wonder of the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine’s presence, it incorporates Bespoke features inspired by the apparent movement of ‘Eleanor’s’ robes. These include expansive interior embroideries comprising 869,500 stitches, and an animated Starlight Headliner completed with 4,450 perforations that reveal subtle flashes of a metallic silver fabric beneath.

These motor cars represent just a glimpse of the remarkable diversity of Bespoke Phantom commissions created at Goodwood. Each is a singular response to a client’s vision, and with new inspirations drawn from ever more unexpected worlds, the next chapter promises to be even more extraordinary.

A CENTURY OF CULTURAL EXPRESSION

The first century of Bespoke Phantom motor cars underlines a simple truth; as the ultimate canvas for self-expression, Phantom – more than any other motor car in history – reflects its owners, and the world and eras in which they live. Every individual example expresses and preserves the tastes, attitudes, cultural conventions and aesthetic influences of its own era – a unique work of history and art that tells a deeply personal story. Over a century of evolution, one thing has remained constant. Through Bespoke, Phantom is not only the best car in the world: it is the best car for its owner and their world. 

• Rolls-Royce presents Spectre Bailey – an enchanting one-of-one commission inspired by the clients’ beloved pet
• Features lifelike marquetry, depicting Bailey’s portrait on the rear Waterfall and comprising more than 180 pieces of veneer
• Bailey's paw print presented in marquetry on the passenger panel and Coachline motif
• Created for longstanding Rolls-Royce clients based in the United States
• Curated through Private Office New York, an invitation-only space for Bespoke commissioning

“We are lifelong car enthusiasts, yes, but we are also lifelong animal lovers, and our dog Bailey is a cherished member of our family. When we started our Rolls-Royce Spectre commission, we saw the opportunity to create something beautiful which would remind us of him for decades to come. Working with the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, we were surprised at every turn with their wonderful ideas – the wood inlay, or the paw prints on the sill – which added so much to the experience. Spectre Bailey is everything we hoped for and more; it’s a joyful tribute to our loyal companion.”
Commissioning Clients, Rolls-Royce Spectre Bailey

“For Rolls-Royce, one of the great joys of a Bespoke commission is becoming immersed in the client’s world and the unique story behind their vision. This is perfectly captured by Spectre Bailey, a charming commission that reaffirms that inspiration can come from anywhere. Our team was absolutely delighted to collaborate with our long-standing clients to bring this concept to life in a playful yet timeless manner, reflecting the special place Bailey holds in their hearts.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars introduces Spectre Bailey, a charming tribute to the commissioning clients’ beloved dog, a Labrador-Golden Retriever mix, and the joyful life they share. Created for a long-standing Rolls-Royce client couple based in the United States, Spectre Bailey demonstrates the power of Bespoke in creating a truly memorable motor car with enduring personal meaning.


BESPOKE PAINT FOR SPECTRE BAILEY: A COAT OF CHARACTER

For Spectre Bailey, paint specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood developed an iridescent two-tone finish, combining paint colours reserved exclusively for the commissioning clients. The main body is finished in Crystal Fusion over Beautiful Bailey, a hue inspired by the soft fur on Bailey’s ear; the upper section gleams in Crystal Fusion, a dynamic, iridescent finish that shifts subtly with the light. The shoulder Coachline features an exact reproduction of Bailey’s paw print, hand-painted in Rose Gold to match the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine.


INTERIOR SUITE: UNIQUE FROM NOSE TO TAIL

The interior of Spectre Bailey is presented in Moccasin and Crème Light leather, beautifully complemented by Dark Spice and Casden Tan accents, reminiscent of Bailey’s fur colour. The wood surfaces are finished in High Gloss Royal Walnut veneer.

The centrepiece of the interior is a lifelike marquetry portrait of Bailey, positioned on the Waterfall between the rear seats. The intricate composition took more than four months to complete and comprises more than 180 pieces of veneer. To capture the warmth and texture of Bailey’s coat, the artisan explored a rich spectrum of natural veneers, experimenting with grain direction, tone, and texture. Each sheet was chosen for its natural hue and pattern, with no staining or artificial treatment. Bailey’s tongue alone was crafted using four veneers never previously employed by Rolls-Royce – Purple Heart, Tulipwood, Louro Faia, and Pear – selected for their subtle colour variations. In total, nine veneers were used, representing 22 natural shades, to create a portrait of remarkable warmth and realism.

On the passenger side of the dashboard, a smaller marquetry motif offers another tribute to Bailey, depicting a precise recreation of his paw print. This design also appears as an engraving on the surround of the Bespoke Rose Gold treadplates on the door sills, revealed in a moment of quiet delight when the doors are opened.


SPECTRE BAILEY: A LASTING TRIBUTE TO A LOYAL FRIEND

Spectre Bailey is a joyful expression of devotion, handcrafted with precision, quiet whimsy and affection. It’s a motor car that celebrates a beloved companion, and the boundless possibilities of Bespoke.

• Rolls-Royce reveals the most intricate woodwork in the marque’s history
• Introduces three Rolls-Royce firsts: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering, and 24-carat gold leafing
• Artisans undertook special training as part of a one-year development process
• Extraordinary interior reserved for an exclusive Rolls-Royce Private Collection, soon to be revealed to celebrate Phantom’s centenary

“Our Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers are exceptional at what they do. To honour Phantom in its centenary year, they pioneered groundbreaking techniques in their mastery of wood, combining 3D ink layering, 3D marquetry and gilding within a single surface. These intricate processes push materials to the limits of their natural tolerance, transforming each panel into a stunning, tactile sculpture. Having seen first-hand the challenges and possibilities with wood techniques at Rolls-Royce, I can say with certainty that the Collective has unlocked remarkable new possibilities for Bespoke, a breakthrough made possible by their extraordinary dedication to the Phantom nameplate on its 100th anniversary.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


In 2025, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks the centenary of Phantom – a name that has defined the pinnacle of luxury for 100 years. Across decades and continents, Phantom has remained the measure of what can be achieved when the rarest and most precious materials are placed in the hands of master craftspeople.

To mark this milestone, Rolls-Royce will soon unveil an exclusive Private Collection. For this landmark motor car, which honours the brand’s pinnacle product, designers, craftspeople and engineers pushed their artistry further than ever, developing three woodworking techniques never before seen on a Rolls-Royce: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering and gold leafing.

Each composition tells a different story – first sketched by hand, then translated into digital form and recreated in wood – capturing places, moments and journeys that have shaped Phantom’s legend. These innovations give the woodwork an intricacy and richness that hint at the extraordinary methods and technologies behind their creation.


THE PINNACLE OF CRAFT: THE MOST INTRICATE DOORS IN ROLLS-ROYCE HISTORY

The interior door treatment created for the upcoming Private Collection to celebrate Phantom’s centenary is the most complex and detailed in Rolls-Royce history, with every journey etched into its surfaces – a tribute to Phantom’s 100-year legend. It took a full year to develop these pieces alone, pushing the medium of veneer to its sculptural limits, just as Phantom itself has pushed the definition of what a motor car can represent. The artwork visually blends geographical maps, winding routes, sweeping landscapes, floral elements and depictions of experimental models into a single, stunning composition.

The creation of the door pieces is achieved by individually crafting sections of the overall composition and then assembling them like an intricate mosaic. Rendered in Blackwood, selected for its unique grain pattern, the design uses textures, contrasts and reflectivity to celebrate the material, creating a rich visual effect with a monochromatic palette.

Oversized veneer sheets were specially commissioned for this project to accommodate the generous size of Phantom’s doors. Based on the natural grain pattern of the piece, each of the large veneer leaves is assigned to a specific section of the composition. The designer responsible gave particular consideration to how the grain catches the light at different angles, ensuring that new details and textures are revealed at every glance.

