It's ten years now since Rolls-Royce opened its doors on an era of BMW ownership and also began life at its factory in Goodwood. And while there is nothing brand new or groundbreaking on the Rolls stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the company is showing off a couple of interesting new tweaks to the existing Phantom, Ghost and Wraith ranges.
Marking the day in January 2003 when the first Phantom rolled off the production line ('wafted gracefully off' as Rolls rather beautifully puts it) is the Celestial Phantom. On the outside, there's a floodlit Spirit of Ecstasy mascot and engraved wheel centres, but it's in the cabin where you'll find the real treat. The headlining is filled with fibre-optic dots of light, mimicking the night sky. It's an option that has been previously seen on various Rolls models, but for the Celestial Phantom, the arrangement of lights perfectly reflects the constellations visible in the night sky on that first evening under BMW ownership. That's rather lovely, isn't it?
There are also embossed crystal glasses and specially commissioned Nymphenberg china set in the back so that you can dine under the stars while still inside your motor car.
Rolls is also displaying a Home Of Rolls-Royce Collection Ghost, which features a 'Celebration' motif, presented in hand-crafted marquetry on the front-fascia, to mark this landmark year in Rolls-Royce's history. Using methods akin to the artistry of fine furniture makers, this effect is achieved through a process that marries cutting edge technology with traditional craftsmanship.
Individual pieces of wood are laser-cut to ensure precision. A craftsperson then painstakingly assembles the sections, ensuring they perfectly express the vision of Rolls-Royce's Bespoke design team. A fastidious process of quality control follows, utilising the world's most accurate measuring tool - the human eye.
In 2012, hand-built Rolls-Royce motor cars exclusively assembled at Goodwood were exported to all five continents. This global reach is celebrated throughout with a complex compass motif that expresses the Home of Rolls-Royce's position as a major global centre of super-luxury manufacturing excellence. The pattern is intricately embroidered in the armrests and console lid. A total of 120,000 stitches are applied by precision embroidery technology. Such is the complexity of the pattern it takes over an hour to finish one individual piece.
Co-ordinates engraved into tread plates, the bezel of the Spirit of Ecstasy and umbrella handles further express Goodwood's place as the only manufacturing centre for the world's pinnacle super-luxury brand. A hand-painted coachline, culminating in a half-compass motif, completes the exterior. Forming the final stage of a week-long, 22-stage painting process, coachlines are hand-applied by one highly-skilled craftsman using precision-made squirrel hair-brushes. Normally this process takes three hours - however the intricacy of this very special Bespoke design means the time taken to complete the process doubles. "As we mark the tenth anniversary of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, we can reflect on an exceptional period in the marque's rich history," said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "Rolls-Royce is a brand that appeals to unique and highly discerning customers who demand a hand-crafted reflection of their tastes, lifestyles and desires. Delivering this through our Bespoke programme has ensured the marque's rightful place as the pinnacle super-luxury company. Following three successive record years, we remain committed to this approach and are laying down the foundations, through expansion of our manufacturing plant and the creation of 100 jobs to continue growing sustainably."
Anything else?
Yes. Can we please have a Wraith? Pretty please?