Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub

ROLLS-ROYCE PRESENTS BLACK BADGE CULLINAN BY CYRIL KONGO: CAPTURING THE ENERGY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Thu, 14 May 2026 20:01:00 +0200

Rolls-Royce presents Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo: a collaborative project featuring hand-painted artworks by acclaimed modern artist
Artworks on Starlight Headliner and woodset hand-painted by Kongo, representing the vibrant ‘Kongoverse’
Debuts first-ever Rolls-Royce Gradient Coachline, matching the colours of the brake callipers and the interior accents
Kongo ‘tag’ motif adorns umbrellas, Illuminated Treadplates, hand-painted as the Coachline motif and re-created in embroidery
Unprecedented collaboration: Kongo brought the artwork to life alongside the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce
Five Private Commissions curated through Rolls-Royce Private Offices in New York, Seoul and Goodwood

“Creativity and imagination are the forces that define Rolls-Royce, shaping motor cars that are as individual as their owners. Our Private Offices, where clients co-create the most complex Bespoke commissions, directly reflect this belief. It was conversations within these spaces where the desire for bold contemporary art was identified among a uniquely daring and likeminded group of Rolls-Royce collectors. To bring this idea to life, we collaborated with Cyril Kongo, whose expressive, uncompromising style resonated perfectly with the spirit of Black Badge. What followed was an unprecedented collaboration, with Kongo working with and among our Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers to bring these extraordinary motor cars to life. Five unique Black Badge Cullinan Private Commissions are the result, each a unique work of art in its own right, and represents the complete fusion of two unmistakable creative worlds.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“When I first saw Black Badge Cullinan, I felt compelled to create my own interpretation of the universe it belonged to – what I call ‘The Kongoverse’. It is a place of fantasy, mathematical formulas, symbols, pyramids, atoms and imagined planets. Rolls-Royce welcomed these ideas and gave them form – that’s what made it special. It was a conversation, using my visual language and Rolls-Royce’s way of making, with the motor car itself as the canvas. To bring that to life in collaboration with the brand’s artisans has been an extraordinary experience.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo; five exuberant Private Commissions featuring veneer and leather interior surfaces individually hand-painted by world-renowned multi-disciplinary artist, Cyril Kongo. All five motor cars share the same creative theme, but each features a unique expression of Kongo’s work. This project has been curated through the marque’s Private Offices in New York, Seoul, and the original Private Office at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood.

Black Badge Cullinan is a powerful canvas for Kongo’s work. As the darker, more subversive alter-ego of Rolls-Royce, Black Badge is the most daring expression of the brand. This mirrors the intensity of Kongo’s art, which appears on the Starlight Headliner, picnic tables, fascia, and Waterfall between the rear seats.

Using the interior surfaces of Black Badge Cullinan, Kongo brought ‘The Kongoverse’ – the artist’s aesthetic universe conceived for the collaboration with Rolls-Royce – to life within the motor car. This unique expression is shaped by destiny, imagination, and the power of individuality: themes that became central to Kongo during this landmark project.

AN UNPRECEDENTED COLLABORATION

“What made this collaboration so special was the constant conversation between my universe and Rolls-Royce’s. Every idea was treated with care and curiosity. I was fully immersed in the brand’s creative studio.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

To bring his vision to life, Rolls-Royce embraced Kongo as a member of the marque’s Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and artisans. Though the marque has a rich heritage of collaborating with leading creatives, this project represents an unprecedented depth of co-creation. From the outset, Kongo was embedded within the Bespoke Collective, working alongside the Rolls-Royce teams at the Home of Rolls-Royce. He was involved in every stage of the project’s conception, design and realisation, with a dedicated space created for him, where Kongo painted each element by hand.

“The way we worked together with Cyril Kongo was unprecedented. Six months before production began, we brought him to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and immersed him in our world, meeting our specialists and craftspeople, sharing our tools and techniques, and placing our full paint palette at his disposal. When we came to co-create the motor cars, we set up dedicated workspaces within our Bespoke facilities, where Cyril and our specialists worked hand-in-hand, integrating his artistic language into each element. The collaboration fostered a continuous exchange of ideas and a shared spirit of curiosity and creative confidence. This fully embedded, in-house approach gave Cyril the freedom to explore his vision in the moment, true to the spontaneous nature of his art.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

VIVID WORLDS: ADVENTURES IN THE KONGOVERSE

“My art reflects the infinite power of imagination – picturing worlds that do not exist, but which could. To bring this vision to life with a Rolls-Royce was unforgettable.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Each motor car shares the same interior colour treatment: a Black foundation with vivid bursts of colour. For the first time, the interior is divided into four distinct zones, each defined by a contrasting colourway: Phoenix Red for the driver’s seat, Turchese for the front passenger’s seat, and Forge Yellow and Mandarin for the rear. These colours are expressed through stitching, piping, seat inserts and the ‘RR’ monograms on the headrests, as well as the lambswool carpets. From this shared palette, Kongo hand-painted five individual interior artworks, transforming each motor car into a true one-of-one collector’s piece.

STARLIGHT HEADLINER: THE KONGOVERSE, WRITTEN IN STARS

“When I first saw a Starlight Headliner, it inspired me straight away: they are a universe in motion, and truly immersive. I knew this feature would be my centrepiece .”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

A hand-painted Starlight Headliner – a roof lining creating the impression of a serene night sky within the motor car with 1,344 fibre-optic ‘stars’ – is the focal point of each Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo. In each artwork, Kongo introduces imagined planets and constellations alongside references to quantum physics – a subject that has fascinated him since sharing a studio with his brother, who is a physicist. Equations and formulae are embedded within his compositions, symbolising the infinite potential of the imagination: a theme echoed in the infinity symbol, which codifies all Rolls-Royce Black Badge motor cars.

To realise his vision, Interior Surface Centre craftspeople prepared more than 70 paint colours, giving Kongo complete creative freedom to bring his artwork to life. Each composition was applied using a combination of sponges, airbrushes and brush tools.

After painting the Starlight Headliner, Kongo worked closely with Bespoke engineers to define the precise placement and colour of all ‘stars’. Each ‘star’ was counted and individually marked by the artist before being painstakingly hand-punched and placed by the marque’s artisans. Each Starlight Headliner features various combinations of Blue, Phoenix Red, Forge Yellow, Cobalto Blue, Twickenham Green or Lime Green illuminations and eight Shooting Stars, including a final ‘star’ that spans the entire length of the ceiling – a Rolls-Royce first.

As a final, hidden detail, Kongo’s signature ‘tag’ motif is painted on the leather lining inside the sun visor and inside the luggage compartment lid. This hallmark design is also faithfully recreated in fine embroidery on the door leather.

HAND-PAINTED INTERIOR SURFACES: A CONTINUOUS COMPOSITION

“We talked about how to make the piece groove, how to keep the rhythm inside the motor car. For me, painting is like jazz. You move, but everything stays connected.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Each Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo features a Bespoke woodset individually hand-painted by the artist, extending across the fascia, centre console, rear console, Picnic Tables and the Waterfall between the rear seats. Together, these elements form a single, continuous composition within the motor car.

Ahead of Kongo’s arrival, the Interior Surface Centre prepared each of the 19 veneered pieces by painting them in black and mounting them on specially created fixtures within the marque’s paint laboratory. Working directly onto these surfaces, Kongo applied his signature Kongoverse designs using airbrushes of varying sizes to achieve different levels of detail.

To enhance and protect the artworks, Rolls-Royce artisans applied ten layers of lacquer to each surface. Each piece was then sanded and polished to a brilliant finish, ensuring the depth and durability expected of a Rolls-Royce interior.

BESPOKE EXTERIOR: A POWERFUL CANVAS

“I want people to discover this artwork step by step. The more you explore, the more you see. The exterior should only hint at the universe inside.”
Cyril Kongo, Artist

Each Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo motor car is presented in a rich Blue Crystal Over Black finish: the deep black paint is further elevated with a lacquer infused with blue particles that shimmer in sunlight, allowing the surface to appear almost blue in certain light. In a Rolls-Royce first, each features a Gradient Coachline: Phoenix Red transitions to Forge Yellow along the left side, Mandarin fades into Turchese along the right, with Kongo’s distinctive ‘tag’ symbol incorporated as a Bespoke motif within both. In another Rolls-Royce first, behind each 23-inch Part Polished Black Badge alloy wheel is a different coloured brake calliper: Phoenix Red, Turchese, Forge Yellow and Mandarin – colours selected to match the Coachline and the vivid colour accents in the interior.

The Phoenix Red ‘tag’ graphic used in the exterior Coachline is carried through to the Bespoke Illuminated Treadplates and the black Bespoke umbrellas concealed in the doors, where it appears as a subtle motif on the canopy.

CURATED BY PRIVATE OFFICES: THE POWER OF CONNECTION

The Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo project has been curated by Rolls-Royce Private Offices in Seoul, New York, and the original at Goodwood. Private Offices are creative hubs, available by invitation only, which serve as extensions of the Home of Rolls-Royce and further elevate the experience of commissioning a Bespoke Rolls-Royce motor car.

Each Private Office has a dedicated Rolls-Royce team based permanently in the region. Their deeply personal relationships with clients give them a unique insight into the cultural cues, passions, and interests of local collectors. It is through this lens that the Cyril Kongo collaboration took shape as both an artistic statement and a reflection of contemporary collector culture.

All five Black Badge Cullinan by Cyril Kongo motor cars are allocated to collectors worldwide.

ROLLS-ROYCE EXTENDS CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE SPONSORSHIP IN 2026

Tue, 12 May 2026 16:25:00 +0200

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to strengthen an unbroken 23-year relationship as a Principal Sponsor of Chichester Festival Theatre
Part of the marque’s wide-ranging support for the local community and the arts world
Continued sponsorship coincides with a recently discovered historical connection to the site of Chichester Festival Theatre

“Chichester Festival Theatre stands as a beacon of creativity, excellence and delight for its audiences, just as we do for our clients, and sends a powerful signal that talent, inspiration and brilliance can be found anywhere, not just in major cities, when they are given the support and commitment they need. We are privileged to support its invaluable work with local young people, as well as helping to bring landmark productions by world-class performers, directors, choreographers and producers to our corner of West Sussex. We’re delighted to be embarking on another year as Principal Sponsor of Chichester Festival Theatre, continuing a partnership that has deepened and thrived over the past 23 years.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is pleased to confirm that it will continue its long-running partnership with the world-renowned Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT) in 2026, as Principal Sponsor.

The relationship between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and CFT has now entered its 24th year; dating back to the opening of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2003. With confirmation that the partnership will continue, it is the longest-running initiative within the company’s wide-ranging philanthropic programme, providing practical, financial and in-kind support to charities, schools, organisations and local communities in Chichester and the surrounding area.

As a Principal Sponsor, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars provides vital support for CFT’s Learning, Education and Participation programme. This enables young people of all backgrounds in the local area to take part in and benefit from creative projects, including the celebrated Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with the world premiere stage adaptation of Matt Haig's A Boy Called Christmas.

The relationship between Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and CFT is also linked by a recently discovered historical connection. Oaklands Park, which neighbours the theatre and is just 1.1 nautical miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, hosted one of The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls’ regular charity ballooning competitions in 1907. Soon after Charles Rolls’ ascent, twelve assembled cars set off in pursuit of the balloon, aiming to be first to reach him upon landing. The race took three hours and covered over 40 miles, concluding at Avington Park, Hampshire. This well-attended event, which raised large funds for local associations, mirrors the marque’s continued support for the local community.