To ensure nothing detracts from the overall composition, Phantom’s metal speaker grilles are replaced by small openings milled directly into the wood. The expansive panel is then stained to ensure absolute colour uniformity.


LASER-ETCHED ELEMENTS

The design motifs, which include maps, landscapes, flowers and trees, are etched onto the wood at three different depths using a laser, each line of light and shadow carrying echoes of Phantom’s century of stories. Areas more deeply-etched into the wood appear to be darker, providing a contrast to the more reflective surface of the unetched veneer. This produces subtle shifts in colour and light, adding a sense of movement and texture beyond the linework.


REFINED DETAILS: 3D INK LAYERING

In contrast to the recessed, etched motifs, the marque’s artisans developed a 3D ink layering technology to add fine textures and intricate patterns directly onto the surface of the wood, building Phantom’s narrative in gradual strokes. Built from individual layers, these embellishments achieve an extraordinary level of precision and clarity.


SCULPTURAL ELEGANCE: 3D MARQUETRY

To add further texture to the artwork, the designer employed 3D marquetry. This introduces raised motifs, embellished with engraving and 3D ink layering, on top of the main wood surface, allowing Phantom’s history to rise in new dimensions and be felt as much as seen. This three-dimensional approach adds depth, detail, and a sense of tactile intrigue, inviting occupants to explore the motor car’s surfaces and textures with their hands.


PRECIOUS METALWORK: THE ART OF GOLD LEAFING

This unique woodwork introduces another Rolls-Royce first: gilding, also known as gold leafing, transforming Phantom’s most significant journeys into luminous threads of history. Drawing on centuries-old cabinet-making traditions, this process was adapted and perfected by Rolls-Royce to meet the marque’s extreme temperature and humidity testing parameters. Five artisans from the Interior Surface Centre undertook a specialist course at West Dean College, a celebrated centre of craftsmanship in West Sussex, to master the technique.

Once the wood sections were completed, artisans used 24-carat gold leaves to depict roads on the map section – each one a gold thread in Phantom’s story. Squares of gold leaf, typically just 0.1 micrometres (or 100 nanometres) thick, are hand-laid then sealed with a protective coating that achieves a hard-wearing, high-gloss finish. The ‘road’ is precision-cut and inlaid within the marquetry composition.

In its complexity, precision and visual effect, this remarkable wood treatment represents a completely new form of wood sculpting and a significant evolution in contemporary craft. It is only fitting that these exquisite innovations will first debut on a Private Collection celebrating Phantom, the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates locations and moments that influenced Phantom’s evolution
• A 100-year odyssey, taking in Côte d’Azur, London, Sussex and the Australian Outback
• Highlights key individuals and landmarks in Phantom’s technical development

 
“Phantom has always been defined by the people who commission it, and the places in which they use it. As an exemplar of excellence, Phantom has inhabited and been influenced by locations worldwide, from the glamorous Côte d’Azur to the peaceful Sussex countryside, and from the bustling heart of London to the vast wilderness of the Australian Outback. Each stage in this 100-year odyssey has shaped Phantom’s character and helped secure its place in cultural history. As we mark Phantom’s centenary, we reflect on some of the most important places, events and people that have made our pinnacle motor car everything it is today, and informed a new and extraordinary Bespoke creation soon to be revealed.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


The story of Phantom spans 100 years, and the entire world. Today, Phantom owners can be found in over 100 countries on six continents, with each individual motor car commissioned to satisfy both its owner’s personal tastes and codes of luxury, and the specific conditions and surroundings in which it operates.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects on some of the key locations, moments and people that have shaped Phantom’s development and philosophy from its launch in 1925 to the present day.


LE RAYOL-CANADEL-SUR-MER: ENGINEERING AN ICON

From 1911 until his death in 1933, Sir Henry Royce spent the winter months in the South of France, at a secluded retreat on the Côte d’Azur. He initially stayed at Claude Johnson’s villa, until Villa Mimosa was completed in 1917; Royce used this location to test and refine many Rolls-Royces, including the first motor car to bear the Phantom nameplate.

The combination of high-speed cruising from England to France and the Riviera’s sweeping, cinematic corniches provided the ultimate environment for assessment and improvement. From Villa Mimosa, Royce obsessively refined Phantom to deliver an experience as singular then as it is today: the effortless command of immense power.

The influence of Sir Henry’s winter residence is enshrined in modern materials used by the marque, including Canadel interior wood panelling, and Duality Twill bamboo fabric inspired by the extensive groves in Le Jardin des Méditerranées, which adjoins Villa Mimosa.


WEST WITTERING: THE QUIET PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

In the warmer months, Sir Henry returned from France to Elmstead, his beloved home in the village of West Wittering on the Sussex coast. Just eight miles from the present-day Home of Rolls-Royce, Elmstead remains a place of pilgrimage for enthusiasts, providing a personal and emotional connection to one of the founders that resonates throughout the company today.

As he had done at Villa Mimosa, Royce set up a separate studio nearby for his team of designers and engineers. Although the Rolls-Royce factory was halfway across the country in Derby, Royce still insisted on signing off every new component personally, so motor cars arrived almost daily to be inspected, adjusted and approved before returning. Each journey was a round trip of over 400 miles, and some of these same roads are still used by the marque’s test and development specialists to this day.

Alongside Elmstead, Royce acquired 60 acres of land, where he devoted himself to agriculture and horticulture with characteristic zeal and almost obsessive attention to detail; qualities that extended even to his leisure pursuits. A skilled engineering draughtsman, Royce also became a highly accomplished watercolourist. His exquisite studies of scenes in West Wittering and Le Canadel still provide inspiration for Rolls-Royce designers seeking to immerse themselves in his world.


LONDON: A CENTURY OF INFLUENCE

For all its global reach, London remains Phantom’s spiritual home. For much of the twentieth century, Rolls-Royce was based at 14-15 Conduit Street, near Savile Row in London’s fashionable Mayfair, where Charles Rolls had established one of Britain’s first car showrooms in 1905. Here, Rolls conducted demonstration drives of early motor cars and met clients from London’s social elite. The building’s role in automotive history was commemorated by English Heritage in 2010 with a Blue Plaque, unveiled by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.

London also played a pivotal role in Phantom’s renaissance. In the late 1990s, the marque’s designers established a secret studio in a former bank building on the north side of Hyde Park. In what was known simply as ‘The Bank’, a handpicked team, led by Chief Designer Ian Cameron, worked on a secret project codenamed RR01.

Cameron and his team’s brief was simple, but enormously ambitious: to create a new Rolls-Royce from a blank sheet of paper. They were given only three stipulations: the car should have very large wheels, the famous Pantheon Grille and, of course, the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.

Chief Exterior Designer Marek Djordjevic turned to designs from the past for inspiration. A coachbuilt Phantom II from the early 1930s would prove the most influential, providing the design elements that still inform every Goodwood-era Rolls-Royce – most notably the famous ‘waft line’, rising from rear to front along the lower edge of the body, reminiscent of a motor yacht at speed.


AUSTRALIA: A NEW ERA BEGINS

The first Goodwood Phantom made its global debut on 1 January 2003, where it was handed over to its new owner at exactly 00:01. The delighted client wished to immerse themselves in this grand and contemporary expression of the marque, and so began a 4,500-mile journey from Perth across the Australian continent. It was an audacious statement – and a bold demonstration that Phantom had not only returned, but was ready to define a new era of global luxury travel. In a fitting full-circle moment, that very same Phantom returned to the Home of Rolls-Royce in August 2025 – Phantom’s centenary year – to undergo a detailed inspection by the marque’s engineers.


