Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub · Article.
ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES SIXTY YEARS OF GOLDFINGER WITH EXQUISITE ONE-OF-ONE PHANTOM EXTENDED
25.10.2024 Press Release
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled a one-of-one Phantom Extended that pays homage to the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger – one of twelve Rolls-Royce appearances in the 007 film franchise.
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Malika Abdullaeva
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Related Links.
- Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger, a one-of-one masterpiece
- Incorporates some of the most extensively engineered and hand-crafted Bespoke features ever produced
- Celebrates sixty years of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger
- References Auric Goldfinger’s 1937 Phantom III Sedanca de Ville
- Solid 18-carat gold bar in the shape of a ‘Speedform’ exhibited in centre console
- Picnic tables include fictional map of Fort Knox bullion reserve in 22-carat gold inlay
- Three-dimensional steel and gold Gallery incorporates isoline map of legendary Furka Pass
- Starlight Headliner matches constellation above Furka during filming of scene in 1964
- Gold golf club fitted to boot lid, referencing 007 and Auric Goldfinger’s first encounter
- Harlequin umbrellas and 007 logo projector reference key film moments
“At Rolls-Royce, we are dedicated to crafting deeply personal
masterpieces that reshape the boundaries of possibility and truly
define the essence of luxury. Each creation is a reflection of our
commitment to producing extraordinary, unique motor cars that
consistently delight and exceed the expectations of our clients.
This particular project really invigorated our team of creatives,
giving them the freedom to explore the reaches of their imagination.
The final creation is a testament to the power of collaboration and
the extraordinary ability of our designers, craftspeople, and engineers.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
“Witnessing how our Bespoke Collective seized upon the idea of
celebrating 60 years of the film has been truly remarkable; this
fantastic story has been masterfully explored in Phantom
Goldfinger’s exquisite design. The creativity extended far beyond
the making of the motor car, as we curated extraordinary experiences
for the client and their family, all while staying true to the
spirit of the Goldfinger theme. It is this exceptional ability to
engage our clients and create lasting impressions that defines us as
a true House of Luxury.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe and
Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
“This is gold, Mr. Bond. All my life, I’ve been in love with its
colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness.”
Auric Goldfinger, Auric Enterprises
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled a one-of-one
Phantom Extended that pays homage to the 1964 James Bond
film, Goldfinger – one of twelve Rolls-Royce appearances in
the 007 film franchise.
Revealed in the film’s 60th anniversary year, it
takes inspiration from the 1937 Phantom III Sedanca de Ville owned by
the eponymous villain, Auric Goldfinger. This story is masterfully
explored in Phantom Goldfinger, with exquisite and ingenious Bespoke
features linking to the plot and iconography of this enduring film.
Phantom Goldfinger incorporates some of the most extensively
engineered Bespoke features applied to a one-of-one motor car in
Rolls-Royce history, each linking to the Goldfinger film
plot. A total of three years of continuous development was required to
bring each of these elegant and playful Bespoke features to life –
from a complex sculptural Gallery, inspired by the famous scene filmed
on the Furka Pass, to a gold golf putter mounted to the inside of the
motor car’s boot, recalling the club used by Auric Goldfinger during
his first encounter with James Bond.
2024 PHANTOM EXTENDED ‘GOLDFINGER’: EXTERIOR
For the exterior of this contemporary tribute to
Goldfinger’s motor car, Rolls-Royce paint specialists precisely
matched the exterior yellow hue to the original 1937 Phantom III
Sedanca de Ville used in the film. A unique ‘long-side’ two-tone
design was developed in which the black finish wraps around the motor
car’s generous coachwork as a single, uninterrupted graphic. The
21-inch disc wheels are finished in Black with silver ‘floating’
hubcaps, creating a tone-on-tone effect that recalls the wheel design
of the 1937 motor car as seen in the film.
The Spirit of Ecstasy at the prow of Phantom Goldfinger has been
given a unique finish, subtly referencing the motion picture’s plot.
In the film, the villain Auric Goldfinger was smuggling gold in body
panels of his Phantom. As a nod to this concept, sections of the
figurine appear to reveal gold underneath, suggesting it is made of
solid gold, concealed with a silver coat. Since it is not possible to
silver-plate gold, Rolls-Royce specialists used a solid silver Spirit
of Ecstasy and skilfully gold-plated it with 18-carat gold to achieve
the ‘gold reveal’ effect.
INTERIOR: HIDDEN GOLD
In honour of the Goldfinger film, the
Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers, and artisans within
Rolls-Royce developed several highly complex details and features that
incorporate 18- and 24-carat gold. One such feat is the hidden vault
created in the centre console between the front seats. The area was
re-engineered to house an illuminated solid 18-carat gold bar, shaped
as a Phantom ‘Speedform’ – a stylised representation of the motor
car’s design in miniature.
