The marque stands on the cusp of a bold new era, following the announcement of the eighth-generation Phantom limousine and its all-new aluminium architecture that promises to underpin all future Rolls-Royce motor cars.
Now the time has come for Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé to leave the stage, a moment that will be marked with a remarkable Bespoke Collection, conceived with one purpose; to once again set the highest standard by which everything is judged.
The Phantom Zenith Collection, representing some of the very last Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé motor cars ever to be built, will serve as true collectors’ pieces. Indeed, all 50 examples have already been commissioned by connoisseur customers who will add them to some of the world’s most significant luxury collections, safe in the knowledge that their numbers will never grow and their value will never be eroded by proliferation.
The Phantom Zenith Collection celebrates these two extraordinary motor cars with a suite of exquisitely executed bespoke pieces, designed to amplify the beauty and luxury of two of the rarest and best-loved luxury goods in the world.
In conceiving these two motor cars, the Bespoke design team dedicated themselves to understanding how both cars augment the lifestyles of the marque’s discerning customers.
Every possible detail was considered. For example, the split-tailgate has been enhanced with the addition of a beautifully engineered companion to a perfect touring day’s picnic. A glass shelf, housed within the rear section of the tailgate, can be effortlessly deployed as the perfect place from which to serve champagne. A champagne fridge, large enough to hold two standard bottles and eight Rolls-Royce glasses, occupies a large portion of the boot, whilst the comfort of those who wish to sit on the rear tailgate is ensured with the use of the finest padded leathers.
Phantom Zenith Collection customers were invited to complete their collection in the finest style with the addition of a special Bespoke version of the Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper. This unique accessory, created to add a touch of glamour to a day’s touring, will be personalised further to match the materials and colour palette of the customer.
On opening the coach doors, owners are greeted with an intricately executed nod to the history of these remarkable motor cars – beautiful laser etching to the armrest cappings. These stylishly express the locations of the global debut of the experimental version of each car (Villa D’Este on the shores of Lake Como for 100EX, Phantom Drophead Coupé’s forebear, and Lake Geneva for the 101EX, the car that would become Phantom Coupé). 
So much of what has endeared the world’s most discerning patrons of luxury to Phantom can be found in its exhaustively conceived and executed details. The Phantom Zenith Collection celebrates this with a hallmark deftness of touch.
The central fascia drawer has been used to house a priceless memento signifying each car’s status as one of the very last. On opening, owners discover a removable polished aluminum case, laser-engraved with their motor car’s unique identification number surrounded by a beautiful application of Best English Blacking – a technique most commonly associated with fine gun-making.
Within this, sits a piece of automotive history not attainable by any other means – a single piece of the Phantom assembly line at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. This remarkable collectors’ piece is completed with the expression of coordinates, stating the exact part of the assembly line from where the metal was extracted.
Both Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé did much to bring Rolls-Royce customers from the rear cabin to the driver’s seat. This is elegantly referenced with three key design touches.
First, the speedometer is presented in brushed steel, serving to draw the eye towards a key signifier of the car’s uniquely effortless power delivery. Second, the interior design colour scheme uses a highlight leather colour for the front seats that harmonises perfectly with a darker rear compartment. Third, the Starlight Headliner, a design that made its debut on Phantom Coupé, is given a subtle Bespoke treatment to reflect this, with the individually hand-woven stars clustered to the front and faded to the rear, bathing the driver and front passenger in a warm and inviting celestial glow.
In styling the exterior and interior colours/materials palette, designers drew from Rolls-Royce history to create schemes inspired by some of the most celebrated Phantoms in Rolls-Royce history.
The subtle contrast presented in the Madeira Red and Jubilee Silver Phantom Coupé, for example, is inspired by a 1930s Phantom II. A bolder, more defined contrast can be seen in the timeless yet highly contemporary presentation of Midnight Blue and Artic White that echoes the genteel ambience of a very special 1930s Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, whilst a new glass clearcoat has been engineered to enhance Phantom’s mirror-like shine.
Design touches from the marque’s recent history also served to inspire. Hints of the 2011 Phantom Coupé Aviator Collection can be seen in the presentation of the central tunnel, whilst Blood-Orange tips to the instrument dials reference Wraith’s aviation-inspired motif.
Further attention to detail is expressed with cupholders machined from aluminium, serving as a perfect visual and tactile reminder of Phantom’s blend of timeless elegance melded to contemporary design. Further use of highly modern materials can be seen in the masterful use of book-matched metal foiling across the fascia of both cars.
These extraordinary motor cars, among the last ever Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupés, are currently being crafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce. 2016 also represents the final year of production for the seventh-generation Phantom limousine, with connoisseur customers invited to take the last opportunity to commission deeply personal, Bespoke expressions of this most seminal motor car. The order books for these very last customer commissions will close imminently. 
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