“A distinguished presence in Chichester’s business community and a globally renowned brand, we are proud to mark over two decades of partnership with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. United by a shared commitment to our local community and a pursuit of excellence on the world stage, we are delighted to celebrate these 23 years. We extend our sincere thanks to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for their continued support and look forward to many more years of working together to inspire young minds, champion the arts and enrich our community.”
Liz McCarthy-Nield, Director of Development, Chichester Festival Theatre

ROLLS-ROYCE INTRODUCES NEW BESPOKE CRAFTS INSPIRED BY FIVE CENTURIES OF DECORATIVE ARTS

Fri, 8 May 2026 13:00:00 +0200

Rolls-Royce introduces four new craft techniques, inspired by the decorative arts
Exploration of texture, material and depth influenced by art, haute couture, fine jewellery and architecture
First-ever application of hand-sculpted 3D metal within a Rolls-Royce Gallery
First showcase of layered 3D veneer that integrates brass elements
Beadwork and leather sculpting applied to create realistic forms
Innovations developed by the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce
Available to view at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Mayfair, during London Craft Week 11-17 May

“Our Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople constantly looks to the history of decorative arts and asks how those techniques might be reinterpreted for the surfaces of a Rolls-Royce motor car and for today’s super-luxury clients. The concepts we present here are a playful expression of our craftspeople’s creative spirit. They show how hand and machine can work in concert, how a 17th-century still life or a Jacobean strapwork motif can become a modern sculptural form, and how Rolls-Royce is both a custodian and an accelerator of rare craft skills.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“London Craft Week is an important calendar event for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, bringing together leading specialists in contemporary craft. Each year, it is always truly mesmerising to see the exquisite examples of Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke craftsmanship created for the event. We are really proud to participate once again in London Craft Week and to display these highly complex examples of craft and creativity at our dealership in Mayfair.”
Claus Andersen, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London

“Craftsmanship lies at the very heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, with creativity nurtured at every turn. As a brand synonymous with exacting levels of craftsmanship, London Craft Week is a defining moment in our annual calendar. For this year’s event, our highly talented craftspeople and designers from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created two enchanting works of art – intricate Phantom Galleries with corresponding exterior jewellery pieces, inspired by the legacy of their crafts. This exhibition will be on display at our flagship showroom, in the heart of Mayfair, for the duration of the event in May.”
John Beckley, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople is dedicated to advancing the discipline of craft itself, developing techniques that expand the ways clients can express themselves through the surfaces of the motor car. Driven by this pursuit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils four new craft techniques inspired by historical craftsmanship: 3D leather hand-sculpting, 3D metal hand-sculpting, 3D veneers and beadwork application. To showcase the potential of these innovations, they are presented in two works built at the scale of a Phantom Gallery – concept pieces that translate the techniques into a finished form.

LEATHER AND THREAD IN THREE DIMENSIONS

The composition named 'Legacy Craft: Inspired by Still Life' draws inspiration from the nature morte paintings of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age – a style developed to display the skill of the artist through the exploration of texture and the play of light across natural forms – and the embroidery traditions revived by the Arts and Crafts movement.

Across the length of the Gallery, Interior Trim Centre artisans composed a still-life arrangement of fruit and flowers, recalling 17th-century art in a three-dimensional form using a combination of materials, textures and contemporary craft techniques.

The Gallery debuts the first application of 3D leather sculpting and beadwork. The hydrangeas are constructed from 50 individual flowers, each hand-sculpted from leather and painted by hand. After studying the texture and quality of natural flowers, the artist painted each petal with a fine brush in tones of pink that gradually deepen toward the centre of each bloom. Floral twine is used to shape and secure the flowers to the Gallery surface. Their leaves are formed entirely from thread using a newly developed style – Sphinx Moth 3D embroidery – introducing a uniquely tactile dimension.

The pomegranates are embroidered using the alternate stitch technique, with 76 jewel-like beads individually hand-sewn to form the seeds that replicate the ruby translucence of the real fruit. More than 250 hours of handwork were required to complete the Gallery.

A broad colour palette is central to the Gallery’s impact; rich, deep tones have been chosen to maintain focus on the subject matter. Peony, Cocoa, and Chartreuse have been used for the flowers.

“Still life painting interests us because it freezes a moment in time. It is also one of the most technically demanding traditions in art. We saw an opportunity to take that discipline further with a sculptural piece that draws on every skill within the Interior Trim Centre and is worked at the smallest possible scale. For the textures and layering, we looked to late-19th-century haute couture. The embroidered gowns of that period taught us how to build a surface that feels rich, refined and unmistakably contemporary.”
Rebecca Davies, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

SCULPTING METAL BY HAND

The artwork named 'Legacy Craft: Inspired by The Draught' is created by specialists from the Interior Surface Centre and brings together 3D metal hand-sculpting and layered 3D veneer with brass elements.

Conceived as a piece of fine jewellery, it draws on four historical references: the draught – the technical drawing a craftsman uses to guide architectural work; scribing – the act of marking a surface to guide cutting and carving; strapwork – the interlaced, band-like motif of Elizabethan and Jacobean ornament; and ferramenta – the ironwork support grid used to retain stained glass.

The 3D veneer uses multiple layers of laser-cut wood to create a complex, faceted relief, finished with brass inserts that catch the light like haute joaillerie. The composition reads from left to right as a journey from initial design to finished sculpture, culminating in a three-dimensional, jewellery-like flower. On the left side of the Gallery, the patterns laser-etched onto smoked Eucalyptus wood represent the maker’s plan – the draught. The etched design then transitions into 3D marquetry, marking the journey from drawing to object. The piece then becomes increasingly sculptural. A delicate brass lattice, inspired by strapwork and the ferramenta of stained-glass windows, is applied over the veneer and completed with subtle laser engraving for additional texture.

The centre point is a jewel-like flower, formed from five layers of brass, each cut into petal shapes using an advanced waterjet. This detail alone required over 45 hours to complete. Before assembly, each petal is hand-engraved with over 50 lines – each just 0.2 mm wide – and shaped using specially modified tools, a technique developed in-house by Rolls-Royce craftspeople.

“Clients often come to us with two or three ideas they want to see brought together, and we create ways for those inspirations to speak to each other. This composition was a chance to sharpen that instinct by taking a flat draughtsman’s drawing and growing it into a three-dimensional sculpture. We brought together four historical references – the draught, scribing, strapwork and ferramenta – in materials and techniques entirely new to Rolls-Royce. What emerged is something that feels highly modern, built from techniques that are centuries old.” Laura Salter, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

HAND AND MACHINE, IN ONE COMPOSITION

Both artworks have been developed around a single design philosophy: that hand and machine craftsmanship are most powerful when they work in concert. Laser cutting, waterjet shaping and digital pattern drafting are used to achieve geometries that no hand could repeat with the same accuracy. Hand-engraving, hand-painting, hand-embroidery and hand-sculpting are then applied to give the work its individual character.

The techniques introduced on these two Galleries have been developed as part of Rolls-Royce’s wider programme of bespoke craft research and exploration of new materials and techniques.

Both pieces will be presented to the public at London Craft Week, hosted at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 11 to 17 May 2026.

ROLLS-ROYCE ANNOUNCES GLOBAL DEALER AWARDS

Fri, 8 May 2026 10:00:00 +0200

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announces its Global Dealer Awards, recognising and celebrating the outstanding performance in 2025
Categories connected to business objectives, brand communications and client services
Global network of dealer partners is critical in delivering the marque’s ‘Inspiring Greatness’ strategy
Global Dealer Awards complemented by a range of regional awards

“The global success of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a testament to our dealer partners’ incredible level of dedication to offering an exceptional client experience. Their local knowledge and insights, as well as deeply personalised individual client engagement, is central to the experience we offer our clients as a true House of Luxury. These awards recognise some truly outstanding contributions to excellence shown across the worldwide Rolls-Royce family last year. My sincere thanks and compliments to all our worthy winners.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Global Dealer Awards acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding performance of individual dealer partners in a range of categories connected to business objectives, brand communications and client service. They are complemented by a range of regional awards.

The winners of the global awards for outstanding achievement in 2025 are:

Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Osaka
Sales Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Hong Kong
Ownership Services Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai
Client Engagement Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Riyadh
Bespoke Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London
Provenance Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Auckland
Spectre Dealer of the Year:	Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Leeds

Rolls-Royce motor cars are sold in more than 50 countries worldwide through a global network of dealerships, ensuring the marque’s clients are never without the community, hospitality, and access that Rolls-Royce provides.

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS LONDON CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:58:56 +0200

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London celebrates fifth anniversary of its showroom in the heart of Mayfair
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London was the first showroom worldwide to debut the new visual identity, before a global rollout across the marque’s network of showrooms
To commemorate the five-year anniversary, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects on the remarkable events, achievements and highlights since opening its doors

“Mayfair has long been the home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; this part of London has real meaning for the brand, indelibly associated with the marque’s co-founder, The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls. Following a relocation and extensive redesign, five years ago we unveiled our new showroom at 50 Berkeley Street. Since opening the dealership here, we have created some remarkable brand experiences for our clients and won several global and regional awards for our contribution to the marque’s success. I would like to thank the team for all their hard work and determination over the last five years.”
Claus Andersen, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London

Mayfair has a long-standing connection with the marque; The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls was born in Hill Street in 1877, and the headquarters of Rolls-Royce Ltd was located at 14/15 Conduit Street – only a short distance from today’s showroom on Berkeley Street – for much of the twentieth century.

Five years ago, after extensive research, planning and restoration, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London opened its doors at its current location. Since unveiling the new showroom, with its elegant and contemporary design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has been awarded several prestigious accolades for the team’s commitment to providing clients with excellent service and outstanding client experiences. From exclusive parties and events, to showcasing the pinnacle of contemporary craft for London Craft Week, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has enjoyed a remarkable five years in its current location, in W1.

Highlights from the past five years include:

GLOBAL RECOGNITION

Since unveiling its new visual identity in 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has received seven regional and global awards for its contribution to the marque’s global success and delivery of personalised client experiences. In 2022, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London was named Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Global Dealer of the Year – the second time it received the accolade. This year, it was named Global Bespoke Dealer of the Year, recognising the team’s expertise in guiding clients through Rolls-Royce’s renowned personalisation process, working in close partnership with the Bespoke Collective of designers and craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood to realise the most ambitious individual commissions.

CELEBRATING CONTEMPORARY CRAFTSMANSHIP

At the very heart of the Rolls-Royce marque lies a deep commitment to creativity and artisanal excellence, resulting in an unrivalled client experience regarding the commissioning of truly unique and personal motor cars. It is fitting, then, that over the last five years, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London has supported London Craft Week, transforming the showroom to showcase the exceptional works of craftsmanship designed and handmade by Rolls-Royce’s artisans and designers. Each year an entirely different yet exquisite example of craftsmanship has been created, illustrating the broad scope of the marque’s Bespoke capabilities. From a hand-painted fascia inspired by the shores of the Riviera, to an exquisite 3D artwork inspired by the rich and remarkable flora and fauna of the British Isles, the showroom has celebrated contemporary creativity and hosted craftsmanship events for clients and media.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London will once again participate in this year’s London Craft Week. To celebrate the twelfth year of the event, artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created an intricate display, featuring two highly Bespoke Galleries, inspired by the world of haute couture and jewellery design. The exhibition will be on display at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, from 11 to 17 May 2026.

ROLLS-ROYCE VOTED BRITAIN’S MOST ICONIC TRADE MARK IN NEW PUBLIC POLL

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:38:55 +0200

Rolls-Royce voted Britain's most iconic trade mark of all time in a new public survey
Poll commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to mark the 150th anniversary of the first UK trade mark being registered
The IPO now protects over 2.5 million registered trade marks
Result confirms Rolls-Royce’s status as a brand woven into Britain’s national identity

“We’re delighted that the British public has chosen Rolls-Royce as their favourite trade mark of all time. Our name has been synonymous with excellence for well over 100 years: the Silver Ghost was officially dubbed ‘the best car in the world’ in 1913, and we proudly retain that crown with the motor cars we hand-build at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood today. We enjoy the rare privilege of a trade mark that transcends not only our own company, but our entire industry, with ‘the Rolls-Royce of…’ a global shorthand for the best of the best in any field. And for us as a team, it’s highly gratifying that our world-class engineering, craftsmanship and creativity resonate far beyond those who actually own and drive our motor cars.”
Julian Jenkins, Director of Sales & Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce has been voted Britain’s favourite trade mark of all time in a new poll commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first UK trade mark being registered.

Members of the public were invited to nominate and share their favourite UK trade marks, past or present, and explain what they felt makes a trade mark iconic. From around 2,000 responses, Rolls-Royce topped the list, its famous ‘double R’ trade mark, formed by the interlocked initial letters of its founders’ surnames, representing more than a century of British engineering excellence and craftsmanship in the popular consciousness. One respondent described Rolls-Royce as “an iconic British brand name which over time has become a worldwide metaphor for the best of the best”, with another calling it simply “the mark of quality”.

The IPO is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights, including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright. It currently protects more than 2.5 million marks across 45 different classes of goods and services, with approximately 200,000 new applications received during the past 12 months alone. In its words, the 150th anniversary celebrates not just a legal milestone, but also the enduring role that brands play in connecting businesses with the public.

