Rolls-Royce has used the prestigious Monterey Car Week in California to announce a limited-edition version of its flagship Phantom saloon.
The Phantom Scintilla Private Collection is designed to be a celebration of the Spirit of Ecstasy – the mascot used by Rolls-Royce for more than a century.
Even by the company’s own lofty standards, the 10 examples of the Phantom Scintilla push the boundaries of interior design and craftsmanship.
Marble arts
The Spirit of Ecstasy was originally designed by sculptor and illustrator Charles Sykes in 1910. Commissioned by Rolls-Royce’s managing director at the time, Claude Johnson, it was inspired by an ancient Greek statue.
Although the finished Spirit of Ecstasy differed from Johnson’s initial idea, it has become a recognisable and world-famous symbol of the Rolls-Royce marque.
For the Phantom Scintilla, Rolls-Royce designers have crafted a Spirit of Ecstasy from ceramic material that emulates the fine-grained white Parian marble used by the ancient Greeks.
The exterior paint colours offer more Greek references, with the car’s upper body in Andalusian White and the lower body in Thracian Blue. The metallic flake for the latter is said to mimic the ‘sparkle of sunlight on water’.
Doors to adore
Inside, the Phantom Scintilla uses elements to create a ‘continuous graphic’ inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy’s elegant form.
Its cabin contains an incredible 869,500 fabric stitches, with the interior door panels said to be the most complex ever made for a Rolls-Royce.
More than 40 hours are needed to complete the door panels on each car, requiring 633,000 stitches that combine Blue Grey, Arctic White, Spirit Blue, Powder Blue and Pastel Yellow threads.
Brienny Dudley, bespoke craft specialist at Rolls-Royce, commented: “Translating this design into a three-dimensional form was a wonderful creative challenge, requiring more than two-and-a-half years of close collaboration with our Bespoke design team to achieve the right level of detail, texture and tactility in the embroidery”.
Celestial dreams included
Other special details inside the Phantom Scintilla include the ‘Celestial Pulse’ artwork fitted to the ‘gallery’ on the passenger side of the dashboard.
It comprises seven ribbons of aluminium, each individually milled from solid billet, which are finished with the same ceramic material as the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.
Rolls-Royce has given the Phantom Scintilla a bespoke ‘Starlight’ illuminated headliner. A set of 1,500 fibre optic ‘stars’ create a unique constellation, which illuminates in sequence to create the impression of movement.
‘Grace, dynamism and ethereal beauty’
As a finishing touch, Claude Johnson’s original brief for a Rolls-Royce mascot is displayed on a plaque inside the glovebox. The embossed metal plate reads: ‘Speed with silence, the absence of vibration, the mysterious harnessing of great energy, and a beautiful living organism of superb grace’.
In typical Rolls-Royce fashion, the press release contains no mention of how much buying a Phantom Scintilla Private Collection will cost.
However, those interested in purchasing one of the 10 cars can make enquiries through the Rolls-Royce Private Office.