102EX: AN ELECTRIC VISION

Following Phantom’s highly successful market introduction, engineers within Rolls-Royce began thinking about the marque’s longer-term future. Reflecting the Rolls-Royce’s visionary spirit, a small team considered a wide range of powertrains that would be suitable for the brand’s electric future and amplify the qualities clients celebrated about their Rolls-Royce.

In 2011, Rolls-Royce revealed 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE): a fully electric Phantom. Though never intended for production, this experimental motor car offered the first glimpse of how the brand might harness battery-electric technology to elevate the wider Rolls-Royce experience. It marked the beginning of a bold electric journey – one that would carry the marque into the present day, and beyond.


THE FUTURE OF PHANTOM, TOLD THROUGH ITS LEGACY

Phantom’s remarkable history remains a constant source of inspiration within Rolls-Royce. The centenary year of this nameplate, celebrated in 2025, offers a fitting moment to honour the individuals and ideas that have shaped Phantom’s first 100 years. From world-renowned artists to musical pioneers, Phantom has been chosen by those who truly shape our world. It has served monarchs, statesmen and captains of industry – and, above all, remains a tribute to the vision of the marque’s founders, Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce.

Across generations, Phantom has revealed its unique breadth and brilliance – as a studio, stage, state room and gallery. These stories will soon be brought together in a landmark Bespoke motor car that captures Phantom’s singular legacy, honours an extraordinary milestone, and represents the continuation of one of the most illustrious journeys in automotive history.

Click here to view Rolls-Royce I Phantom Returns Home.

• Rolls-Royce presents Cullinan Cosmos: a one-of-one commission inspired by space
• First Rolls-Royce in history to feature a fully hand-painted Starlight Headliner
• Starlight Headliner developed over 160 hours by an in-house Rolls-Royce artist
• Bespoke detailing based on a specially created Star Cluster motif
• Cullinan Cosmos commissioned through Private Office Dubai

 
“We wanted to create something our family would remember forever: a Rolls-Royce that captures the essence of the cosmos and shows that no dream is out of reach.”
Commissioning Client, Cullinan Cosmos

“Space travel is an enduring fascination for the commissioning clients of this extraordinary one-of-one motor car. For the Bespoke Collective, this project also explored new frontiers, with our first-ever hand-painted Starlight Headliner. Bold in its conception and spectacular in its realisation, this commission demonstrates how Rolls-Royce brings clients’ otherworldly visions to life with drama, depth, and absolute precision.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce presents Cullinan Cosmos: a one-of-one commission that celebrates the drama of outer space. Commissioned by a family who shares a fascination for the universe with their four-year-old son, this theme was brought to life through a constellation of Bespoke details. At its centre is a Rolls-Royce first – a hand-painted Starlight Headliner painstakingly developed by one of the marque’s in-house artists over 160 hours.


EXTERIOR PALETTE: OUTER LIMITS
Cullinan Cosmos is finished in shimmering Arabescato Pearl, recalling the soft lustre of moonlight across a midnight sky. The exterior is completed with a hand-painted twin coachline in Charles Blue and an Illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy that glows like a distant star by night.


INTERIOR SUITE: EXPLORING INNER SPACE
The interior of Cullinan Cosmos offers a calm, meditative environment, inspired by the stillness and wonder of deep space. The reclining seats are finished in Charles Blue and Grace White leather with matching Grace White contrast stitching and piping. Piano White veneers add a crisp, technical edge that subtly echoes the high-gloss surfaces of satellite casings.

The commissioning clients worked with Rolls-Royce designers to create a unique Star Cluster motif, which appears as Bespoke embroidery on the door panels and headrests, and as a hand-painted artwork on the front passenger fascia.


HAND-PAINTED STARLIGHT HEADLINER: NEW HORIZONS
Cullinan Cosmos features the first fully hand-painted Starlight Headliner ever created for a Rolls-Royce motor car. Developed over 160 hours and painted entirely freehand by one of the marque’s in-house artists, it depicts an ethereal interpretation of the Milky Way – the hazy band of stars and cosmic mist visible in the night sky – colour-graded to complement the Bespoke interior palette.

To create the luminous cloud formations, the artist used more than 20 successive applications of acrylic paint, building depth and dimension with a variety of brushes. To achieve the mist effect, the artist turned to an unexpected tool – a makeup brush – to allow the lightest layer of pigments to dry delicately on contact.

The shimmering field of painted ‘stars’ was formed using a combination of fine, pointed brushes and a speckling technique, giving the final composition an organic, celestial quality. Only once the painting on the Starlight Headliner was completed and sealed were the fibre-optic perforations individually punched and positioned by hand to complement the contours of the artwork.

Cullinan Cosmos was commissioned through Private Office Dubai, one of a number of Rolls-Royce’s international Private Offices created to bring the full capabilities of the Bespoke Collective closer to the brand’s most visionary clients.

Cullinan Cosmos was delivered to the commissioning family in time for a special occasion – ready to transform every journey into a voyage through the stars.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks 100 years of Phantom at Goodwood Revival 2025
• Five magnificent examples of historic Phantoms displayed on the Aerodrome Lawn
• On-track appearances by four Phantom course cars throughout the event
• Continues a year-long centenary celebration of the marque’s pinnacle product

“No motor car has played such a pivotal role in shaping automotive and cultural history as the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Over eight generations spanning 100 years – a remarkable anniversary we’re honouring throughout 2025 – it has represented the very best in engineering, comfort and personal expression for its owners, and won admirers around the world. Goodwood Revival – on the doorstep of the Home of Rolls-Royce – is the perfect setting in which to celebrate this extraordinary motor car and its continuing legacy, with five of the most distinctive and historically important Phantoms ever created on public display. They vividly illustrate the aesthetic, technical and emotional through-lines that connect the original ‘New Phantom’ created by Henry Royce in 1925 to the highly Bespoke Phantom commissions we bring to life for our clients a century later.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues its year-long programme marking the centenary of its pinnacle product, Phantom, at this weekend’s Goodwood Revival.

The centrepiece of the marque’s annual presence at the event will be a display on the Aerodrome Lawn, consisting of five magnificent Phantoms representing key moments and developments in the model’s 100-year history.

The selected motor cars are:


PHANTOM I BROUGHAM DE VILLE – ‘THE PHANTOM OF LOVE’

Dating from 1926 – the year after the original New Phantom was launched – this celebrated motor car is one of the finest examples of automotive art and craftsmanship ever created. It was commissioned by Clarence Warren Gasque as a gift for his wife, Maude, an heiress to the Woolworth family fortune, and was both a magnificent monument to his devotion, and an immoderate homage to her passion for 18th Century French history and design. Interior details include bespoke Aubusson tapestries, a hand-painted ceiling with gilded cornices, and a drinks cabinet topped with a French Ormolu clock and a pair of French porcelain vases filled with gilded metal and enamel flowers.


PHANTOM II CONTINENTAL TOURING PARK WARD

The now rare and highly prized Phantom II Continental was the production version of an experimental compact, sporting Phantom II variant produced for Henry Royce’s personal use. It was designed for high-speed touring over long distances on the smooth, straight roads of Europe and one of the few Phantoms of its era in which weight, wind resistance and other performance-related factors were as important as passenger comfort. This example, chassis 92PY, was commissioned by Mr A Y Gowen, an American industrialist who owned 16 Rolls-Royce motor cars during his lifetime. Intended for his travels around Europe, it’s fitted with a sunroof as well as the unique yellow tinted sun visor.


PHANTOM III

This beautiful motor car was originally ordered and delivered to Major Frederick Warren Pearl of Eaton Square, London SW1, in 1937. It passed through a number of hands before being exported to the United States. In 1989 it was repatriated to the UK and acquired by its current owner in 1995, following a comprehensive restoration.