PRESENTING PROJECT NIGHTINGALE: A COACHBUILD COLLECTION

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:59:00 +0200

Rolls-Royce presents Project Nightingale, the first Coachbuild Collection
Name derived from Le Rossignol, the name of the designers’ and engineers’ house at Henry Royce’s French Riviera estate, which means ‘the nightingale’
Draws inspiration from high-speed experimental ‘EX’ Rolls-Royces of the 1920s
Constructed using the Rolls-Royce Architecture of Luxury aluminium spaceframe
Sheer, monolithic aesthetic inspired by the discipline of Streamline Moderne design
Project Nightingale is a production concept, global testing and validation programme commencing this summer
Available by invitation only, offered to clients with a deep affinity for Rolls-Royce design
Limited to 100 client motor cars worldwide, with deliveries beginning from 2028

“Some of the most discerning Rolls-Royce clients in the world asked us for our most ambitious work. We responded by bringing three things together that have never coexisted within our brand: the complete design freedom of coachbuilding, our powerful, near-silent all-electric powertrain, and a uniquely potent yet serene expression of open-top motoring – an experience that only this technology makes possible. Achieving this required the same audacious mindset that drove our co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, to create his radically different experimental ‘EX’ motor cars of the 1920s. Project Nightingale shares the spirit of those landmark projects and is the most extravagant expression of what Rolls-Royce is capable of today.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Project Nightingale is built on the design principles that define this marque at its most compelling – grand proportions, absolute surface discipline, and a clarity of line that rewards the closest attention. And yet, it takes them somewhere entirely new. For me, this landmark motor car feels both inevitable and completely unexpected, and it will shape everything that follows.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Project Nightingale, a Coachbuild Collection. Named after Le Rossignol, French for ‘the nightingale’, and the name of the designers’ and engineers’ house near Henry Royce’s winter home on the Côte d’Azur, this extraordinary production concept is an open-top two-seat motor car that introduces a dramatic new expression of Rolls-Royce design.

Defined by grand proportions and underpinned with a fully electric drivetrain that delivers a uniquely silent open-top experience, Project Nightingale draws on the glamour and confidence of the 1920s and 1930s while remaining entirely of its time. Its creative vision is fully resolved – the small number of design details that remain demand entirely new manufacturing techniques that are currently under development. Only 100 examples will be created for sale, each coachbuilt by hand at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Project Nightingale and the Coachbuild Collection programme have been crafted for aesthetes – individuals for whom beauty is both observed and lived. These clients are connected by a shared conviction in the primacy of Rolls-Royce design, the value of the most considered motor cars in the world, and a deep appreciation for experiences that only Rolls-Royce can offer. Clients are already participating in a multi-year programme of gatherings and moments curated by Rolls-Royce, immersing them in the creative and technical formation of their motor car, as well as private events in the world’s most desirable destinations.

STREAMLINERS, SPEED, AND THE DISCIPLINE OF SHEER, MONOLITHIC BEAUTY

Project Nightingale has been conceived for the uniquely design-literate clients at the heart of the Coachbuild Collection programme: people for whom a perfectly resolved surface is as compelling as the glamour of driving an open-top Rolls-Royce. The motor car’s aesthetic is inspired by the principles of Streamline Moderne design from the late Art Deco era, wherein precise lines and uninterrupted forms are more powerful than ornament. In that spirit, when conceiving Project Nightingale, Rolls-Royce creatives embraced sheer, monolithic volumes.

Another point of inspiration for Project Nightingale is Rolls-Royce’s experimental motor cars of the 1920s. Known as ‘EX’ models and fitted with red badges – which Project Nightingale is also equipped with – these are some of the rarest and most desirable motor cars in the marque’s history. Two of these prototypes were a particular focus: 16EX and 17EX.

These motor cars were created in 1928, at the height of the Jazz Age, just three years after the Art Deco movement was given its name. Henry Royce and his engineers cloaked two powerful Phantom chassis in lightweight aluminium bodies to achieve a new top speed for Rolls-Royce. 16EX and 17EX were designed to reach in excess of 90 miles per hour, and their torpedo-shaped form perfectly captured the audacity of Royce’s ambition: an imposing overall scale; a long bonnet; a shallow windscreen; and a snug, enveloping cabin with driver and companion set deep inside.

From these foundations, Coachbuild designers distilled three principles that directly inform Project Nightingale. ‘Upright to flowing’: the Pantheon Grille’s commanding vertical gesture transitioning into a long, graceful rear; ‘Central fuselage’, defined by a single unbroken hull line running from front to rear; and ‘Flying wings’: sculptural volumes that create tension across the overall form and pull the eye towards the rear. Project Nightingale channels these principles in a way that is both familiar to those fluent in the Rolls-Royce story, yet unapologetically contemporary and unlike anything before it.

FRONT ELEVATION

At 5.76 metres in length, Project Nightingale is almost exactly the same length as the marque’s flagship saloon, Phantom, yet devoted entirely to a two-seat convertible form. The drivetrain transforms the front elevation entirely: with no requirement for the large cooling intakes needed for an internal combustion engine, designers achieved unprecedented expanses of uninterrupted surfacing between the outermost edges of the wings and the Pantheon Grille.

The grille itself is a bold interpretation of one of the most recognisable icons in luxury. Its generous surround – almost a metre in width – appears to be carved from a solid block of stainless steel, with 24 vanes set deeply within it. The Spirit of Ecstasy figurine is integrated on top of the grille in a subtly recessed section, its lines flowing backwards and dissolving into the bonnet, as though the figurine is moving at speed through water, and the metalwork is parting gently around her.

Beneath the grille, a structured section widens at 45 degrees from each lower corner before dropping down vertically, from which a carbon fibre apron projects forward, traced by an elegant chrome belt. This creates the effect that the grille is presented on a structural plinth, recalling the great Art Deco skyscrapers whose uppermost decorative floors are supported by solid geometric forms beneath them.

At the outermost edge of the wing is Project Nightingale’s most progressive statement: slender, vertically orientated headlamp assemblies. This treatment is emphasised with polished stainless-steel bands that run the full length of the motor car from the bottom of the headlamps all the way to the tail lamps.

TORPEDO ‘CENTRAL FUSELAGE’ IN PROFILE

In profile, the full impact of Project Nightingale’s driver-oriented, torpedo-shaped design is revealed. An expansive bonnet gives way to the dramatically raked windscreen, framed on each side by a stainless-steel form housing a delicate quarterlight window, inspired by the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé. Behind it is a compact cabin for two, set deep within the body, before the rear deck falls and tapers towards a dramatically low trailing edge. This is a motor car that is almost entirely bonnet and tail, its two-seat cabin an intimate counterpoint to the grandeur of the volumes surrounding it.

A single hull line runs continuously along Project Nightingale from front to rear, inspired by the line that separates a yacht’s hull from its superstructure. It begins at sculpted ‘Pinnacles’ on the front wings – a subtle reference to heritage Rolls-Royce designs – before flowing uninterrupted to the trailing edge. Set intentionally high, it creates the sensation of being enveloped deep inside the motor car. An upswept volume behind the headrests rises like a turned collar, cosseting driver and companion against the elements, integrating the height of the headrests into the sculpture of the motor car itself.

Beneath, a progressive negative sculpture in the lower bodyside deepens the impression of a central fuselage, balanced by a solid carbon fibre sill that makes an understated historical reference to the running boards of prominent heritage Rolls-Royce motor cars.

To add restrained decoration to the rear of the motor car, a second lower polished stainless-steel band is introduced just behind the centre of the rear wheels, its position and proportion recalling the gentle white water of a sailing yacht’s wake.

Significant development has been focused on the surfacing, ensuring that Project Nightingale appears to have been carved from a single, solid billet. To minimise visual noise, engineers developed a handle for the coach doors that incorporates a hidden lock mechanism and a discreetly integrated indicator lamp. The Rolls-Royce ‘Badge of Honour’ is also distilled into an elegant stainless-steel ‘Double R’ monogram, placed sparingly on each front wing and in the centre of the luggage compartment.

Against this serenity, 24-inch wheels – the largest fitted to a Rolls-Royce – strike a considered contrast. Their directional design is inspired by the propellers of a yacht viewed from beneath the waterline: forms that appear to be in continuous motion even when the motor car is stationary. The surface also includes subtle, machined stripes, creating the impression of wire wheel spokes moving at speed, while aluminium flakes within the black finish introduce a delicate sparkle as the wheel turns.

A TAIL OF CONSEQUENCE

Towards the rear, the surfacing swells around the rear wheel arches, creating an impression of planted, muscular strength that balances the overall design’s grace. The deck above is purposefully horizontal, broken by two rear lamps of exceptional precision: these slim clusters fall from the upper surface to the lower at an almost perfect right angle. This striking treatment is further dramatised by the Piano Boot, which opens sideways on a cantilever, both recalling the ceremony of a grand piano and transforming a functional moment into a considered act of arrival.

A single longitudinal brake lamp is placed directly at the centreline on the rear of Project Nightingale, recalling the speed stripes of great Streamline Moderne design. Directly below, a recessed chrome number plate surround is set into the lower rear face with the precision of a watch bezel: a small detail that rewards the closest attention.

Beneath, the same precision extends to the engineering. The bold lower transom diffuser, known as the Aero Afterdeck, is enabled thanks to the use of a fully electric drivetrain, which eliminates exhaust pipework. This single carbon fibre piece ensures stability at high speed without the addition of a spoiler, preserving the uninterrupted flow of Project Nightingale’s elegant silhouette.

OPEN-AIR SERENITY, CLOSED-ROOF DRAMA

Project Nightingale becomes an exercise in serene, open-air travel with the roof lowered. With it raised, the character transforms entirely, creating a commanding, coupé-like presence.

Within the roof itself, a unique sound-deadening material combines cashmere, fabric and high-performance composites. Paired with Rolls-Royce’s fully electric drivetrain, which generates virtually no mechanical noise, the marque’s acoustic engineers aim to achieve an exceptionally serene experience whether the soft top roof is raised or lowered, while still preserving the sounds that enhance the romance of driving – such as raindrops on canvas.

The near-silent sensation of driving even early Project Nightingale prototypes with the roof lowered is described by Rolls-Royce designers and engineers as akin to travelling by sailing yacht. The fully electric drivetrain generates virtually no mechanical noise, and wind noise is all but eliminated: what remains is the world itself – the sound of ocean waves breaking on the shore, the movement of air through trees, the particular silence of open countryside at speed, the chorus of birdsong.

THE INTERIOR SUITE: A WORLD FOR TWO

It was this extraordinary serenity that inspired the centrepiece of Project Nightingale’s interior. During an early prototype drive, Rolls-Royce designers were able to hear birdsong with unusual clarity. Intrigued by this experience – and in tribute to the motor car’s name – they began studying recordings of nightingales and analysing the distinctive sound-wave patterns created by their song. From these studies emerged an idea: to translate the rhythm of birdsong into a visual form that could envelop those within the motor car.

The result is the Starlight Breeze suite – a flowing constellation of ambient illumination comprising 10,500 individual ‘stars’ in three subtly varied sizes. Named after the gentle movement of air suggested by the nightingale’s song, the pattern of light draws directly from the soundwave forms studied by the designers. Extending from the front of each door around the driver and companion’s seat, the illumination wraps those within in their own celestial field, transforming melody into light.

The Starlight Breeze illumination is carried within a sculptural interior form called the ‘Horseshoe’, which rises behind the seats and frames the occupants in a protective architectural gesture.

The leather of the door card is overlaid as a raised section recalling a finely crafted saddle. This motif continues through the centre console in a leather-covered saddle armrest – split into two delicate pieces – which aligns precisely with the Coachline that runs the length of the bonnet, through the cabin to the rear central brake light.

On opening the coach door, the armrest glides rearwards automatically to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller. It is operated with an exceptionally tactile stainless-steel collar formed with four grooves reminiscent of contemporary haute joaillerie. Within each groove, the metal is facetedand then glass-blasted, delicately subduing the controller’s high polish. This jewelled treatment extends throughout the interior to the gear selector and remaining rotary controls, which are sparingly curated to just five in total.

At the touch of a button, the armrest moves further to reveal a concealed compartment for personal items. Polished individual aluminium cupholders – machined from billet – add a further jewel-like accent, and a hidden shelf behind the seats incorporates space for hand luggage: a considered and practical gesture for a motor car conceived for long, unhurried journeys.

BESPOKE EXPRESSIONS OF PROJECT NIGHTINGALE

For Project Nightingale, Rolls-Royce is developing an entirely new colour and material palette and set of Bespoke features, designed and reserved exclusively for this specific Coachbuild Collection. These will not be available on any other Rolls-Royce motor car. Each of the 100 examples will be meticulously curated with its commissioning client to reflect their personal taste, character and vision.

THE ‘EX’ MOTOR CAR PRESENTED TODAY

The motor car presented today reflects the creative spirit that shaped Project Nightingale’s design story. The exterior paint finish draws inspiration from the experimental Rolls-Royce 17EX of 1928, though it is interpreted rather than replicated. The pale, solid blue hue – named Côte d’Azur Blue – is infused with subtle red flakes that reveal themselves in changing light, a discreet reference to the red badges fitted to the ‘EX’ motor cars in period, and used today to denote Project Nightingale’s status as a production concept. The exterior is completed with a silver-coloured convertible soft top roof.

The interior hues evoke the atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur. The seats are finished in soft pastel Charles Blue, paired with a warm Grace White tone, creating an environment of gentle, sunlit calm. Deep Navy seat inserts introduce contrast and depth, while delicate flashes of Peony Pink appear within the fascia surround and headrests, inspired by the wild blooms of the Riviera. The palette is resolved with Openpore Blackwood laid in a ‘V’ shape that opens upwards, encouraging the eye to the sky above.

