Goodwood, England —
Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Phantom Centenary Private Collection — 25 masterpieces so detailed, they could make Fabergé blush and Michelangelo rethink his career choices. Celebrating 100 years of the Phantom, the world’s most iconic luxury saloon, the collection isn’t just a car. It’s a century-long autobiography told in gold, thread, leather, and light.
A Rolls-Royce So Exclusive, Even the Paint Has a Backstory
The Centenary Phantom wears a bespoke two-tone Super Champagne Crystal finish — a paint so rich, it probably has a trust fund. Achieved by mixing crushed glass and champagne-coloured particles, the result is a shimmer that says “I’m rich, but refined.” Crowning the bonnet is a Spirit of Ecstasy sculpted in solid 18-carat gold, then plated in 24-carat gold, hallmarked, and enamelled. Even the badge glows with 24-carat humility.
Inside: Where Art and Tailoring Collide
Step inside and you’re essentially sitting in a moving museum curated by Savile Row. The rear seats — a 12-month project with a fashion atelier — are made of high-resolution printed fabric layered with embroidery so intricate it totals over 160,000 stitches. Each motif tells a tale from Phantom’s glittering past: the maharajahs, magnates, movie stars, and monarchs who rode one before you.
Even the front seats get literary, laser-etched with designs referencing code names from Rolls-Royce’s secret archives — including “Roger Rabbit” and “Seagull”. Because even at £500,000 a pop, the brand hasn’t lost its sense of humour.
Woodwork Worth Its Weight in Gold
The cabin’s woodwork is described by Rolls-Royce as its “most intricate ever” — and for once, that’s not PR hyperbole. Using 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering, and 24-carat gold leaf, each door tells a geographical story from Henry Royce’s travels in France to the first Goodwood Phantom’s 4,500-mile Australian journey. Tiny details like a 2.76-mm gold dot mark Royce’s homes — because heaven forbid your picnic table isn’t historically accurate.
A Starlight Headliner with a Constellation of Stories
Above, 440,000 embroidered stars narrate Phantom’s century of inspiration — complete with bees (a nod to the Rolls-Royce apiary), trees from Royce’s garden, and even secret symbols referencing the “vault” where the first modern Phantom was designed. It’s basically an astronomical autobiography stitched into your roof liner — perfect for those nights when you’re stuck in traffic and need cosmic reassurance that you’re doing better than everyone else.
Power and Prestige, Still in a League of Its Own
Under that art installation masquerading as a bonnet lies the legendary 6.75-litre V12 engine — now sporting a white cover detailed in gold. No hybrid nonsense here — this is tradition, torque, and quiet thunder, exactly how Sir Henry Royce would have wanted his century celebrated: elegantly, opulently, and unapologetically over-the-top.
Each Phantom Centenary Private Collection represents over 40,000 hours of craftsmanship — or, as Rolls-Royce puts it, “a lifetime of devotion to detail.” As Chief Executive Chris Brownridge puts it, “This car tells the story of Phantom’s remarkable life — and the people who shaped it.”
In simpler terms: it’s the world’s most exquisite time capsule. One that doesn’t just move — it glides, whispers, and occasionally reminds you why mere mortals shouldn’t attempt to parallel park art.