PHANTOM IV LANDAULETTE

Phantom IV is the most exclusive model to bear the Phantom name: just 18 examples were produced between 1950 and 1956 and were offered only to royal families and heads of state. The chassis was 23.5 inches longer than that of the similar Silver Wraith; it was also the only Rolls-Royce to be fitted with a straight 8-cylinder engine. Phantom IV is still used by the British royal family for state occasions.


PHANTOM V

A magnificent and rare Rolls-Royce Phantom V with coachwork by James Young, this elegant PV22 model is finished in its original Midnight Blue. It was ordered by Marks & Spencer in January 1963 for the use of its chairman, Lord Marks, and delivered to him in March 1964. In perfect mechanical order, it has covered just 92,000 documented miles from new.

During the Revival, Phantom will also make regular appearances on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit. Four Phantom course cars will run from the assembly area between each race, demonstrating the power, precision and dynamic ability that continue to define Phantom as ‘the best car in the world’ after 100 years.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Spectre Inspired by Primavera
• A Bespoke series inspired by the transient beauty of springtime
• Includes three expressions celebrating different aspects of the season
• Features Blackwood interior panels, engraved with a cherry blossom motif
• Delicate hand-painted floral coachline motif
• New 23-inch wheel design, inspired by a flower in bloom

“Spring is a moment of celebration in cultures around the world. It is associated with youth and romance, the return of light and warmth after the darkness of winter. Its joyous transformation is swift and fleeting, which makes it all the more precious. In Spectre Inspired by Primavera, we captured the emotions this moment brings for clients to enjoy all year round. There is a wonderful contrast at the heart of this Bespoke series: the transience of the season, expressed through the permanence of a Rolls-Royce. Spectre Inspired by Primavera reflects the constant evolution of Rolls-Royce Bespoke, which is shaped by the ever-changing imaginations of our clients.”

Martina Starke, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to announce Spectre Inspired by Primavera, a poetic exploration of spring expressed through a series of highly Bespoke motor cars. Named after the Italian word for spring, Spectre Inspired by Primavera features carefully curated Bespoke details that evoke the feeling of the season: delicate, uplifting, and alive with promise.

The Spectre Inspired by Primavera Bespoke series includes three distinct expressions –Evanescent, Reverie and Blossom. Each offers a different interpretation of the season, available to commission until the beginning of next year, with deliveries commencing ahead of spring 2026.


SPECTRE INSPIRED BY PRIMAVERA: A POETIC EXPRESSION OF THE SEASON

Presented in three different colourways, each motor car features a cherry blossom motif – an evocative emblem of spring. These floral elements were individually hand-sketched by a Rolls‑Royce Bespoke designer before being digitised and translated into exterior and interior features.

On the exterior, each motor car is distinguished by a hand-painted Coachline motif depicting a cherry branch in bloom. A new, intricate 23-inch alloy wheel design also debuts for this series, evoking a flower in bloom. Its directional form reminds petals gradually opening to meet the spring light – a subtle reference to nature’s vitality.

Cherry blossom continues inside: on the Illuminated Treadplates, which also bear the Spectre Inspired by Primavera name, and on the headrests, where a sculptural, silhouette-based stitch embroidery technique captures the appearance of petals.

The highlight of each motor car is a uniquely tactile detail: a Blackwood fascia and centre console etched with an expansive, blossoming cherry bough motif. This effect was achieved by experimenting with 37 different laser densities to create a balanced contrast against the polished wood surface, followed by the development of a special sanding process that preserves the detail without diminishing the finish.

Inspired by springtime’s changing constellations in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing the bright stars in Boötes, Leo and Virgo – known collectively as the ‘Spring Triangle’ – into view, each motor car features Starlight Doors, which include 4,796 hand-placed illuminations, and an Illuminated Fascia, depicting an abstract constellation of more than 5,500 individual ‘stars’ alongside the Spectre wordmark.


EVANESCENT: LUMINOUS BEAUTY

The ephemeral nature of spring and its beauty give Spectre Inspired by Primavera ‘Evanescent’ its name. The motor car’s design draws from the unruly beauty of wildflowers, which fill the fields, woods and hedgerows with their vibrant colours and myriad forms.

The motor car’s Crystal over Arctic White finish is complemented by a coachline, cherry blossom motif, pinstripe wheel centres and brake callipers in Turchese – a vivid accent that continues inside, paired with Grace White leather. A fine line of piping in Chartreuse adds a flash of contrast.


REVERIE: NATURE'S AWAKENING

Spectre Inspired by Primavera ‘Reverie’ explores the spiritual significance of spring, with its connections to new beginnings, vitality and a reawakening. In keeping with its name, this serene interpretation of Spectre cocoons its occupants in a dream-like atmosphere of absolute peace and serenity.

The exterior is finished in Duck Egg Blue with a Coachline and cherry blossom motif hand-painted in Forge Yellow to match the brake callipers and pinstripe wheel centres. The interior is a study in purity, combining Grace White and Charles Blue leather with vibrant Forge Yellow accents.


BLOSSOM: SEASON'S RENEWAL

Spring is a season of fleeting brilliance – a dazzling moment between dormancy and full bloom, when nature briefly reveals its most vivid and delicate forms.

Spectre Inspired by Primavera ‘Blossom’ captures this spirit through its Velvet Orchid Metallic exterior, a deep, expressive colour that evokes the richness and rarity of early spring blooms. A shoulder Coachline and floral motif, alongside brake callipers and pinstripe wheel centres in Forge Yellow, introduce graceful flashes of sunlight and energy.

Inside, the cabin pairs Grace White leather with rich Peony Pink accents, while Forge Yellow piping brings a final flourish of seasonal vibrancy.

Spectre Inspired by Primavera is a tribute to spring’s fleeting beauty and the emotions it evokes: preserved forever in the permanence of a Rolls-Royce commission.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates the enduring links between Phantom and the world of music
• Spanning every era of modern music, from jazz and rock to rap and R&B
• Embraced by artists from Marlene Dietrich to Sir Elton John, John Lennon and 50 Cent
• Explores Phantom as a canvas for personal expression and an icon of icons
• Click here to view Rolls-Royce I Behind The Scenes: Diving into Rock ‘n’ Roll Legend

“From the Golden Age of Hollywood to the rise of hip-hop, over the last 100 years, music artists have used Phantom to project their identity and challenge convention. Their motor cars often became icons in their own right, with a lasting place in the history of modern music. This enduring connection reminds us that Rolls-Royce and the extraordinary people who are part of the marque’s story are united by one ambition: to make their presence felt.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The connection between Rolls-Royce and the world of popular music is almost as old as the recording industry itself. Long before icons like John Lennon, Elvis Presley and Pharrell Williams wrote themselves into Phantom’s story, artists including Duke Ellington, Fred Astaire, Count Basie, Ravi Shankar, Edith Piaf and Sam Cooke all travelled by Rolls-Royce, recognising the brand as the definitive symbol of success and artistry. Personalities for whom the term ‘music mogul’ was created, including Brian Epstein, Berry Gordy and Ahmet Ertegun, were also among the marque’s most notable owners. Across genres, geographies and generations, Rolls-Royce remains the ultimate reward for creative brilliance and a canvas for personal expression.

Of all models, Phantom – the pinnacle of the marque – is the Rolls-Royce most closely associated with the world of music. Over eight generations and 100 years – a centenary the nameplate celebrates in 2025 – this extraordinary motor car has been consistently chosen by some of the most creative and influential figures in musical history. Phantom’s appeal to these individuals endures; it retains its status as the world’s pre-eminent luxury product, comprised of the very best in engineering excellence, fine materials and exquisite, highly skilled craftsmanship. It also offers its owner the freedom to define their identity – a quality that has helped many Phantoms owned by musical luminaries achieve legendary status in their own right.