ENGINEERED ELEGANCE

Project Nightingale is powered by the marque’s fully electric drivetrain. For a Coachbuild Collection conceived for the most discerning and design-literate clients in the world, the qualities of electric power are deeply considered. The silent and effortless delivery of power amplifies every characteristic that has defined the Rolls-Royce experience for more than a century, and the nature of this powertrain unlocks completely new design possibilities. Further engineering details will be shared as the motor car progresses through its global testing and development programme.

HENRY ROYCE’S LEGACY, PROJECT NIGHTINGALE’S PROMISE

Project Nightingale marks the beginning of the Coachbuild Collection story. The individuals who inspired it represent a growing community of passionate clients who seek Rolls-Royce design at its most ambitious and uncompromising. In drawing on the experimental spirit of Henry Royce and the glamour of the Art Deco era, it is a motor car that looks to the past with the confidence of a marque that has always known its future. As Project Nightingale progresses through its global testing and development programme, Rolls-Royce will share further details of the motor car, its engineering and the extraordinary experiences that await its 100 clients.

Entry to the Coachbuild Collection programme is by invitation only and client deliveries will commence from 2028.

ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS TRIPLE ANNIVERSARY OF GOODWOOD-ERA EXPERIMENTAL MOTOR CARS

Tue, 7 Apr 2026 14:05:00 +0200

Rolls-Royce celebrates triple anniversary of three Goodwood-era Experimental motor cars
101EX, 102EX and 103EX record 20, 15 and 10 years respectively in 2026
Essential proving grounds for battery electric technology and Bespoke individualisation
Part of a through-line of EX motor cars extending back to 1EX in 1919

“Throughout its history, Rolls-Royce has created Experimental, or EX, motor cars, as part of its product development process. But an EX motor car is not a concept created to ‘test the waters’: it is fully realised, drivable, and informed by our deep understanding of our clients’ needs and desires. Each of the three EX cars marking their anniversary this year has made an immense contribution to the development of Goodwood-era models such as the legendary Phantom Coupé, Spectre and the coachbuilt Sweptail, as well as introducing the world to Bespoke through expressions like our signature Starlight Headliner. In their innovation, creativity, dynamism and engineering accomplishment, they perfectly translate the technical brilliance of Sir Henry Royce and the pioneering vision of Charles Rolls into the modern age.”
Bernhard Dressler, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In 2026, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks a special triple anniversary; three groundbreaking Experimental – or EX – motor cars, built during the Goodwood-era, are recording 20, 15 and 10 years since their respective unveilings.

Each of these motor cars played a foundational role in establishing Rolls-Royce’s contemporary design language, technology, engineering hallmarks and commitment to Bespoke individualisation. Unlike conventional concept cars, which are used to ask the market what it wants, EX motor cars are developed to answer specific needs and desires, identified through Rolls-Royce’s deep understanding of its clients and a clear view of what comes next. They allow Rolls-Royce’s engineers to evaluate innovative technologies, advanced production methods, and bold new material palettes.

The three Goodwood-era EX cars are part of a through-line going back to 1EX, which Henry Royce built in 1919. When Royce found his new Phantom II, launched in 1929, too large and heavy for his own use, his designers produced a lightweight Experimental version, 26EX, on an adapted short chassis. It proved ideal for high-speed, long-distance touring on Europe’s smooth, straight roads, and entered production as the now rare and highly prized Phantom II Continental. During the early-to-mid 1930s, Rolls-Royce built 30EX and nine further experimental cars under the codename Spectre as part of the V12 engine development programme that would enter production in 1936 as Phantom III. Drawing inspiration from those experimental Phantom III motor cars, the name Spectre was later revived for the marque’s first battery electric motor car, unveiled in 2022. The last of the pre-Goodwood EX motor cars, 45EX, was built in 1957.

101EX, UNVEILED IN 2006 – 20 YEARS AGO

101EX made its debut at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. A full four-seat coupé with twin coach doors, it was built on the same aluminium spaceframe as Phantom VII, but is 240 mm shorter. Combined with bodywork constructed from carbon fibre composite, and power from a 6.75-litre V12 engine, it was designed to have a more performance- and driver-focused character than its larger sibling. It also has a lower roofline and shallower glass area; the Pantheon grille is discreetly reclined and extended back across a brushed aluminium bonnet and windscreen surround.

The interior features the first-ever Starlight Headliner. Comprising hundreds of fibre-optic ‘stars’, it proved an instant sensation and is now a fundamental element of almost every Rolls-Royce motor car, with its own almost unlimited potential for Bespoke individualisation. Like its predecessor – 100EX, unveiled in 2004 – 101EX would find lasting fame as a series production car; the legendary Phantom Coupé, launched in 2008.

Phantom Coupé, together with the closely related Phantom Drophead Coupé, was foundational to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ development as a modern House of Luxury. They introduced the world to the full possibilities of Bespoke, informed by the company’s growing understanding of the wider luxury market, and the idea of a Rolls-Royce as a canvas for deep, Bespoke individualisation. 101EX also gave designers and engineers vital insights into materials and construction techniques that would inform the development of the first Coachbuild project of the modern era: Sweptail, presented in 2017.

102EX, UNVEILED IN 2011 – 15 YEARS AGO

102EX has a unique place in history as the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) ever built by Rolls-Royce. Also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), it was created as a one-off, working test bed for alternative drive-train technologies, and thus represented the first tangible step on the road that would lead to the advent of Spectre, more than a decade later.

One of the most significant engineering challenges was converting everything that runs directly off the engine in a standard motor car, from power steering and ABS to heating and audio, to battery power. 102EX had what was then the largest capacity battery fitted to a motor car anywhere in the world: its wireless induction charging system was also a world first.

Following its Geneva debut, 102EX embarked on a year-long ‘world tour’ of client, media and public events, culminating in a landmark appearance at the prestigious Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This gave owners, VIPs, media and enthusiasts the opportunity to discover Rolls-Royce’s emerging drivetrain technology and share their experiences and impressions; this information proved crucial to engineers’ understanding of the potential and practicalities of BEVs. 102EX’s international odyssey would later be eclipsed by the 2.5 million kilometres Spectre accumulated in some of the world’s most hostile climates and challenging terrain for its own pre-launch testing.

103EX, UNVEILED IN 2016 – 10 YEARS AGO

In 2016, the marque commissioned a special ‘Vision’ motor car named 103EX, which would define the future of luxury. Hand-built using the most advanced materials, and powered by a zero emissions powertrain, it revealed a future in which Rolls-Royce offered clients a completely personal, effortless and autonomous experience.

The passenger cabin, known as ‘The Grand Sanctuary’, surrounds occupants with precious and contemporary materials carefully chosen to create a feeling of lightness, simplicity and effortless elegance. The seats are replaced with an opulent sofa, which, thanks to artful lighting, appears to ‘float’ within the cocoon of the cabin.

At 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the same dimensions as Phantom Extended – 103EX guarantees a Grand Arrival for its owner. For the first time, the Spirit of Ecstasy was made in glass and illuminated from below.

As well as an all-electric powertrain, 103EX includes a digital assistant called ‘Eleanor’. The choice of name was inspired by Eleanor Thornton, who was believed to have been sculptor Charles Sykes’ muse for the original Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. Within the Vision motor car, Eleanor was conceived to enable fully autonomous driving while also facilitating a seamless digital interface between motor car and owner. This forward-looking concept anticipated aspects of today’s Whispers app, which provides clients with a curated digital connection to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

UNITED BY HERITAGE

Although these three motor cars are very different in conception and execution, they share a single, highly exclusive, distinguishing feature.

The use of the Rolls-Royce Badge of Honour, with its overlaid double ‘R’ for the founders’ second initials, can be traced back to the earliest days of the brand, with the first examples appearing on Rolls-Royce 10 H.P. motor cars in 1905. The first badges featured the ‘RR’ symbol in red on a silver background, but in 1931, the process began to change the lettering to black – a style that has remained ever since.

However, the original-style red badge has periodically resurfaced over the decades – albeit rarely and on a highly restricted basis. In 1979, to mark the company’s 75th anniversary, Rolls-Royce fitted red badges to all 212 examples of the Silver Shadow II Anniversary model, together with a single Camargue and the sole Silver Wraith II. Red badges were also specified for the final series of 25 Corniches, the turbocharged Corniche S.

This practice continues today, with red badges occasionally assigned to carefully selected motor cars. Most notably, they have also been fitted to all the Goodwood-era EX models – including the three celebrating their anniversaries this year. This shared feature underlines their historic importance to Rolls-Royce, preserving a through-line of innovation, experimentation and challenging of convention that can be traced back to the marque’s foundation.

LE ROSSIGNOL: A REFUGE FOR CREATIVITY

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:58:00 +0200

Le Rossignol: the name of the house in which Sir Henry Royce’s designers and engineers lived in the South of France
French for ‘the nightingale’, Le Rossignol was named as a tribute to Rolls-Royce’s Derby factory
Henry Royce personally designed the Derby factory on Nightingale Road
Nightingale Road was home to Rolls-Royce motor car production from 1908 to 1939
Royce later built Le Rossignol near Villa Mimosa, his residence in the South of France
Le Rossignol reflects Royce’s pursuit of creative focus and deep connection with the Côte d’Azur

“The time Sir Henry Royce spent on the French Riviera offers a more private view of how he worked. Le Rossignol, which was purpose-built as a residence for his designers and engineers, adjacent to his house, became a setting for focused creativity, where ideas were formed, tested and refined. That it was named as a heartfelt tribute to Nightingale Road, the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby which Sir Henry himself personally designed, only adds to the significance of this special location in Rolls-Royce’s story. Sir Henry’s closeness to his creative team, and his belief in their ability to achieve remarkable things, remains a point of pride at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today. It lives on in the work that demands the most from us and matters most to our clients.”
Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

During the later years of his life, Sir Henry Royce spent each winter at his private residence on the French Riviera. The villa, named La Mimosa, was built in the hills above the village of Le Canadel in 1911, after Sir Henry had visited the area during a period of rest after the intense effort of establishing Rolls-Royce’s manufacturing base at Nightingale Road, Derby.

In addition to La Mimosa, Royce had two other houses built: Le Bureau served as a design studio, and Le Rossignol – French for ‘the nightingale’ – was the house in which the designers and engineers lived. It was very important to Royce that the designers and engineers were close to him, so they were able to bring their respective visions to reality quickly.

Le Rossignol’s naming was a heartfelt tribute to Nightingale Road, where Royce had personally designed the factory buildings, down to their internal layout, in 1908. He also revealed his genius for logistics, orchestrating the transfer of plant and machinery from the previous Manchester site without a single day’s delay in production. The name Le Rossignol commemorated Sir Henry’s achievements in Derby, and reflected the purpose of this new building: a quiet space where ideas could be developed, tested and perfected to Royce’s standards.

Royce often invited his most trusted engineers and designers to visit him at La Mimosa, many of whom stayed at Le Rossignol while working closely with him. Despite the tranquillity of the French Riviera, he remained obsessive in his commitment to precision and productive use of time.

One visiting engineer recounted how he was once invited to listen to some records with Royce. Expecting an evening of music, he was instead handed a set of recorded French language lessons. When the guest remarked that this was not what he had anticipated, Royce replied: “No time for leisure. We must use every moment to learn.”

Yet even with such discipline, Royce found moments of pleasure on the Riviera. In a rare moment of levity, he was photographed on the balcony of La Mimosa, playing the flute in the sunshine with the renowned British sculptor Francis Derwent Wood. He also took every opportunity to test his creations on the winding corniches near Le Canadel, often driving them himself.

Even when unwell, Royce couldn’t resist the thrill of his motor cars’ performance. On one journey back to England for emergency surgery, with Commercial Managing Director Claude Johnson at the wheel, Royce noticed a car gaining behind them and urged Johnson to accelerate, insisting: “A Rolls-Royce should never be overtaken.” As the motor car drew closer, Royce recognised its outline and said: “Don’t worry. It’s one of ours.”

The Riviera remained Royce’s sanctuary until his death in 1933, and was a place where nature, design and discipline coexisted. The legacy of Le Rossignol, both as a name and a place of disciplined creation, endures quietly within the Rolls-Royce story: an echo of the brand’s creative heritage that continues to inspire today.

