The Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Private Collection: A Century of Greatness, Reimagined
For a hundred years, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has been the ultimate expression of success — the car that quietly announces its owner’s arrival without ever needing to boast. Chosen by royalty, visionaries, and icons of culture, Phantom has long embodied the intersection of luxury and legacy. Now, as the world’s most famous nameplate turns 100, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks the occasion with something truly extraordinary: the Phantom Centenary Private Collection, a global edition of just 25 examples.
The marque’s Bespoke Collective — its in-house team of designers, engineers, and craftspeople — treated this commission as both a challenge and a calling. They immersed themselves in Phantom’s past, studying every generation from the 1920s onward, along with the personalities who shaped it. The result is not a simple homage, but a rolling work of art that distills a century of motoring history into one breathtaking creation.
From these studies emerged 77 hand-sketched motifs, each representing a defining moment in Phantom’s journey. These designs, translated through embroidery, laser etching, and marquetry, turn the Centenary Private Collection into a mobile museum — one that celebrates the past, commands the present, and looks confidently toward the next hundred years.
A New Age of Glamour
The exterior recalls the golden age of Hollywood, when Phantoms escorted stars to premieres and defined an era’s glamour. The Centenary model wears a two-tone Bespoke finish: Super Champagne Crystal over Arctic White for the lower body, and Super Champagne Crystal over Black above. The shimmering paintwork glows with crushed glass particles — twice the usual amount, with champagne-toned flakes replacing standard metallics for added depth.
Crowning the hood is a reinterpreted Spirit of Ecstasy, modeled after the very first figurine to grace a Phantom. Cast in solid 18-karat gold, plated in 24-karat gold, and hallmarked with a centenary stamp, it sits on a white enamel base inscribed with the collection’s name. Even the legendary “RR” badges, front and rear, are finished in 24-karat gold and enamel for the first time. Each disc wheel carries 25 engraved lines — one for each car — combining to form 100 marks of history.
Inside the Legacy
Open the doors and you step into a world where craftsmanship borders on couture. The interior pays tribute to Phantom’s earliest models, where durable leather surrounded the driver while soft, opulent textiles enveloped the rear. It’s an artful balance of authority and serenity.
The rear seats take inspiration from the 1926 “Phantom of Love,” renowned for its handwoven Aubusson tapestries. Here, Rolls-Royce interprets that artistry through three layers: a printed panorama of historic sites, embroidered silhouettes of Phantoms from different eras, and abstract portraits of seven legendary owners. The composition spans 45 individually tailored panels, requiring over 160,000 stitches and a year of development with a couture atelier — the most complex seat design ever made by Rolls-Royce.
Up front, laser-etched leather bears delicate sketches — including a rabbit (the codename for the marque’s 2003 relaunch) and a seagull (the symbol for the 1923 Phantom I prototype).
History in Every Detail
The Anthology Gallery, a sculptural centerpiece on the dash, resembles a book rendered in metal. Its 50 3D-printed brushed aluminum fins, formed from letter-shaped elements, feature century-old press quotes that glint and shift as light passes over them.
The woodwork, crafted from stained Blackwood, chronicles Phantom’s most meaningful journeys. The rear doors depict the French coastline where Henry Royce wintered; the front passenger door recalls his British retreat at West Wittering; the driver’s side honors the 4,500-mile journey of the first Goodwood Phantom across Australia. Each “road” is made of 24-karat gold leaf, layered with laser etching and embroidery for continuity between wood and leather.
Even the V12 engine is a statement — its Arctic White cover detailed in gold — while the Starlight Headliner above, stitched 440,000 times, weaves Phantom’s story among constellations, from Royce’s famed mulberry tree to the honeybees kept at Goodwood.
A Century of Motion
The Phantom Centenary Private Collection is more than a car; it’s a narrative in motion, hand-built by artisans who see craftsmanship as an act of reverence. One hundred years on, Phantom remains what it has always been: the quietest, most commanding presence on the road — and now, a golden testament to the spirit that built it.
