Description
Phantom Celebrates its 100th Anniversary
ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS PRESENTS THE PHANTOM CENTENARY PRIVATE COLLECTION: A DEFINING STATEMENT, 100 YEARS IN THE MAKING
--> 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
22.10.2025 | 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—designers, engineers, and artisans—channeled their expertise into the Phantom Centenary Private Collection, their ultimate masterpiece. Immersed in Phantom’s century-long legacy, they studied its evolution, iconic owners, and defining moments. These inspirations, distilled into 77 hand-sketched motifs, are intricately woven throughout the collection, celebrating Phantom’s past, present, and future.
Each historic reference is expressed through exceptional craftsmanship, using specially developed techniques. The interior features couturier textiles, sketch-style embroidery, laser-etched leather, and innovative 3D marquetry, gilding, and ink layering. Externally, the grille bears a solid-gold Spirit of Ecstasy, reinterpreted from the original Phantom to mark this milestone.
EXTERIOR: AN ELEGANT, BESPOKE STATEMENT
Evoking the allure of a black-and-white film star, the Phantom Centenary Private Collection pays homage to Hollywood’s golden age, when Phantom embodied timeless glamour. Its two-tone Bespoke finish—Super Champagne Crystal over Arctic White and Black—references the flowing lines of 1930s models. The paint’s metallic shimmer comes from crushed glass infused into the clear coat, now enriched with champagne-coloured particles for added depth.
Crowning the design is a reimagined Spirit of Ecstasy, inspired by the first Phantom’s figurine, cast in solid 18-carat gold, plated in 24-carat gold, and certified with a bespoke ‘Phantom Centenary’ hallmark by the London Assay Office. Its base features hand-poured white enamel inscribed with the collection’s name, while the ‘RR’ Badges of Honour are finished in 24-carat gold and white enamel—a first for Rolls-Royce.
Completing the exterior, the Phantom disc wheels each bear 25 engraved lines, collectively forming 100 lines in tribute to Phantom’s centenary and the 25 motor cars in this exclusive series.
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 the Phantom Centenary draw inspiration from the 1926 ‘Phantom of Love’, famed for its handwoven Aubusson tapestries. The seat artwork unfolds in three storytelling layers: a printed background depicting key places and artefacts from Phantom’s history, a second layer showing past Phantoms in fine detail, and a top layer of embroidery symbolising seven notable owners from each generation.
Developed over 12 months with a leading fashion atelier, this complex fabric marks the atelier’s first venture beyond haute couture. Special inks and bespoke printing techniques were created to meet Rolls-Royce’s exacting standards of durability, texture, and beauty.
The embroidery, described as “sketching with thread,” uses Golden Sands and Seashell threads in over 160,000 stitches, producing a floating, hand-drawn effect. The finished artwork spans 45 panels, each precisely fitted to the seat contours using Savile Row-inspired tailoring methods, resulting in the most intricate seat design in Rolls-Royce history.
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 Phantom Centenary Private Collection features the most intricate woodwork ever crafted for a Rolls-Royce. Made from stained Blackwood, each door panel illustrates Phantom’s historic journeys through maps, landscapes, and floral motifs. The rear doors depict Le Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, the front doors show West Wittering and the Australian crossing of the first Goodwood-era Phantom.
Created using 3D marquetry, laser etching, ink layering, and 24-carat gold leaf, the panels include native flora and even one of Sir Henry Royce’s oil paintings, with his homes marked by a single gold dot. The wood transitions into embroidered leather, where gold-leaf roads continue as golden threads.
The Phantom I and VIII appear on the rear picnic tables, echoed in embroidery, while a gold-dusted Piano Black veneer and 24-carat gold rotary dial complete this tribute to Phantom’s legacy.
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
The embroidered Starlight Headliner tells Phantom’s story through 440,000 stitches, subtly animated to evoke its rich history. Inspired by Henry Royce’s mulberry tree portrait at West Wittering, the design captures a moment of creativity shared with colleagues Charles L. Jenner and Ernest Hives, inviting passengers to find their own inspiration beneath the stars.
The scene expands to include Goodwood’s square-crowned trees, honeybees from the Rolls-Royce Apiary, and the Phantom Rose grown on the marque’s estate. Hidden among the constellations are nods to historic Phantoms, such as a bird motif for Sir Malcolm Campbell’s “Bluebird”, and a discreet reference to ‘The Bank,’ the secret studio where the first Goodwood Phantom was conceived.
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.
SOURCE: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS PRESSCLUB