MARLENE DIETRICH: FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN

Most actors travel to Hollywood in search of stardom. Marlene Dietrich arrived already part of the constellation. Fresh from her breakout role in The Blue Angel, and having introduced the world to what would become her signature song, Falling in Love Again, she travelled to California in 1930 to begin filming Morocco. Her welcome was as dramatic as her screen presence: at Paramount Studios, she was greeted not only with flowers, but with the gift of a green Rolls-Royce Phantom I. Morocco earned Dietrich an Academy Award nomination – and her Phantom also took its share of the spotlight, appearing in the film’s closing scenes and publicity images.


ELVIS PRESLEY: ALL SHOOK UP

In 1956, a self-titled album by a promising young singer named Elvis Presley became the first rock ‘n’ roll album to top the Billboard chart, where it remained for 10 weeks. In 1963, at the height of his fame, ‘The King’ bought a Midnight Blue Phantom V with a host of Bespoke features. In what may have been an early version of in-car karaoke, the features included a microphone, a writing pad in the rear armrest – ready for flashes of inspiration – along with a mirror and clothes brush to ensure Elvis was always ready to make an entrance. In a charming domestic detail, the original mirror-polished paint famously attracted the attention of Elvis’s mother’s chickens, which would peck at their reflection in the coachwork. The motor car was refinished in a lighter Silver Blue that did not show the chips.


JOHN LENNON: LOVE ME DO

In December 1964, John Lennon rewarded himself for The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night by commissioning a Phantom V. The motor car was entirely black, including the windows, bumpers and hub caps; it also boasted a cocktail cabinet and a television, as well as a refrigerator in the boot. However, like Elvis’s Phantom V, Lennon’s would also undergo a complete transformation. In May 1967, just before Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, the motor car was resprayed yellow, then hand-painted with swirls of red, orange, green and blue, with floral side panels and Lennon’s star sign, Libra, completing the motor car’s new persona.

For the younger generation, Lennon’s Phantom perfectly captured the mood of the carefree ‘Summer of Love’ that year. To their elders, it was an outrage, memorably summed up by a woman who, on seeing the Phantom driving down London’s Piccadilly, shouted, “How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!” before swatting at the paintwork with her umbrella. When the motor car was sold in 1985, it reached $2,299,000, almost 10 times the reserve price. It was both the most expensive piece of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia at the time, and the highest price ever achieved for a motor car sold by auction.

This Phantom is arguably the most famous Rolls-Royce connected with Lennon, but he owned another. Lennon purchased a white Rolls-Royce Phantom V in 1968 to coincide with the launch of the White Album and to mark a new phase of his life with Yoko Ono. This was characterised by his wearing white clothes, decorating the interior and exterior of his Berkshire home in bright white, and pursuing a distinctly minimalist aesthetic.

Originally commissioned in a two-tone black-over-green by Wing Commander Paddy Barthropp, a wartime Spitfire pilot turned chauffeur, Lennon individualised this motor car in line with his personal style at the time. He paid £12,000 – equivalent to the price of a sizeable house at the time – to have the motor car transformed to white inside and out, and had it fitted with a sunroof, Philips turntable, 8-track player, telephone and television. It would later appear in the Beatles film Let It Be, as well as Performance, which starred Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. In September 1969, Lennon sold the car to Allen Klein, founder of ABKCO Records and The Beatles’ manager at the time, for a reported $50,000.


LIBERACE: I’LL BE SEEING YOU

Another musical iconoclast was Władziu Valentino Liberace. Flamboyant and multi-talented, Liberace was the world’s highest-paid entertainer in the 1950s and ‘60s thanks to his TV shows and long residencies in Las Vegas. Among the extravagances that earned him the soubriquet ‘Mr Showmanship’ was a 1961 Phantom V covered in tiny mirror pieces that he would use to drive on stage during his long-running residency at the Las Vegas Hilton. The motor car appeared in the award-winning Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra, in which Michael Douglas recreated its short but famous journey.


SIR ELTON JOHN: A RIDE FOR THE ROCKETMAN

Liberace’s playing style influenced a generation of performers, including a budding pianist named Reginald Dwight, today known as Sir Elton John, who would later take inspiration from his hero by owning several Phantoms. In 1973, en route to a concert in Manchester in his white Phantom VI, Sir Elton saw a newer example in a showroom window. He instructed his chauffeur to stop, bought the car, and used it to complete his journey to the venue.

Later, he would update the Phantom with black paintwork, a black leather interior, tinted windows, a television, a video player, and even a fax machine. The most significant addition, however, was a bespoke audio system that was so powerful that the back windscreen had to be strengthened to prevent it from shattering when the volume was turned up.

Sir Elton also owned a Phantom V, for which he commissioned a striking pink-and-white exterior paint finish and matching interior. Following a tour of the USSR, where he was paid in coal, rather than cash, Sir Elton was unable to pay his musicians. Instead, he gave the Phantom to his percussionist, Ray Cooper, in lieu of a cash fee. Cooper later used the motor car to pick up a young Damon Albarn from school, who went on to find stardom of his own with Blur. History came full circle in 2020, when Albarn and his virtual band, Gorillaz, recorded The Pink Phantom, with Sir Elton appearing as a guest vocalist.


KEITH MOON: WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN?

Legend has it that, while celebrating his 21st birthday, the gifted but fatefully self-destructive drummer of The Who, Keith Moon, plunged his Rolls-Royce into the swimming pool at the Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan, creating one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most enduring legends.

Accounts of what really happened that night differ wildly. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1972, Moon stated the motor car was a Lincoln Continental belonging to another hotel guest; he said he let off the handbrake and rolled the car into the pool. Other party guests maintain that no motor car ended up in the pool at all. Whether a car ended up in the pool or not, the myth is so potent that it has become the definitive image of rock ‘n’ roll indulgence – and as such, the car in the pool could only be a Rolls-Royce.

To mark Phantom’s centenary and the motor car’s place in rock ‘n’ roll mythology, Rolls-Royce brought legend to life by submerging an Extended body shell – a retired prototype destined for recycling – in a swimming pool. The chosen location was Tinside Lido in Plymouth, England, a celebrated Art Deco landmark next to the English Channel. Linked to John Lennon, one of Phantom’s most famous clients, the Lido served as a backdrop to a photograph of The Beatles taken on 12 September 1967 during their visit whilst filming for The Magical Mystery Tour. That same year, Lennon unveiled his yellow, hand-painted Phantom V, further cementing the nameplate’s place in music legend.


HIP-HOP STAR

Since moving to Goodwood, where production began in 2003, Rolls-Royce has only strengthened its ties with contemporary music. By 2016, it had become the most name-checked brand in song lyrics, driven in part by the meteoric rise of hip-hop. The genre was a cultural powerhouse by the 1990s, and a household staple at the turn of the century, coinciding with Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood renaissance and the launch of Phantom VII in 2003.

A year later, Pharrell Williams and Calvin ‘Snoop Dogg’ Broadus Jr, would famously feature a Phantom VII in the 2004 music video for Drop It Like It’s Hot, which would top the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and commence Phantom’s lasting connection with the genre’s most influential artists. Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson appeared in the TV series Entourage in a Phantom VII Drophead Coupé – a scene that would go on to become a widely shared meme; Tha Carter II by Dwayne ‘Lil Wayne’ Carter is one of many albums to feature Phantom on its cover. The genre has also played a key role in popularising one of the marque’s most distinctive features: Starlight Headliner. The phrase ‘stars in the roof’ – and its variations – recurs in rap lyrics and has become a suitably poetic shorthand for Rolls-Royce ownership.


ENCORE: PHANTOM’S LASTING LEGACY

Phantom has maintained a constant, evolving presence in the story of modern music. In each era, it has offered artists and innovators a means of self-expression, aspiration and identity. As Phantom enters its second century, it continues to symbolise success, individuality, and the power of human imagination.