PRESENTING ROLLS-ROYCE CULLINAN YACHTING: A BESPOKE CELEBRATION OF MARINE CRAFT AND DESIGN

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0100

Four Cullinan motor cars celebrate the material palette and design codes of yachting
Each features a hand-painted fascia inspired by the wake of a tender at speed
Unique Starlight Headliners chart the prevailing winds of the Mediterranean Sea
Intricate marquetry compass motif comprises more than 40 individual pieces
Reflects Rolls-Royce’s links to yachting, including C.S. Rolls’ family yacht, Santa Maria

“Yachting is a world inhabited by many of our clients, and one we’ve come to know intimately. These highly Bespoke Cullinan motor cars celebrate the deep connection between that culture and Rolls-Royce: a relationship that began with our founder, Charles Rolls, and continues to this day. From shared design values with racing vessels to collaborations with marine designers for clients who wish to pair their motor car with their yacht, maritime craft has long informed our approach. In these four Bespoke commissions, that long-standing association is expressed through meticulous marine-inspired details and authentic materials, true to the spirit of adventure that defines Cullinan and the world of yachting alike.”
Martina Starke, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce presents Cullinan Yachting: four Private Commissions celebrating the aesthetics, materials and spirit of contemporary yachting. Each motor car is defined by one of the cardinal points of the compass – North, South, East or West – a subtle thematic thread expressed through both interior and exterior details.

All four commissions feature marine-grade teak detailing, hand-painted nautical fascias, Mediterranean wind-pattern Starlight Headliners, and distinctive exterior finishes. Together, they reflect Rolls-Royce’s longstanding relationship with the world of maritime craft – from Charles Rolls’ own family yacht to contemporary client collaborations with leading yacht designers.

HAND-PAINTED FLOURISHES: AWASH WITH COLOUR

Hand-painted elements are an increasingly sought-after form of Bespoke expression, with Rolls-Royce now employing full-time artisans dedicated to this specialised craft. In each of the Cullinan Yachting motor cars, the fascia and picnic tables include artworks that capture the trailing wake of a tender at speed, bound for a yacht at anchor. The direction of the wake reflects the orientation of each commission – North, South, East or West – ensuring each motor car is a true one-of-one.

Development of the composition required two months of experimentation, refining paint hue combinations, application techniques and lacquering processes. To achieve the lifelike wave effect, pigment is airbrushed onto the wet lacquer before being shaped by hand with a fine brush. By directing air across the surface and manually guiding the paint, the artist achieves a natural sense of movement.

The painted composition sits within a broader treatment spanning the full width of the motor car. The fascia is finished in a Bespoke paint named Piano Milori Sparkle: a rich, metallic blue that evokes the deep, crystalline tones of the Côte d’Azur.

Beyond the fascia, Open Pore Teak is used throughout the interior, including the rear Waterfall, rear centre console lid and door panels. Commonly found on yacht decks, this material was selected for its maritime authenticity, natural tactility and understated visual warmth.

On the rear Waterfall, a marquetry compass motif anchors the theme. Each design comprises more than 40 individual pieces of veneer in Sycamore, Teak, Ash and Black Bolivar, precisely cut and assembled by hand.

BESPOKE INTERIOR: A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

The interior is finished in Arctic White and Navy Blue leather, with contrast stitching, piping and headrest monograms in Navy. The seat inserts feature a Bespoke rigging pattern, hand-stitched in diagonal bands using Rolls-Royce’s signature thread. Created by an artisan with a personal connection to the Royal Navy, and trained in yarn, weave and embroidery construction, the piece has been carefully orchestrated to echo the twining of rope, where multiple strands are twisted together to create strength. The direction of each stitch reflects this structural composition, elegantly translating the craft of nautical ropework into embroidery. A rope motif also appears on the illuminated treadplates, visible when opening the coach doors.

STARLIGHT HEADLINER: STEER BY THE STARS

Each Cullinan Yachting is fitted with a unique Starlight Headliner, combining static and animated hand-placed fibre-optic ‘stars’ in patterns inspired by Mediterranean wind maps. The shifting air currents – charted and interpreted by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers – are rendered in subtle motion across the roof of the interior suite.

FOUR DIRECTIONS, FOUR IDENTITIES

The exterior finish of each Cullinan Yachting reflects the cardinal point of the compass it is named after. North is presented in Crystal over Light Blue, evoking the colder waters of higher latitudes; South captures warmer climes in a deep, serene Crystal over Arabian Blue IV; East is rendered in Dark Silk Teal, suggesting the calm and mystery of deep water; while West appears in Sapphire Gunmetal, echoing a storm-lit ocean sky. The motor cars are finished with a hand-painted compass motif on the front wings, in which the corresponding directional point is highlighted in red, complemented by a hand-applied Twin Coachline in Phoenix Red and Arctic White.

Each commission is resolved with 22-inch Fully Polished alloy wheels, subtly recalling the mirror-polished brightwork and deck fittings of contemporary yachts.

ROLLS-ROYCE’S YACHTING LEGACY: MORE THAN A CENTURY OF CONNECTION

The connections between Rolls-Royce and the world of yachting are deep and longstanding. In Rolls-Royce's design language, the lower line of the bodywork – known as the ‘waft line’ – borrows directly from yacht design, creating an uncomplicated sense of motion by reflecting the road passing beneath it, much as a yacht hull reflects the water as it cuts through it.

Many heritage motor cars, together with Goodwood-era series models including Phantom Drophead Coupé and Spectre, as well as the contemporary coachbuilt Boat Tail commissions, have incorporated design cues and material influences from racing yachts. A particularly potent reference-point is the peerless J-class, built in the 1930s to compete in the prestigious America’s Cup. With their elegant proportions, long overhangs, sweeping lines and large sail plans, these classic high-performance vessels combined beauty with breathtaking speed, and are still revered as floating works of art.

There is also a more direct, personal link between the marque and the maritime world. Long before he met Henry Royce, Charles Rolls' family owned the substantial but graceful Santa Maria - a 154ft (47m), 235 ton single screw schooner, powered by a twin cylinder 80HP steam engine, typical of fashionable late Victorian and early Edwardian nautical society. After graduating from Cambridge in 1898, the youthful Rolls briefly served as her Third Engineer in what was one of his earliest engineering roles, before fulfilling his true vocation as a pioneer of both motoring and aviation.

Logbooks and records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show Santa Maria taking the family on frequent cruises from Shoreham, less than 30 miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce, on the south coast of England to the Mediterranean, where her ports of call included Naples, Malta, Algiers and Côte d'Azur. The latter – still a favoured destination and home port for many Rolls-Royce clients who are also yacht owners – provides the creative focal point for Cullinan Yachting.

ROLLS-ROYCE AND YACHTING: A SHARED HERITAGE

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0100

INTRODUCTION

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has a longstanding relationship with the world of yachting, through a shared interest in harnessing fine materials and craftsmanship in the pursuit of performance and an overlapping clientele. Historically and in the modern era, racing yachts have informed key elements of Rolls-Royce’s design language, and provided direct inspiration for motor cars, including the fabled Phantom Drophead Coupé and the Boat Tail Coachbuild commissions.

A SHARED HERITAGE

The links between the marque and the maritime world are deep, personal and predate the marque’s foundation. Charles Rolls’ family owned the substantial but graceful Santa Maria – a 154ft (47m), 235 ton single screw schooner, powered by a twin cylinder 80HP steam engine, typical of fashionable late Victorian and early Edwardian nautical society. Logbooks and records from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries show Santa Maria taking the family on frequent cruises from Shoreham on the south coast of England to the Mediterranean, where her ports of call included Cannes, Naples, Malta and Monaco, still favoured destinations and/or home ports for the many Rolls-Royce clients who are also yacht owners.

After graduating from Cambridge in 1898, six years before his historic first meeting with Henry Royce, the youthful Rolls briefly served as her Third Engineer. This was his foundational engineering role before fulfilling his true vocation as a pioneer of both motoring and aviation. His fellow motoring enthusiast, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu was, like so many of the marque’s aristocratic early adopters, also an active yachtsman and motorboat racer.

MAKING WAVES

In the decades that followed, Rolls-Royce forged deep connections with the maritime world, much as it did in aviation, as a world-class engine manufacturer. In the early 1960s, the graceful Riva Caravelle yachts were powered by Rolls-Royce engines, combining Italian craftsmanship with British engineering excellence. (Between 1989 and 1997, Vickers owned both Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Riva.) In 1965, Rolls-Royce collaborated with the leading Italian boatbuilder, Avonautica Rio, to develop the ‘Rolls-Rio’ – a stunning open luxury wooden sports boat, in the celebrated Italian style, powered by a marine-adapted version of the Rolls-Royce V8 engine which powered the Silver Cloud II.

From 1954 to 1997, Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia was the official vessel of the British Royal Family, the late Queen Elizabeth II describing it as “the one place I can truly relax”. Now permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, as a five-star tourist attraction, during her service life, HMY Britannia famously carried a Rolls-Royce Phantom V Park Ward limousine for the Queen’s use when the yacht docked in foreign ports. The motor car was hoisted on and off the deck using a small crane, or davit, and kept in a garage on the Shelter Deck: in order to fit inside, it had to have its bumpers removed, then reattached at the destination.

ON LAND AND SEA

The strongest historical connection between Rolls-Royce and yachting lies in their shared clientele. During the early 20th century, yacht-racing was a highly prestigious and exclusive pursuit, attracting many of the same wealthy British and American industrialists, financiers, aristocrats and entrepreneurs who were also Rolls-Royce owners.

Then as now, the pinnacle of this rarefied sport was the America’s Cup. For many, this reached its own zenith in the 1930s, when it was contested by the peerless J-class yachts. With their elegant proportions, long overhangs, sweeping lines and enormous sail plans, these classic high-performance vessels combined beauty with breathtaking speed, and are still revered as floating works of art.

One example, Endeavour, was owned by Sir Thomas ‘Tommy’ Sopwith. Another aviation pioneer, whose designs included some of the most influential machines of the First World War, Sopwith ran a Rolls-Royce dealership early in his career, and owned an extensive collection of Rolls-Royce motor cars throughout his life. Similarly, the media magnate Sir William Berry, Viscount Camrose, owned both a J-Class yacht, named Cambria, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom II.

THE LANGUAGE OF SPEED

In the early 20th century, Rolls-Royce motor cars were frequently bodied in styles directly inspired by yachts, incorporating materials such as mahogany and construction methods derived from traditional boatbuilding.

In Rolls-Royce’s contemporary design language, the lower line of the bodywork – known as the ‘waft line’ – borrows directly from yacht design. A defining feature of Phantom, Ghost, Cullinan and Spectre, it creates an uncomplicated sense of motion by reflecting the road passing beneath it, much as a yacht hull reflects the water as it cuts through it.

Launched in 2007, Phantom Drophead Coupé was designed to evoke a classic motor yacht at speed, with a dynamic rise in the waistline over the rear wheels, and graceful lines sweeping up towards the front. Completing the nautical theme, the tonneau cover, boot lining and rear passenger cabin were finished in bleached teak decking.

A decade later, the first Coachbuilt motor car of the modern era, ‘Sweptail’, was inspired by classic yachts in the commissioning client’s personal collection. It was followed in 2022 by the triptych of Boat Tail Coachbuild commissions, which, like their 20th Century predecessors, feature a rear deck inspired by classic yachts, with extensive use of wood and a sculptural, hull-like form.

Most recently, Spectre – the marque’s electric super coupé – continues this lineage. Its design was informed by J-class racing yachts, with a vertical bow line leading the eye rearwards to the sweeping fastback form.

ON COMMON GROUND

The present-day Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood is located close to Chichester Harbour, the largest recreational boating harbour in Europe. A designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, its tidal waters flow through a direct channel connection at the harbour mouth into the eastern Solent, and onward into the Solent itself – one of the world’s most important maritime and yachting centres, and home to one of the most active sailing communities anywhere.

Cowes, at the very heart of the Solent, is the birthplace of organised international yacht racing and international sailing culture; it is also home to Cowes Week, one of the longest-running regular sailing regattas in the world. The world’s oldest international sailing trophy, the America’s Cup, originated from a race that began in the Solent. Many other competitive offshore sailing races also either begin or are culturally rooted there, including the Fastnet Race and the Round the Island Race, which both start and finish off Cowes. In addition, the round-the-world sailing competition, known today as the Ocean Race, originally started and finished in Portsmouth.

The decision to establish the modern Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood was shaped in part by its proximity to one of the world’s most concentrated centres of maritime craft skills. Across the Solent region, generations of specialist knowledge endure through bespoke boat builders, naval architects and master shipwrights.

