The Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection honors the 100th anniversary of the company’s most luxurious car. There is fine embroidery on the trunk, and a gold Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament completes the two-tone look. Only 25 dashboards are being made, and each features beautiful wood etchings and artwork on brushed metal. In its 100-year history, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has become the ultimate luxury car. Its smooth powertrains, luxurious interiors, and elegant but slightly pretentious looks have made it the epitome of luxury. The Phantom Centenary Private Collection from Rolls-Royce is a limited number of only 25 one-of-a-kind sedans made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Phantom assembly in 1925. Rolls-Royce says that the Centenary version was influenced by “the golden age of Hollywood,” a time when movie stars loved the Phantom. The Phantom comes in two colors, Arctic White and black, and features a finish called “Super Champagne Crystal,” made from small pieces of broken glass mixed into the clear lacquer to give it a beautiful shine. The grille is made of solid 18-karat gold and is plated in 24-karat gold. It has a unique Spirit of Ecstasy pattern that looks like the original hood ornament. Interestingly, this is the first time that 24-karat gold has been added to the Rolls-Royce sign on a white enamel background. The front is finished off with a set of disc wheels that look fascinating. Each wheel has 25 lines cut into it, which represent the number of Rolls-Royce cars the company plans to make. When all four wheels are put together, they honor the 100th anniversary. To honor the Phantom’s long history, Rolls-Royce created an incredibly detailed interior that complements the car’s basic look. The center of attention is the rare 1926 model, “Phantom of Love,” which features hand-made fabrics on the back bench. This model inspired the back seats, which are the focal point. On the back seat of the Centenary version, there is a drawing of seven famous Phantom owners from each generation, along with scenes from Rolls-Royce’s original London headquarters and old Phantom designs. Rolls-Royce says it took more than a year to make the one-of-a-kind fabric, which has both fine print and stitching. About 160,000 stitches make up the whole picture. Rolls-Royce pays close attention to every detail. For example, the front seats are upholstered in white leather and feature a laser-etched sketch depicting the Phantom’s history. The seagull pattern comes from the code name for the first Phantom prototype, built in 1923. The rabbit pattern comes from “Roger Rabbit,” the code name used for the Phantom’s comeback in 2003 after BMW bought the brand. The “Gallery,” a part of the dashboard in front of the passenger seat that displays original artwork, is one of the unique features of the current Phantom. Rolls-Royce says the 50 brushed-aluminum fins 3D-printed for the Centenary version were inspired by “press acclaim” for the Phantom. The fins have intricate latticework or sculpted letters that bend and twist naturally. Rolls-Royce also says that the Centenary model has the most intricate woodwork it has ever made. The stained Blackwood door panels show maps and other geographic details that represent the “most significant and formative journeys.” Some of these are Sir Henry Royce’s summer home at West Wittering, his winter home at Le Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, and a Phantom trip across Australia that covered 4,500 miles. Some of the methods used to make the woodwork are gold leaf, laser etching, 3-D ink layers, and 3-D multi-directional marquetry. A 1925 Phantom I and a 2018 Phantom VIII are both realistically cut into the picnic tables that hold the back seats. Another thing that sets current Rolls-Royces apart is the Starlight headliner, which has 440,000 stitches that make it look like a mulberry tree and show Henry Royce in his West Wittering yard. There are leaves around the sparkling stars, and in the middle, there is a bird and honeybees. The cover for the 6.75-liter V-12 engine in the engine bay is Arctic White with 24-karat gold details, which shows how Rolls-Royce uniquely customizes its cars. The price of the Centenary Private Collection is unknown, but the 25 pieces are likely much more expensive than the Phantom, which starts at $517,750.