Click here to view Rolls-Royce I Behind The Scenes: Diving into Rock ‘n’ Roll Legend.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates Phantom’s century-long presence in the art world
• How Phantom was connected to leading artists, and how it became art itself
• Art for every Phantom: Charles Sykes and the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot

“For 100 years, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has moved in the same circles as the world’s leading artists. As a symbol of self-expression, Phantom has often featured in incidents of creative significance – many of them defining moments of the last decade. As we mark Phantom’s centenary, it is the perfect time to reflect on this motor car’s endlessly intriguing legacy and the artistic personalities who played a role in shaping its story.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce has been associated with the greatest names in contemporary art since its foundation. Masters including Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Christian ‘Bébé’ Bérard and Cecil Beaton all travelled by Rolls-Royce. Dame Laura Knight, the first woman elected to full membership of the Royal Academy of Arts, even used a Rolls-Royce as a mobile studio, painting from its interior at racecourses such as Epsom and Ascot. The world’s most notable collectors, too, were drawn to the brand, among them Jacquelyn de Rothschild, Peggy Guggenheim and Nelson Rockefeller.

However, it is Phantom, the marque’s pinnacle product which celebrates its centenary in 2025, that is most closely linked to the art world. Over eight generations and 100 years, this motor car has been owned by some of the most famous creatives in modern history. Phantom itself has been exhibited in galleries around the world as an artwork in its own right – from institutional collections, such as London’s Saatchi Gallery and the Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, to countless independent galleries and exhibition spaces.

This enduring connection between Phantom and the art world reflects a long tradition of creative exchange. Over the years, Phantom has attracted the most vivid artistic imaginations, giving rise to encounters that are as unexpected as they are unforgettable.


SALVADOR DALÍ, THE CAULIFLOWER, AND THE FROZEN PHANTOM

Anyone rejoicing in the title Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol, is always likely to attract attention. But the Spanish artist better known by his abbreviated name, Salvador Dalí, nevertheless went out of his way to occupy the limelight. Having shocked the art world with his surrealist images of nightmarish landscapes, chimeric animals, suggestive food and melting clocks, he was eager to bring his unique brand of excess and eccentricity to a wider audience.

In the winter of 1955, he was asked to give a lecture at Paris-Sorbonne University. Seeing a golden opportunity to create a moment in modern art, Dalí borrowed a friend’s black and yellow Phantom and filled it with 500kg (1,100lb) of cauliflowers.

After a wild ride through the streets of Paris in his brassica-laden motor car, Dalí pulled up outside the university and flung open the Phantom’s doors, sending the cauliflowers cascading to the cold December ground. How many of the 2,000-strong audience now remember his exposition on ‘Phenomenological Aspects of the Paranoiac Critical Method’ is debatable, but his arrival before the lecture became legendary.

To honour this defiantly surreal performance, Rolls-Royce has commissioned a contemporary artist to create an original artwork inspired by this gloriously eccentric, cauliflower-filled Phantom moment.

This memorable moment was not the only time Dalí immortalised Phantom. An artwork he produced for a 1934 illustrated book titled Les Chants de Maldoror (The Songs of Maldoror) incorporated a surreal interpretation of Phantom. In this piece, Dalí depicts the motor car stranded in a bleak, icy landscape, seemingly frozen in desolation. The image is both elegant and eerie, epitomising Dalí’s knack for juxtaposing opulence with the absurd.


ANDY WARHOL AND MORE THAN 15 MINUTES OF FAME

Dalí spent every autumn and winter in New York City, where he based himself in a suite at the St Regis Hotel in Manhattan. It was here, in 1965, that he first met a young visual artist named Andy Warhol. This seminal moment in art was captured by British photographer David McCabe, who later recalled: “Dalí turned the whole event into theatre. Andy was petrified".

Seen by many as Dalí’s natural successor, Warhol became one of the most influential artists of the 20^th century. Unlike his mentor, however, he actually owned a Phantom; a 1937 model that had been converted into a shooting brake in around 1947. In 1972, Warhol and his Swiss agent, Bruno Bischofberger, happened to pass an antique shop in Zurich where it was on sale. Warhol bought it on the spot and shipped it to New York. He owned the car until 1978, when he sold it to his friend and manager, Fred Hughes.

In tribute to Pop Art’s lasting impact, Rolls-Royce has commissioned a contemporary artist to reimagine Phantom in the style that propelled this bold style from Studio 54 into the cultural mainstream.


AN ARTWORK FOR EVERY PHANTOM: CHARLES SYKES AND THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY

This tradition of artistic collaboration and connection with the world’s most famous and provocative creatives dates back to Rolls-Royce’s earliest days, when a fine artist would sculpt the brand’s most enduring symbol.

Since 1911, Rolls-Royce motor cars have been graced with the most famous and evocative mascot in the world: the Spirit of Ecstasy. This defining feature of the brand’s iconography was originally created by talented and prolific artist Charles Robinson Sykes.

Following a scholarship at the Royal College of Art in London, in 1902 he was hired by The Hon. John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, to provide the illustrated elements of his magazine, The Car Illustrated. Later, Montagu asked Sykes to create a series of paintings depicting his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts. These images caught the attention of Claude ‘CJ’ Johnson, the marque’s first commercial managing director, who commissioned six Sykes oils showing Rolls-Royces arriving at locations including the opera, the golf links, and the salmon stream, for the company’s 1910-11 catalogue.

Soon afterwards – and despite Sir Henry Royce’s antipathy to the concept – CJ had decided Rolls-Royce needed an official mascot. He commissioned Sykes to create a sculpture inspired by the imposing Greek statue The Winged Victory of Samothrace, which he had admired at the Louvre in Paris. Sykes captured its impact, but created a more ethereal figure that better expressed his experience of travelling in a Rolls-Royce. Indeed, his daughter Jo recalled that he was "very impressed with the smoothness and speed of the car and imagined that even so delicate a thing as a fairy could ride on the bonnet without losing her balance".

Whatever Sykes’ primary inspiration had been, CJ was delighted with the new mascot and appointed Sykes as sole supplier in 1911. From then on, Sykes personally supervised his production team, with his daughter Jo succeeding him in 1928. Until Rolls-Royce took production in-house in 1948, every Phantom owner may therefore have unknowingly owned a Sykes original.

Though now best remembered for his work with Rolls-Royce, Sykes enjoyed a successful career as an artist. His work remains highly regarded and is held in several institutional collections, including the British Museum and the V&A in London.


PHANTOM: A CANVAS AND A CATALYST

As Phantom enters its second century, its artistic legacy feels more relevant than ever. For creatives and collectors, it remains both a canvas and a catalyst that offers visionary thinkers something rare: a form of expression that is personal, timeless, and charged with purpose.

• Clients welcomed to the French Riviera’s most celebrated addresses from 28 July to 3 August, including La Réserve Ramatuelle and Althoff Villa Belrose
• Collection of Bespoke motor cars and several soirées curated for clients visiting Saint-Tropez
• Reflects Rolls-Royce’s strategy to remain present in the world’s most rarefied locations

“Our summer programme in Saint-Tropez is a considered extension of our wider philosophy – to ensure our clients are never without the community, hospitality and access that Rolls-Royce provides, wherever they are in the world. Through this series of elegant engagements, set in some of the Riviera’s most sought-after addresses, Rolls-Royce affirms its role as both a curator of exceptional motor cars and a meaningful part of our clients’ lives.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

From 28 July to 3 August, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars returns to the French Riviera with a series of client experiences in Saint-Tropez. The marque will host private appointments, curated drive opportunities, and private gatherings in a number of landmark destinations, including La Réserve and Althoff Villa Belrose.