ROMAN RECYCLING PRACTICES UNCOVERED ON ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS EXTENSION SITE

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Roman well constructed from recycled timbers unearthed during Rolls-Royce archaeological dig
Discovery made during detailed investigations on new Rolls-Royce extension site at Goodwood
Comparable with evidence of Roman material reuse previously identified in York, Carlisle and London
Adds to the long record of human habitation in the local area, dating back more than 6,000 years

“Working with the experts from Oxford Archaeology to uncover the history of our Goodwood-based site has been both fascinating and illuminating. It has long been understood that the Romans reused and recycled materials; discovering direct physical evidence on the site of our landmark new extension has been enormously exciting. The well timbers uncovered on our extension site demonstrate that recycling was a standard part of Roman construction practice, even beyond large urban centres like London and York. Finds like this remind us that recycling is not a modern invention – it is a legacy of the ancient past, and one we are proud to continue here at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

A rare example of Roman-era recycling was recently unearthed during archaeological investigations on the site of the landmark new extension to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Experts from Oxford Archaeology, one of Europe’s largest and longest-established independent archaeology and heritage practices, discovered the remains of a Roman well during the closing stages of a six-month investigation, following earlier geophysical surveying and exploratory trenching. The well would have stood seven tiers high and was constructed from 28 timbers. The team identified evidence that eight timbers had previously been used as they displayed mortices, tenons and chamfered edges. These woodworking features suggest they were formerly used in buildings, most likely as sill beams and posts, before being reshaped to build the lining of the well. Comparable examples of recycled timbers have been recorded at other major Roman settlements, including York, Carlisle and London.

The timbers found at the Home of Rolls-Royce extension site originated from the base of the well and would have been permanently waterlogged; the timber bracing would have extended to ground level. The timbers are now being sampled for dendrochronological dating, which involves counting the rings to help determine the year in which the trees were felled. Further analysis should reveal the kinds of tools used to work the timbers; it may even be possible to reconstruct the forms of the trees from which the timbers were cut, providing insight into how woodlands were being managed and felled in the locality.

The Home of Rolls-Royce lies on the outskirts of Chichester, which from the mid 1st century when the Romans established the settlement was known as Noviomagus Reginorum until the end of their rule in Britain in the early 5th century; ‘Noviomagus’ widely thought to mean ‘new market’ in Latin and ‘Reginorum’ referring to the Regni, the local Celtic tribe allied with Rome. In addition to the well, the dig has revealed evidence of human activity dating back to the Neolithic period (4000-2200 BCE), including tools and pottery.

The artefacts are currently undergoing further study and cataloguing to develop a more detailed understanding of life in the local area over the past six millennia. One early hypothesis is that the site was once used for metal-working activities. If confirmed, this would suggest that Rolls-Royce is continuing a long, but often overlooked, tradition in this part of southern England.

Throughout the process of preparing its planning application, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been committed to transparency and positive engagement with the local community. In this spirit, the artefacts were displayed at a Neighbours Information Evening and will eventually be given to Chichester’s Novium Museum situated less than three miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce, allowing the local community to gain new and fascinating insights into the place they and Rolls-Royce call home.

ROLLS-ROYCE ANNOUNCES AN ENTIRELY NEW PROPOSITION IN SUPER-LUXURY: THE COACHBUILD COLLECTION

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:06:00 +0100

Rolls-Royce introduces the Coachbuild Collection: a new proposition in super-luxury
Unites a coachbuilt motor car with a multi-year journey of unforgettable experiences
A Coachbuild Collection is a limited number production motor car, conceived and authored by Rolls-Royce, never to be repeated
Entry by invitation only via the marque’s global Private Office network, offered to clients with a deep affinity for Rolls-Royce design
Offers extraordinary access to the motor car’s creative and engineering development
Private events hosted for clients in the world’s most desirable destinations

“I have had the privilege of meeting clients around the world who seek the very pinnacle in luxury and share an extraordinary passion for Rolls-Royce design. It became clear that they wished to see not only what Rolls-Royce would create if left entirely to its own imagination and with the freedom offered by coachbuilding, but they also wanted to witness that journey at every stage. Coachbuild Collection is the result. This is something the super-luxury world has never seen before. The experience of this programme is inseparable from the motor car itself, and both will be brought to life with the care and ambition worthy of the collectors who inspired them – and of Rolls-Royce itself.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In response to global client demand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announces the Coachbuild Collection: an entirely new proposition in super-luxury, in which a true coachbuilt motor car and an extraordinary multi-year programme of experiences are conceived as one. Each Coachbuild Collection is rare and extravagant, authored entirely by Rolls-Royce and created on a completely new canvas, never to be repeated. Clients with a special affinity for the marque are invited to participate in the programme through the global Rolls-Royce Private Office network.

AN UNPRECEDENTED COACHBUILDING LEGACY

Coachbuilding has been central to Rolls-Royce since the marque was founded. In the earliest years, a rolling chassis was delivered to specialist coachbuilders, who would design and construct a body of almost any form to the client’s precise requirements – similar to commissioning a suit on Savile Row or a dress from a Paris couturier. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce introduced one critical constraint: fixed proportions around the radiator ensured every motor car remained unmistakably a Rolls-Royce. That discipline endures today, enabling creative freedom while preserving an identity more than 120 years in the making.

THE WORLD'S MOST DESIGN-LITERATE COLLECTORS

The announcement of landmark coachbuilt motor cars in the Goodwood era – Sweptail in 2017, Boat Tail in 2021, Droptail in 2023 – deepened the affinity that the world’s most influential collectors had long held for Rolls-Royce design. For a significant and growing number among them, admiration evolved into something more.

What distinguished this group was the nature of their ambition. They were not seeking to direct the design process themselves. Instead, they were fascinated by the idea of entrusting Rolls-Royce to create something entirely of its own – to see what would emerge when the marque expressed its design principles with the total freedom of coachbuilding. This dialogue, sustained over years and geographies, became the foundation of the Coachbuild Collection.

THE COACHBUILD COLLECTION PROGRAMME

A Coachbuild Collection begins with a true coachbuilt motor car: a wholly unique body style formed, built and handcrafted by Rolls-Royce’s Coachbuild department. These motor cars will be fully homologated, road-legal, and created to be driven. Each Coachbuild Collection will be strictly limited in number and will never be repeated. Those clients known to have a special affinity for the Rolls-Royce brand, and who the marque believes would be fascinated to be part of such a remarkable project, are invited to participate in the programme through the marque’s global Private Office network: unique, creative and social spaces, located in Dubai, Seoul, Shanghai, New York, and at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood.

Rolls-Royce recognised that the collectors drawn to this proposition are equally collectors of singular experiences, and conceived a programme of equal ambition to reflect this. For the first Coachbuild Collection, clients will be granted exclusive access to closed testing facilities, witnessing the motor car’s development across performance and climate extremes. They will travel to locations chosen for their deep connection to this motor car’s story. They will be granted rare access to the innermost design studios within Rolls-Royce. They will be welcomed into the ateliers of master craftspeople from adjacent worlds within super-luxury, whose dedication to perfection mirrors that of Rolls-Royce itself. Clients will also gather in the world’s most desirable destinations for remarkable, curated private events at which the designers behind each Coachbuild Collection will share the inspirations and convictions that shaped it.

THE FIRST COACHBUILD COLLECTION

The design and engineering treatment of a Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Collection – as well as the number of motor cars produced, the features within them, and the experiences that participation unlocks – is not fixed and will be curated to serve the singular vision of each Collection.

The first Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Collection will be a fully electric motor car, reflecting the passion that so many clients have for a fully electric Rolls-Royce. Many of the collectors who inspired the Coachbuild Collections programme are existing Spectre owners who celebrate how its electric powertrain elevates the Rolls-Royce experience. For these individuals, the question of how the first Coachbuild Collection should be powered had only one answer. That so many of the world’s most exacting collectors responded this way is the most authentic measure of what Rolls-Royce has achieved with electrification.

The inaugural Coachbuild Collection represents a deeply considered first statement – one shaped as much by the convictions of its collectors as by the marque itself. Further details will be announced in April 2026.

ROLLS-ROYCE COACHBUILD: A GLORIOUS LEGACY. A SPECTACULAR FUTURE.

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

An overview of coachbuilding at Rolls-Royce from the 1900s to the present day
Virtually all Rolls-Royce motor cars were coachbuilt until the 1950s
Tradition all but died out with the introduction of monocoque construction
Contemporary renaissance sparked by Rolls-Royce in 2017 with Sweptail
New standards of innovation, excellence and ambition set by Boat Tail and Droptail
An established part of the marque’s offer, with the new extension at the Home of Rolls-Royce adding further capacity and capability

INTRODUCTION

This Press Kit provides an overview of the history of coachbuilding at Rolls-Royce, the marque’s contemporary capabilities and notable examples of Coachbuild motor cars past and present. For more detailed information about Sweptail, Boat Tail and Droptail and the materials and techniques used in their manufacture, please refer to the specific product Press Releases.

Coachbuilding is the art and science of creating bespoke bodywork on a pre-assembled chassis, a craft that predates the motor car itself. At one time all but extinguished by mass production, coachbuilding today lives on at the Home of Rolls-Royce, drawing on more than a century of experience and the marque’s unique Bespoke capabilities.

Today, Rolls-Royce Coachbuild allows a small, select group of clients to collaborate fully with the Rolls-Royce team in creating a genuinely unique, utterly personal motor car unlike any other. Coachbuild enables them to specify their motor car’s actual physical form, with body panels hand-sculpted by specialist craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce. Coachbuild also opens up new possibilities in materials, methods, engineering and technology, free of the restrictions of conventional series production.

Every Coachbuild project is a true one-off, undertaken on the strict understanding that it will never be replicated. These creations are far more than motor cars; they are authentic works of automotive art that represent a highly expressive and enduring legacy for their owners.

THE GENESIS OF COACHBUILDING

Rolls-Royce was founded in an era when car manufacturers generally produced ‘rolling chassis’, which were sent to specialist coachbuilders to be fitted with bodywork to the client’s specification. Some of these coachbuilders had simply switched from making horse-drawn vehicles; others had begun capitalising on the new opportunities the motor car presented.

These pre-Edwardian car bodies were built in much the same way as their horse-drawn predecessors. It quickly became apparent that, when applied to motor cars, their traditional materials and methods were unequal to the speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour they were now being subjected to. The art of coachbuilding would have to adapt to the new reality.

COACHBUILDING AND ROLLS-ROYCE: A BRIEF HISTORY

As the 1920s dawned, mass-market car makers increasingly brought body construction in-house, where engineers could address emerging issues such as vibration and torsional stress. Luxury marques like Rolls-Royce, however, continued to outsource coachwork to specialist houses for several more decades.

Until the 1930s, most coachbuilders remained true to long-established practice, which involved assembling a wooden frame, usually in ash, onto which aluminium or steel body panels were typically nailed, tacked or screwed. As materials improved and motor cars’ speeds increased, frames were increasingly made from metal tubing or angle-iron.

This traditional craft was eventually replaced by semi-monocoque construction, with subframes for the mechanical components. In the case of Rolls-Royce, this occurred in October 1965 with the introduction of Silver Shadow. Contrary to popular belief, this did not mark the end of coachbuilding at Rolls-Royce. The Phantom VI, built on a separate chassis, remained in production, albeit in small numbers, until 1993, with coachwork supplied by Rolls-Royce subsidiary H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd.

SOVEREIGNTY OF DESIGN

Although a coachbuilt Rolls-Royce could, in theory, be any shape the client desired, in practice, there were constraints. Rolls-Royce motor cars were designed on proven technical principles that were, to Henry Royce at least, unarguable and inviolable. By insisting on fixed dimensions for the bulkhead behind the radiator, he was able to ensure the bodywork maintained the essential proportions that visually identified it as a ‘true’ Rolls-Royce.

Those proportions remain essential to the marque’s design language. Every Rolls-Royce motor car maintains the 2:1 ratio of body height to wheel diameter first established with the Silver Ghost in 1907. The body shape is defined by three fluid lines running the length of the motor car: the ‘waft line’ that gives the car its sense of movement; the ‘waist line’ that lends it purpose and presence; and the silhouette, which expresses its individual character. It is also graced with the Pantheon grille, crowned with the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine.

Coachbuild clients and designers enjoy considerable creative freedom within these fundamental parameters.

GREAT COACHBUILT ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS OF THE PAST

40/50HP Phantom I Brougham De Ville (1926)

The great coachbuilders paid as much attention to the interior as the exterior of the cars they created. Among the key elements were the instrument dials, which frequently transcended merely displaying essential information to become miniature works of art in their own right.

In 1926, the 40/50HP Phantom I Brougham De Ville, known as ‘The Phantom of Love’ was built by Charles Clark & Son Ltd of Wolverhampton for Clarence Warren Gasque, an American businessman of French ancestry living in London, as a gift for his heiress wife, Maude. Gasque commissioned an interior to recreate the Rococo ambience of a salon in the Palace of Versailles, with polished satinwood veneer panelling, Aubusson tapestries and a painted ceiling inspired by a sedan chair owned by Marie Antoinette. It also included a remarkable French ormolu clock, mounted on the partition between the front and rear cabins – an extraordinary detail that represents the pinnacle of the instrument maker’s art.

17EX (1928)

By 1925, Henry Royce was concerned that the weight and size of some of the coachwork fitted to Rolls-Royce chassis was affecting the motor cars’ performance – a fact its competitors gleefully seized upon. In response, Henry Royce built an experimental Phantom with an open, lightweight, highly streamlined body. Dubbed 10EX, this was the foundation for a series of motor cars that provided crucial new insights into overcoming air resistance and represented a giant leap forward in automotive design.