The base of the front and rear centre consoles is also lined
with an exquisite gold finish, as is the inside of the glovebox. The
inner lid of the glovebox is also debossed with Goldfinger’s iconic
quote: “This is Gold, Mr. Bond. All my life, I have been in love with
its colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness.”
The air vents and ‘organ stops’ throughout the motor car also
have a lustrous gold finish. The speaker frets are given the same
finish and inscribed with the film’s title treatment. The treadplates,
designed to look like the gold bars that feature Goldfinger,
are gold-plated and embossed using the same font developed for the
film in 1964. The 24-carat gold-plated VIN plaque is engraved with a
specially obtained vehicle identification number, which ends in 007.
FURKA PASS GALLERY
The Bespoke artwork installed in Phantom’s Gallery,
which runs the full width of the front fascia, is the true centrepiece
of the motor car. The three-dimensional design, which was hand-drawn,
is a precise yet artistic isoline map that shows the contours of the
Furka Pass; in the film 007 is seen on this legendary road, discreetly
following Auric Goldfinger to his smelting plant in the Swiss Alps.
The stainless steel used to construct the piece was darkened using a
method named physical vapour deposition. Contour lines and elevation
figures are engraved into the dark substrate, exposing the bright
metal beneath. The Furka Pass is cut out from the stainless-steel
layer, revealing a gilded surface underneath.
This highly complex feature required a year of painstaking
development, in which the Bespoke Collective produced ten complete
prototypes to perfect the design. The Bespoke clock surround at the
centre of the artwork is inspired by the instantly recognisable ‘gun
barrel’ sequence which has been featured in every James Bond film
since Dr. No (1962).
FURKA PASS STARLIGHT HEADLINER
The motor car pays another subtle tribute to the
memorable Furka Pass scene. The marque’s Bespoke Collective designed
the Starlight Headliner of Phantom Goldfinger to perfectly reflect the
constellations as they were positioned over the Furka Pass on 11 July
1964 – the last day of filming the scene in Switzerland. 719 ‘stars’,
which glow with a subtle gold hue, are surrounded by a further eight
‘shooting stars’ – all individually placed by hand.
PICNIC TABLE INLAY: THE MAP TO GOLD RESERVES
The Royal Walnut picnic tables are adorned with a
22-carat gold inlay with a depth of only 0.1 mm, which feature a
fictional map of Fort Knox, the bullion depository where the United
States’ gold reserves are stored. The design, which took six months to
finalise and was developed over three prototypes, incorporates key
locations including Gold Vault Road, Bullion Boulevard, and the
Bullion Depository that Goldfinger plans to attack in ‘Operation Grand Slam’.
INTERIOR COLOURWAY: GOLD STANDARD
Phantom Goldfinger is finished in Navy leather and
Royal Walnut veneer, selected as an elegant and refined canvas to
showcase the gold detailing, inspired by the interior colourway of the
original motor car. The seating, which includes reclining Serenity
Seating in the rear suite, is subtly elevated with gold stitching,
gold-coloured ‘bullets’ to cap the seat piping sections, and headrests
that incorporate gold ‘RR’ monograms.
EXQUISITE DETAILS
James Bond’s initial encounter with Goldfinger takes
place at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire, UK, where 007 challenges him
to a round of golf. Goldfinger uses a gold putter, which is safely
guarded by his henchman, Oddjob. For the 2024 Phantom Goldfinger, the
gold-plated putter has been recreated and mounted on the underside of
the boot lid. The club is adorned with a specially designed ‘AG’
monogram, inspired by the engraving on the signet ring worn by
Goldfinger on-screen.
Later, while alone with Goldfinger’s Phantom III, Bond places a
Q Branch-issued tracking device on the motor car, which he uses to
follow the villain across Europe. To acknowledge this, the Bespoke
Collective developed a device, inspired by the original gadget, that
subtly projects the 007 logo onto the carpet of the luggage
compartment floor whenever the lid is opened.
During the Stoke Park scene, Bond is nearly caught interfering
with the Phantom III by Oddjob, who loads Goldfinger’s golf clubs and
a harlequin umbrella into the boot. For the 2024 Phantom Goldfinger,
the umbrellas that fit into the motor car’s rear doors have been
finished in the same red, blue, green, and yellow colours.
As a finishing touch, the prized British numberplate ‘AU 1’,
which graced the Goldfinger Phantom III in the film, has been secured
— a reference to the chemical symbol for gold on the periodic table of
elements. This will remain with Phantom Goldfinger, which has now been
delivered to a significant Rolls-Royce client and collector based in England.
“Bringing Phantom Goldfinger into being was one of the Bespoke
Collective’s greatest creative journeys to date. The elegant and
whimsical features that reference the film’s most memorable moments
are an exquisite demonstration of the power of Bespoke in adding a
new chapter to an existing story. It was a privilege to be a part of
the creative team that brought this highly sought-after collector’s
piece to life.”
Nick Rhodes, Bespoke Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.
NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.