Each location brings its own expression of Riviera refinement. Hidden among pine groves and rocky coves, La Réserve pairs modernist minimalist architecture with extraordinary seclusion, offering a spectacular sea view. Althoff Villa Belrose, with its cascading terraces and panoramic views, evokes the relaxed grandeur of a private Mediterranean estate.

These destinations directly reflect the tastes and habits of Rolls-Royce clients, shaped by insights into where they choose to spend their summers. These are the places that inspire them, host them, and feel like home. The brand’s presence in each location is a natural extension of that understanding, offering opportunities to connect in the environments they already love.

From these venues, guests are invited to explore Rolls-Royce’s full contemporary product portfolio via 12 Bespoke motor cars on the sweeping corniches that the region is famed for. These coastal roads were once favoured by Sir Henry Royce, who refined early motor cars from his winter home in nearby Le Canadel – lending quiet continuity to today’s Riviera experience.

A discreet hospitality space is reserved for client meetings and gatherings at each address, while an exclusive Rolls-Royce moment at the famed Nikki Beach – long associated with the lively spirit of Saint-Tropez – will channel the joie de vivre that draws many of the marque’s clients to the Côte d’Azur during the summer.

Rolls-Royce’s Saint-Tropez programme also includes a series of private soirées and hosted dinners, allowing clients to celebrate shared passions, regional character, and the quietly assured glamour that defines Rolls-Royce.

Clients can confirm their attendance and make further arrangements via the marque’s private members’ app, Whispers.

• Rolls-Royce presents three Chinese Mural Art Bespoke commissions
• Unique details take cues from Dunhuang cave paintings dating back over 1,000 years
• Trio comprises Phantom Extended, Black Badge Cullinan, and Black Badge Spectre
• Phantom Extended features hand-painted Gallery artwork, inspired by the mural art
• Available through Rolls-Royce Private Office Shanghai

 
"The mural art of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves is one of the most powerful symbols of our cultural heritage here in China. These artworks, created across dynasties, reflect the abstract ideals that have shaped our country’s civilisation. Inspired by their colours, forms and symbolism, we reimagined these themes through hand-painted elements and carefully curated Bespoke features – a meaningful tribute that reflects Rolls-Royce’s creative dialogue with China in a youthful and contemporary manner.”
Shuai Feng, Bespoke Designer, Private Office Shanghai

Rolls-Royce presents three Bespoke motor cars inspired by the ancient mural paintings of Dunhuang, China. This extraordinary expression of cross-cultural artistry was commissioned through Private Office Shanghai, an invitation-only space in which the marque welcomes clients seeking to commission highly complex and deeply personal motor cars. The trio includes Phantom Extended, Black Badge Cullinan, and Black Badge Spectre.

All three motor cars feature new Bespoke exterior colours reserved exclusively for Private Office Shanghai clients, each inspired by local landscapes, art and cultural themes. These commissions also share a recurring design motif named Silken Spirit: conceived by Private Office Shanghai Bespoke Designer, Shuai Feng, the artwork is inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy and the flowing forms of imperial silk. The most detailed expression of the collection appears in the hand-painted Gallery artwork in Phantom Extended.


HONOURING A MARVEL

Over a thousand years ago, artists and craftspeople carved and painted the walls of a network of sacred caves in the mountains near Dunhuang, on the edge of the Gobi Desert. These sanctuaries house one of the world’s greatest collections of mural art, shaped by their unique position at the cultural crossroads of the ancient Silk Road. Today, they are honoured in a modern tribute from the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective.


PHANTOM EXTENDED

Phantom Extended is presented in a two-tone finish. The main body is finished in Ningye Purple, a colour inspired by the deep violet skies above the remote stretches of the Great Wall of China, and named after a poetic description of the hue from an 800 AD Tang Dynasty verse. The upper body is rendered in contrasting English White. A Silken Spirit motif is hand-painted on the C-pillar in Ningye Purple and completes the Grace White coachline.

The motif continues into the cabin, where it is depicted in a Bespoke Starlight Headliner with 1,344 hand-placed fibre-optic ‘stars’ and 192 ‘shooting stars’. The centrepiece of the interior is a hand-painted Bespoke Gallery artwork. The composition presents a landscape painting on black leather, completed with the Silken Spirit motif embroidered in white and black thread, evoking the movement of flying apsaras – celestial beings in Buddhist culture, which are prominently portrayed in the mural art.

“To bring this sense of depth and rhythm to the Gallery, I adapted a Chinese technique known as reduction block printing, where the artwork is gradually pressed onto a canvas using the same block of wood, re-crafted between paint layers. Once each layer is applied, the block is carefully re-carved to add depth and detail with the subsequent colour. Reinterpreting this method by hand, I used a fine sable brush in place of carved wood, painting every single colour individually and consecutively, allowing the image to emerge across the surface. Tiny areas of unpainted leather are deliberately left exposed, creating the illusion of carved block printing.”
Chloe Dowsett, Bespoke Artist, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The seating is finished in Black and Cashmere Grey leathers – a colourway that is reversed for the front seats, creating two unique ambiences within the motor car. The front and rear doors also feature expansive Canadel wood panelling in Piano Black and Cashmere Grey respectively. The rear door panels incorporate the Silken Spirit motif inlaid in stainless steel, and the symbol also appears on the rear waterfall section between the two rear seats.


BLACK BADGE CULLINAN

Black Badge Cullinan Series II is presented in Danqian Pink, a hue which extends to the centres of the 23-inch Black Badge forged wheels. Silken Spirit motifs on the twin Coachline and C-pillar are presented in Black.

The front seats are finished in Blushing Pink leather with Placed Perforation, which extends onto the front doors. The pattern is designed to evoke the shifting cloud formations above the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and comprises 107,000 0.8- and 1.2-millimetre perforations.

In the rear, Navy leather with Blushing Pink piping and stitching is used to create a deeper, more immersive environment. The Silken Spirit graphic is inlaid in stainless steel on the Technical Fibre front fascia and the waterfall between the rear seats.

A Bespoke Starlight Headliner harmonises the front and rear colour themes. The Silken Spirit motif is rendered as an abstract illuminated graphic, which glows with a soft Blushing Pink light, complete with white shooting ‘stars’.


BLACK BADGE SPECTRE

This bold expression of Black Badge Spectre is presented in a dramatic Aero two-tone. The body is finished in Qingshan Blue – inspired by the mountain blues and verdant tones depicted in the Dunhuang murals – and the upper portion, together with Silken Spirit motifs on the C-pillar and Coachline, is presented in contrasting Diamond Black. The exterior is further dramatised by an Illuminated Grille, presented in Turchese.

The front seats are completed in Turchese and Black leathers, and the rear seats are presented in Black with contrast white stitching and piping. This unique ‘split’ extends to the leather centre console and lambswool carpets, which are Turchese and Black respectively.

The Silken Spirit motif appears on Turchese Illuminated Treadplates. Further illuminations include Starlight Doors and a Bespoke Starlight Headliner with 1,344 ‘stars’ and 192 ‘shooting stars’, each individually hand-placed.


LASTING LEGACY

The Chinese Mural Arts Bespoke Commissions represent a cultural dialogue between past and present, East and West, tradition and innovation. Through this trio, Rolls-Royce honours the relevance of ancient artistic legacies and the resonance of heritage as a source of inspiration for contemporary expressions of luxury. In doing so, they demonstrate the power of Bespoke in translating nuanced stories through design and craftsmanship, inviting future commissions that explore other cultural narratives with equal depth, care and imagination.