The fifth in the series, 17EX, was completed in January 1928. It was capable of speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour and, because Royce was adamant that even his experimental motor cars should look as good as any that bore his name, was finished in blue to the marque’s exacting standards.

The colour blue has long been associated with dependability, stability and calm; it is also highly visible at speed, as demonstrated by the record-breaking cars and boats of Royce’s good friend, Sir Malcolm Campbell.

Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupé (1934)

Co-creation has always been at the heart of coachbuilding. Having commissioned a design for their perfect motor car, the customer worked with the designers and manufacturing specialists to produce a final design that was technically achievable. The coachwork would then be completed to the customer’s satisfaction.

This 1934 Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupé, designed by A. F. McNeil and built in London by Gurney Nutting & Co., is considered one of the most exotic and beautifully balanced examples of boat tail coachwork ever created. The sweeping concave curves at the rear rise upwards to the razor-edged varnished rear deck. A design that has stood the test of time well, it remains a fine example of sporting elegance.

As a historical aside, McNeil’s protégé and successor, John Blatchley, was responsible for two of the most successful Rolls-Royce models of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the Silver Cloud and Silver Shadow.

Phantom VI limousine (1972)

The Phantom VI was the last Rolls-Royce model to be constructed with a separate chassis, and was thus the swansong of the coachbuilder’s art. This example was designed and built by H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd, then a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rolls-Royce. Much like a Goodwood era Private commission, it was based on the production model, but included numerous additional features specified by the customer. Indeed, so lavish and comprehensive were the enhancements that the marque produced a special promotional brochure for prospective patrons based on this motor car, highlighting the scope of its bespoke capabilities.

In addition to flower vases, a state-of-the-art sound and television system and a refrigerator for cooling wines and picnic food, the car was equipped with burled walnut picnic tables. Stored in the luggage compartment, these could be fixed to the front wings for alfresco dining; driver and passenger perched on a pair of ‘toadstool’ seats clipped to the front overriders.

CONTEMPORARY COACHBUILDING AT THE HOME OF ROLLS-ROYCE

Bespoke has been central to the marque’s offering and experience since production began at Goodwood in 2003. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars constantly seeks to create personal and deeply meaningful luxury products that reflect its clients’ ambitions and personal codes of luxury. Rolls-Royce’s unparalleled Bespoke capabilities enable clients to bring these desires to life through the commission of beautiful, handcrafted and truly individual Rolls-Royce motor cars.

A small group of exceptional individuals wished to elevate this remarkable, deeply personal experience even further and move beyond the canvas of existing Rolls-Royce products. Recognising this demand, and drawing on more than a century of experience, as well as its unique Bespoke capabilities developed in the modern era, the marque has defined a new coachbuilding movement.

The renaissance of contemporary coachbuilding began in 2017 with ‘Sweptail’, a bold two-door coupé created in response to a client’s wish to reprise the art of coachbuilding in partnership with Rolls-Royce. With its sharply tapered outline and full-length glass roof, it can be characterised as the Extrovert. It was followed by the unveiling of Boat Tail in 2021, a highly social open-top that amplified its clients’ love of hosting – a motor car that unashamedly represents the Hedonist.

Droptail, introduced in 2023, marked the third chapter in this remarkable story. For Droptail, the focus was placed on creating an intimate and cosseting interior, which would also serve as an unprecedented canvas for highly bespoke wood craft. Droptail captures the charm and embrace of two-seat motoring – it truly is the Romantic.

GOODWOOD-ERA COACHBUILT MOTOR CARS

Sweptail (2017)

In 2013, Rolls-Royce was commissioned to create a coachbuilt two-seater coupé featuring a large panoramic glass roof, inspired by the beautiful coachbuilt motor cars from the marque’s golden era in the 1920s and 1930s.

The first fully coachbuilt Rolls-Royce of the modern Goodwood era, Sweptail’s defining feature is its raked rear profile, with the roof-line tapering in a sweeping gesture to a ‘bullet-tip’ that houses the centre brake light. The coachbuilt bodywork wraps under the motor car with no visible boundary to the surfaces, like the hull of a racing yacht. The underside of the motor car describes a progressive upward arc at the rear departure angle, producing the swept tail that gives the car its name.

With its clean lines and grandeur, and contemporary, minimalist handcrafted interior, Sweptail caused an international sensation when it was revealed in 2017. Four years in the making, it is now regarded as a true modern classic and the world’s greatest two-seater intercontinental tourer.

Boat Tail (2021-2022)

During the 20th century, a number of Rolls-Royce motor cars were built with a beautiful and distinctive body shape known as the Boat Tail. The nautical design was inspired by the great J-Class racing yachts that contested the sport’s ultimate prize, the America’s Cup, in the 1930s. In 2021, Rolls-Royce revived the Boat Tail design with the second fully coachbuilt commission of the modern Goodwood era. Boat Tail is entirely hand-built, with the body panels fashioned from single sheets of aluminium.

Three Boat Tails were completed, each unique to its commissioning client. The first two were unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2021 and 2022. At the request of its owner, the third was never exhibited in public, and no official images have ever been released.

Boat Tail (First Chapter) (2021) The first Boat Tail was commissioned by longstanding Rolls-Royce clients, and drew inspiration from a 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail they had lovingly restored as part of their extensive private collection. The motor car is finished in a rich, complex blue embedded with metallic and crystal flakes. The rear deck is swathed in Caleidolegno veneer normally reserved for interior surfaces and specially adapted for exterior use, inlaid with brushed stainless steel pinstripes. At the press of a button, the deck opens in a sweeping butterfly motion to reveal an intricate Hosting Suite, complete with cocktail tables, interlocking stools made by Italian furniture house Promemoria, and even a parasol to shelter from the sun. A unique double refrigerator houses the clients’ preferred vintages of Armand de Brignac champagne.

The interior is finished in leather in two shades of blue with a soft metallic sheen applied to the surface. The centrepiece of the fascia is a pair of unique BOVET 1822 reversible timepieces commissioned by the client; a hand-crafted aluminium and leather case in the glove compartment contains a cherished Montblanc pen. The instrument panel dials are finished with guilloché, an intricate decorative technique more commonly seen in fine jewellery and watchmaking.

Boat Tail (Second Chapter) (2022)

The second Boat Tail to be completed was commissioned by a client whose family business grew from his father’s origins in the pearling industry. At the start of the commissioning process, the client presented Rolls-Royce Coachbuild designers with four pearl shells: these inspired the exterior colour, which was then one of the most complex Bespoke finishes ever created by Rolls-Royce. A shimmering blend of oyster and soft rose with large white and bronze mica flakes adding a pearlescent quality, it changes subtly under different light conditions. The contrasting cognac-coloured bonnet contains fine bronze and gold-coloured aluminium mica flakes under a crystal and iced matt clear coat.

The rear deck, which houses Boat Tail’s unique ‘butterfly-design’ hosting suite, is made from Royal Walnut veneer, inlaid with rose gold-plated pinstripes. The interior is finished in cognac and oyster-coloured leathers and Royal Walnut veneer, with rose gold and mother-of-pearl accents throughout.

The centrepiece of the dashboard is a timepiece made from mother-of-pearl; the same material appears on the control switches and instrument dials.

Droptail (2023-2024)

Droptail represents a renaissance of the roadster body type, which breaks free from the four-seat convention previously associated with Rolls-Royce. In capturing this spirit, designers studied the 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost ‘Sluggard’, the 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom Brewster New York Roadster and the 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly.

Droptail has two very distinct characters: a lithe, open-top roadster; and with the carbon-fibre roof installed, a dramatic coupé. Since each client wished to use their motor car around the world in multiple climates, the roof incorporates electrochromic glass that adjusts the amount of light entering the interior. In a technique reserved exclusively for Droptail, the body is a rigid monocoque in which steel is used for the load-bearing front wing and door sections, and carbon fibre from the B-pillar rearwards: the rear quarter panels are the largest carbon fibre panels ever created for a Rolls-Royce motor car.

La Rose Noire Droptail (2023)

The first to be unveiled was La Rose Noire Droptail, inspired by the Black Baccara rose, an intense, velvet-like flower that originates in France. The exterior is finished in the lustrous and complex True Love red, a completely new paint process perfected over 150 iterations; like the Black Baccara rose, it appears to change colour depending on the viewpoint.

The interior features the most complex parquetry ever created at Rolls-Royce, with an abstract depiction of falling rose petals formed using 1,603 Black Sycamore veneer triangles, each cut, sanded and precisely positioned by hand.

The fascia incorporates an integrated one-off timepiece by Audemars Piguet, specially commissioned by the client. The 43mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date is removable, so it can be attached to a strap and worn. The motor car also includes a unique Champagne Chest finished in rose-petal parquetry.

Amethyst Droptail (2023)

Inspired by the eponymous gem – the birthstone of the commissioning clients’ son –Amethyst Droptail is finished in a soft purple main body colour with a delicate silver undertone. Named Globe Amaranth in tribute to a flower native to the clients’ home region, fine flecks of powdered aluminium reflect the light, creating a subtle iridescent effect. The deep purple Amethyst contrast paint on the upper coachwork contains red, blue and violet mica flakes to give a subtle metallic sheen. Inside, the primary Amethyst leather is finished with a subtle pearlescent lacquer.

Amethyst Droptail features the most extensive wooden surface area in Rolls-Royce history, extending from the fascia and doors to the shawl panel, cantilevered ‘plinth’ centre armrest and onto the rear deck. The deck was made using a new veneering process developed specifically for this project: the protective coatings, also unique to Amethyst Droptail, have been granted their own patent.

The fascia is graced with a unique timepiece commissioned by the client from the renowned Swiss haute horlogerie maison, Vacheron Constantin. Handmade in Geneva, the timepiece, named ‘Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon’, has an intricate hand-wound movement and is securely housed in a specially designed holder, enabling it to be removed and stored separately from the motor car if desired.

Arcadia Droptail (2024)

This commission takes its name from the mythical realm of Arcadia, depicted in Ancient Greek mythology as ‘Heaven on Earth’ – a land renowned for its extraordinary natural beauty and perfect harmony.

Arcadia Droptail is finished in a calm, natural duotone white, which appears as a solid colour at first glance, with aluminium and glass particles creating depth and shimmer when the light strikes it. In a key departure from the other Droptails, the carbon fibre used to construct the lower sections of Droptail is painted in the solid Bespoke silver colour rather than left fully or partially exposed. The wood elements are made from Santos Straight Grain, which has one of the finest grain types of all the woods used by Rolls-Royce. Despite its delicacy, it appears throughout Droptail, including the aerodynamically functional rear deck section, which is made up of 76 separate pieces.

The leather interior is finished in two entirely Bespoke hues, named after the client and reserved exclusively for their use. The main leather colour is a Bespoke White, continuing the exterior paint theme, while the contrast leather is a Bespoke tan colour that complements the veneer.

The fascia incorporates the most complex Rolls-Royce clock face ever created. Developed by Rolls-Royce Coachbuild designers and craftspeople, it incorporates an exquisite geometric guilloché pattern in raw metal with 119 facets, and partly polished, partly brushed hands and 12-hour markers or chaplets, each just 0.1mm thick.

THE FUTURE OF COACHBUILDING AT ROLLS-ROYCE

As clients’ desire for extraordinary expressions of contemporary Rolls-Royce coachbuilding continues to grow, Rolls-Royce is building for an even more ambitious future.

The marque’s site extension at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, which is scheduled for completion in 2029, will provide additional space and state-of-the-art facilities for Bespoke and the marque’s Coachbuild division, enabling more and increasingly complex commissions to be undertaken.

ROLLS-ROYCE EXTENSION PROJECT ADDS £3.1 MILLION TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY IN ITS FIRST YEAR

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:08:00 +0100

Landmark Rolls-Royce extension project at Goodwood adds £3.1 million to the local economy in first year of build
Figures set out in new Social, Local, Economic Value (SLEV) report
Up to 700 people across more than 50 trades working on site each day
Over 100 local supply chain jobs created
Project generates more than £500,000 in new business for local hotels in first year
New building remains on schedule to be fully operational by 2029

“The new extension at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood is a once-in-a-generation project that will enable us to build ever more extraordinary motor cars for our clients worldwide, safeguarding our business’s future and its immense contribution to the UK economy for decades to come. This new Social, Local, Economic Value report reveals that the presence of up to 700 tradespeople on site has brought new business worth over £3 million in the last year alone, directly into Chichester and the local area; we expect strong levels of local spending to continue for the duration of the build. Throughout the project, we have worked closely with our neighbours, Westhampnett Parish Council and local councillors, and we remain grateful for their continued support.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The landmark extension project currently under construction at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood has already added more than £3 million directly into the local economy, according to research.