• Rolls-Royce presents one-of-one Phantom Dentelle
• Features original design themes drawn from handmade couture lace
• Gallery embroidery comprises more than 160,000 stitches layered across eight techniques
• Intricate lace-inspired artwork extends from the Gallery to rear seat embroidery
• Bespoke two-tone finish with a floral coachline motif and Rose Gold Spirit of Ecstasy
• Commission facilitated by Rolls-Royce’s dedicated Private Office Dubai

 
“We always say that inspiration for a motor car commission can be found anywhere, and after more than two decades, our clients constantly prove how true this is. This stunning Phantom Dentelle, commissioned through Private Office Dubai, is an homage to the exquisite handmade lace used in some of the world’s leading haute couture ateliers. Using the medium of embroidery, we translated this delicate material into our pinnacle product, which, in its uniqueness, beauty and craftsmanship, can be regarded as an authentic expression of haute couture.”
Michelle Lusby, Private Office Dubai Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce presents a one-of-one Phantom Dentelle, commissioned by a Middle Eastern client as a gift for their father. This deeply personal project was curated through the marque’s Private Office Dubai.

The inspiration for this subtle and elegant commission was a piece of couture lace. The fabric – delicate lace crafted using a rare ‘Leavers loom’ – featured three-dimensional floral elements and soft pearl-like details. Its intricate textures and gentle palette formed the creative foundation for both the interior and exterior treatment.

INTERIOR SUITE: EXQUISITE EMBROIDERY INSPIRED BY LACE
Unique to Phantom, the Gallery runs the full width of the motor car’s fascia and is specifically designed to display a Bespoke artwork. For this one-of-one Phantom, Bespoke designers created a floral composition inspired by couture lace. The embroidery layers multiple stitch techniques, thread densities and tonal blends – including Rose Gold, Sunrise and Oatmeal – to evoke the textures of petals, ferns and lacework.

A filigree lace-like base is formed using a triple-run stitch, creating a fine mesh structure. Over this, satin stitch shapes the floral elements with a soft, silk-like sheen, while raised accents echo the original pearl details, catching the light with subtle depth. In total, the piece comprises more than 160,000 stitches.

The Waterfall section between the rear seats continues the floral theme with a delicate embroidery echoing the botanical detail in the Gallery design and comprising around 70,000 stitches. The speaker grilles are finished in Rose Gold, subtly complementing the embroidery tones.

“The embroidery detailing in the Gallery and rear Waterfall is incredibly complex and designed to capture the soft lustre of pearls. It catches the light as you move around the motor car – or as the sunlight shifts while driving – like the shimmer of a couture gown under flashbulbs on the red carpet. It brings a remarkable sense of movement and theatre to something entirely still.”
Brienny Dudley, Interior Trim Centre, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The interior is completed with Sunrise and Grace White leathers, embroidered ‘RR’ monograms on the front and rear headrests, and Piano White veneer.


EXTERIOR COACHWORK: A BESPOKE HUE AND HAND-PAINTED FLOURISH
Phantom Dentelle’s exterior is presented in a two-tone Bespoke finish. The lower body is finished in Crystal over Arctic White; the upper body in Crystal over Palais Nemasker Dawn – a colour reserved for the commissioning client’s exclusive use. The double coachline, rendered in Sunrise, resolves with a hand-painted motif depicting a leafy branch with pearl ‘berries’, reflecting the artwork theme inside.

The motor car rides on 22” Fully Polished Disc wheels with body-coloured centres and Arctic White centre pinstripes. The polished Pantheon Grille is crowned with the Spirit of Ecstasy in Rose Gold; the same precious metal is used for the Bespoke engraved treadplates. 


PHANTOM DENTELLE: A PRIVATE OFFICE DUBAI COMMISSION
Phantom Dentelle was personally commissioned by the client through Rolls-Royce Private Office Dubai. This invitation-only space brings the Home of Rolls-Royce to clients across the region.

At Private Office Dubai, clients have direct, personal access to a Rolls-Royce Bespoke designer and a Client Experience Manager, with whom they can view, discuss, and commission their Bespoke masterpiece in the seclusion and comfort afforded them by the Private Office.

• Ceremony echoes Sir Henry Royce’s tradition of personally signing off new designs
• Final steel beam of 40,000m² extension signed by Rolls-Royce Board of Directors
• Marks rapid progress – just four months after the CEO signed the first structural column
• Landmark extension is the largest single investment in the Home of Rolls-Royce since it opened in 2003
  
  

“Just four months ago, I signalled the start of above-ground construction on our £300 million extension project by signing the first steel column to be installed. My fellow Board Directors and I have now signed the last beam to be lifted into place, completing the internal framework of our new main building. The project is running at great pace, with the external structural work due to be finished in the autumn. This rapid progress reflects the extension’s fundamental importance to our business, providing the additional space and upgraded equipment we need to continue expanding our Bespoke and Coachbuild operations, in line with global client demand.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce has marked a major milestone in the development of its new extension at the Home of Rolls-Royce, Goodwood. In a formal ceremony, members of the company’s Board of Directors signed the final steel beam to be installed in the building’s internal structure, before it was lifted into place at the structure’s highest point.

The signing ceremony comes just four months after Chief Executive, Chris Brownridge, signed the first of 437 steel columns, each standing up to 13 metres high, marking the beginning of the building’s structure. The new 40,000m² building will support the marque’s expanding Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities and house a new Exterior Surface Centre.

With the full steel framework now in place, attention now turns to the next phase of the project, which includes cladding the structure and integrating it with the existing facility via a 30 metre, 20-tonne steel bridge, delivered and installed as a single assembly earlier this year.

The ceremonial signing evokes an earlier Rolls-Royce tradition, in which supervisors would initial completed body panels or mechanical components with a chinagraph pencil before passing them to the next stage in assembly. This practice itself echoed Sir Henry Royce’s own insistence on personally inspecting and approving every new component – often requiring near-daily, 400-mile round trips between the company’s original factory in Derby and Sir Henry’s home, ‘Elmstead’, in West Wittering. Just a few miles from the marque’s present-day home at Goodwood, Elmstead served as both a retreat and a workspace for Royce, who would test, refine and sign off designs there – a legacy that continues on the very same Sussex roads still used today by the marque’s test and development team.

Costing over £300 million, the landmark new extension represents the largest single investment in the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since it launched in 2003. Once completed, it will further strengthen the company’s economic contribution to the United Kingdom, which currently exceeds £500 million annually.

• Rolls-Royce joins Paris Fashion Week to celebrate creativity and personal expression
• Spectre and Cullinan conveyed guests to shows and afterparties
• Reflects the marque’s connection with fashion through colour, craft and collaboration

“Paris has always fascinated me, ever since I lived there as a child. Its grand, symmetrical avenues, emotive monuments, and effortless elegance are timelessly enchanting. Paris Fashion Week is a celebration of vision, creativity and individuality – values we share deeply at Rolls-Royce. We are always proud to see our motor cars so naturally integrated into the rhythm and style of the city during this extraordinary moment in the cultural calendar.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, General Manager Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Paris Fashion Week brings together some of the most influential and expressive individuals in global culture. At this year’s Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 event, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has a quietly commanding presence across the French capital, taking its rightful place among the style vanguard.

A curated collection of Cullinan and Spectre models is frequenting key venues throughout the week, conveying some of the most notable figures in attendance to headline runway shows and exclusive after-show gatherings, mirroring the creativity, craftsmanship and confidence that define fashion’s most influential platform.

Fashion has long served as a source of inspiration for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. From colour palettes inspired by leading designers, as seen in ‘Cullinan – Inspired by Fashion’, to landmark collaborations with the world’s most prestigious maisons, such as Phantom Oribe. Equally, the intricate techniques associated with haute couture, from embroidery to complex material layering, are frequently employed to bring Bespoke commissions to life, whether fashion-led – for example with Phantom Syntopia – or simply chosen because they offer the most powerful way to tell a client’s story.