The new Social, Local, Economic Value (SLEV) report, compiled by the project’s main contractor, TSL, shows that spending with local businesses involved in the supply chain totalled just over £3.1 million in 2025.

Local hotels have seen new business worth more than £500,000, with some now booked for weeks or even months in advance at a time.

The project has supported the creation of high-value roles, with 115 people recruited by local firms across the supply chain.

The SLEV report is the result of months of meticulous data-gathering and analysis by the project’s main contractor, TSL, which routinely conducts such studies on schemes of this magnitude, complexity and importance. It is the second major examination of Rolls-Royce’s contribution to the local economy, building on the foundational Economic Impact Report produced by the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2023. That study, the first of its kind in the company’s history, demonstrated that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars adds more than £500 million to the UK economy annually, with almost 20% generated locally in Chichester, West Sussex and surrounding areas.

The extension’s new building, which represents a total investment of over £300 million, has reached a significant milestone and is now fully weathertight, with the fit-out of Rolls-Royce’s specialist technologies already underway. Among their most significant tasks is installing a new Surface Finish Centre (paint shop) together with creating dedicated areas for Bespoke and Coachbuild commissions. The extension is on schedule to be fully operational in 2029.

ROLLS-ROYCE CREATES UNIQUE ARTWORK IN SUPPORT OF ALDINGBOURNE TRUST

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 12:38:00 +0100

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars creates unique artwork in support of local charity Aldingbourne Trust
Digital rendering created by Rolls-Royce designer inspired by a wooden model motor car made by the Wood@Aldingbourne team
Strictly limited run of three framed prints, all individually signed and numbered
One will adorn the Trust’s café and one will be retained by the Wood@Aldingbourne team. The third will be raffled at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in April
Project extends support for the marque’s 2024 House Charity

“It was a privilege to work with Aldingbourne Trust as our House Charity in 2024. When we presented the final donation cheque, we received an unexpected gift – a model car made in Sapele wood by the Wood@Aldingbourne team. This delightful model inspired one of our designers to create a unique digital rendering, just as we would for a real client commission. We’re delighted that this artwork will be displayed in the Trust’s café and will also be offered as a significant prize in a fundraising raffle. It’s a pleasure to extend our support for this wonderful organisation beyond 2024.”
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has presented Aldingbourne Trust, the marque’s House Charity in 2024, with a set of unique framed artworks produced by the Rolls-Royce design team and inspired by a handcrafted model created by the Wood@Aldingbourne team.

When Rolls-Royce presented the final donation cheque to the Trust at the end of 2024, it received an unexpected thank-you gift: a wooden model motor car made by the Wood@Aldingbourne team. Dubbed the ‘Sapele Shadow’ after the hardwood used in its construction and now displayed at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, the model inspired one of the marque’s designers to create a unique digital image using the same rendering technology used to prepare initial visuals for clients’ real-life commissions.

Just three copies of the renderings have been produced, each framed and individually signed by the designer and numbered to guarantee their authenticity. One will be displayed in the Aldingbourne Trust café; another has been presented to the Wood@Aldingbourne team; the third will be offered in a charity raffle at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in April.

Wood@Aldingbourne is a social enterprise operating under the wider Aldingbourne Trust umbrella as a financially self-sustaining environmental group. It generates income through a wood collection service, wood and product sales and architectural salvage from local sources, including the Home of Rolls-Royce. Every piece of reclaimed wood is used productively, either transformed into unique wooden products sold in the Trust gift shop, or in its biomass boiler system.

Founded in 1978, Aldingbourne Trust provides a range of services for more than 1,500 people with learning disabilities, including autism, autism spectrum disorders and Down's syndrome, as well as those living with physical disabilities. The charity operates more than a dozen social enterprises, including Wood@Aldingbourne, as part of its entrepreneurial approach to provide opportunities, supported living and outreach. It delivers many of its work, training and other support activities through the Aldingbourne Country Centre, a popular visitor attraction and conference venue just 10 minutes’ drive from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

During 2024, Rolls-Royce colleagues raised money to help fund the charity’s life-changing work. This latest project is an example of the deep, lasting relationships that grow between colleagues and their chosen House Charity and how their support can extend beyond the initial period.

Abigail Rowe, Aldingbourne Trust, said: “We were so appreciative of the fundraising efforts by Rolls-Royce staff, and the tremendous awareness we were able to generate through being their House Charity. It’s wonderful that the relationship has continued through this collaboration, which meant so much to the client who created the original wooden model, and will help raise further money for us. We’d like to thank the whole Rolls-Royce team, and particularly the talented designer who created these images for us.”

THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY: A CONSTANT PRESENCE SINCE 1911

Thu, 5 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0100

One of the most famous, instantly recognisable emblems associated with the marque
Design first registered as the ‘official’ Rolls-Royce mascot in 1911
Origins and inspiration still a matter of conjecture, centred around two main theories
Private Collections have been inspired by and have featured unique incarnations of the Spirit of Ecstasy during the contemporary Goodwood era
‘The Whisper’ and other Spirit of Ecstasy figurines are on permanent display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

INTRODUCTION

This press kit provides an overview of the Spirit of Ecstasy – the enduring emblem of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since 1911. It traces her origins, evolution and continuing relevance within the marque’s cultural and creative narrative. For information about Phantom, Ghost, Cullinan and Spectre – including Extended and Black Badge variants – and the materials and techniques used in their manufacture, please refer to the specific product press kits.

MORE THAN A FIGUREHEAD

The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot has a unique place at the heart of Rolls-Royce. Her origins are the stuff of legend and myth as well as recorded fact, with some details still veiled in mystery and intrigue. She is widely recognised, respected and admired, with a poise and grace that have secured her enduring recognition. To clients and enthusiasts around the world, she personifies ambition, achievement, excellence and success, just as she has since she first took her place on the prow of a Rolls-Royce motor car more than a century ago.

Like Rolls-Royce and its products, the Spirit of Ecstasy has changed over time. At various points in her long life, she has adopted different stances, sometimes stood slightly taller or shorter, and allowed the wind to sculpt her flowing garments in subtly altered forms. Yet she is also truly ageless: today, she more closely resembles the original drawings made in 1911 by her creator, the illustrator and sculptor Charles Sykes, than she has ever done.

For Rolls-Royce, she is far more than a mascot or symbol. She provides a tangible connection to the company’s heritage through her richly layered story, involving many of the foundational characters in Rolls-Royce’s own history, including the company’s first managing director, Claude Johnson. She inspires greatness; every motor car handmade at Goodwood has to be worthy of her presence.

Perhaps most of all, since, she is believed to be based on the vivacious, assertive and complex Eleanor Thornton, serving as a reminder of the essential human dimension to what Rolls-Royce is and does. Every Rolls-Royce motor car is created by hand for an individual customer; a reflection of their unique personality, and the realisation of their dreams, desires and vision.

ORIGINS OF AN ICON

Today, the ability to commission highly individualised Bespoke details for their motor car remains central to the marque’s relationship with its clients. But in fact, this merely continues a desire for personalisation that emerged in the marque’s very earliest days.

By 1910, just six years after the marque’s formation, it was already an established custom among owners to decorate their radiator grilles with specially commissioned mascots. To the chagrin of General Managing Director, Claude Johnson, these were often in the form of cartoonish animals or comical characters. He therefore decided to create an ‘official’ mascot that would protect the company’s products from what he decried as these ‘unsightly’ additions.

Among Johnson’s wide social circle was the motoring pioneer Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. As founder and editor of The Car Illustrated magazine, his lordship employed an illustrator, Charles Sykes, many of whose wonderful designs for advertisements and magazine covers are conserved at London’s world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A).

Sykes was also an accomplished sculptor. Around that time – the precise date remains a mystery – Sykes had produced a mascot for Lord Montagu’s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost: an aluminium statuette of a young woman in fluttering robes, which he named ‘The Whisper’. This original piece, together with other Spirit of Ecstasy figurines, is now on permanent display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

Impressed and inspired, Johnson asked Sykes to create a new mascot for Rolls-Royce. In one version of the story, upon receiving Johnson’s commission, Sykes subtly reinterpreted ‘The Whisper’ to create what became known as the Spirit of Ecstasy. An alternative view is that on a trip to Paris, Johnson had been impressed by the artistry of the Grecian marble statue of The Winged Victory of Samothrace, Goddess of Victory, sculpted in 190BC and exhibited in the Palais du Louvre since 1883. Some authorities have suggested that it was from this ancient Hellenic masterpiece that Johnson asked Sykes to draw his inspiration.

The Spirit of Ecstasy’s final form lends credence to both theories. She appears as an ethereal young woman leaning forward eagerly, her arms stretched back behind her, with flowing robes appearing to give her wings. Her serene expression offers no clues to the mysteries that still surround her.

WHERE MYTH MEETS REALITY

One of the most enduring of those mysteries was whether the Spirit of Ecstasy was in fact modelled on a real person. It was long suspected, and has now been confirmed, that Sykes’ inspiration for ‘The Whisper’ was a young woman named Eleanor Thornton, who played a crucial, complex and somewhat controversial role in the Rolls-Royce origin story.

Born in 1880, little is known of her early life. She first appears in the early 20th century as assistant to Claude Johnson, then in his pre-Rolls-Royce incarnation as General Secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain & Ireland (later the Royal Automobile Club, or RAC). During this time, she rented rooms in an artists’ colony in Chelsea, where she acted as an out-of-hours life model for her fellow residents, one of whom was Charles Sykes. She became his favourite muse and posed for him on many occasions over the years that followed.

Their stories became even more closely entwined when Johnson introduced Thornton to his motoring comrade, and Sykes’ boss, Lord Montagu, who was instantly captivated by her vivacity, confidence and beauty. Bonds of friendship notwithstanding, Montagu promptly poached her as his own assistant, and almost immediately, they embarked on a long, heartfelt love affair.

It was while Sykes and Thornton were working together for Montagu at The Car Illustrated magazine that Sykes produced ‘The Whisper’. Whether the mascot was a token of appreciation from Sykes to his friend and employer, or made at Thornton’s instigation as a gift for her lover, is where the mystery lingers. Whatever the truth, Montagu displayed it on every Rolls-Royce motor car he owned until his death in 1929. It was, perhaps, the only way he could acknowledge his sincere and enduring love for Eleanor, who died in 1915, and which, owing to its potential for scandal, had always remained a closely guarded secret.

THE MARK OF EXCELLENCE

The design was registered as the company’s intellectual property in 1911 and became both a defining feature of the Rolls-Royce brand and one of the most famous and recognisable emblems in the world. In 1920, the Spirit of Ecstasy was entered into L’Auto’s ‘Concours des Bouchons de Radiateurs’ at the Paris Salon – a contest to identify the finest motor car mascot of its day. Charles Sykes was awarded Premier Prix, the gold medal. This recognition helped solidify the sculpture’s reputation in the early years of automotive culture and elevated both the artist and the emerging icon internationally.

Even then, however, she was not immediately or universally accepted. In the 1970s, some countries attempted to ban mascots on safety grounds. In Switzerland, for example, customers weren’t allowed to display her at all, and on receiving their motor cars found her placed in the glove compartment. Rolls-Royce’s typically elegant and ingenious solution was to mount the mascot on a spring-loaded base, allowing her to sink into the radiator out of harm’s way at the merest touch. This retraction mechanism has evolved into a smooth, graceful movement known as ‘the rise’ and is a feature on every Rolls-Royce motor car hand-built at Goodwood.

As the marque’s most important and recognisable emblem, the Spirit of Ecstasy is offered to patrons in carefully selected finishes: solid silver, 24-carat gold-plated and black carbon fibre.

SPIRIT OF INNOVATION

As they were in the beginning, the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine is made by ‘lost wax casting’, a practice that dates back over 5,000 years. Amazingly, Charles Sykes himself, assisted by his daughter Josephine, personally cast, inscribed and finished the Spirit of Ecstasy mascots right up until 1939.

In preparation for the launch of Phantom VII in 2003, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars rejuvenated the Spirit of Ecstasy by introducing the modern investment casting process.

The first step was to digitally ‘map’ the original Spirit of Ecstasy, manipulating and enhancing individual details to create a perfect three-dimensional computerised image. To ensure even the finest details were precisely replicated, the injection mould was formed by skilled craftsmen using cutters measuring just 0.2 mm in size. This cast tool was used to produce a highly accurate wax model of the figurine, which was then coated in ceramic. After this coating had dried, the wax was melted away, leaving a perfect mould from which the new cast would be taken.

Each figurine is made by filling the mould with molten stainless steel, at a temperature of 1,600°C. Once the steel has cooled, the mould is opened to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy in its finished form. The final transformation takes place in the Finishing Department, using a process called peening. The casting is blasted by millions of stainless-steel balls, just 0.04 mm in diameter, which help to polish the surface without being abrasive. After machining, a final mirror polish and stringent quality assurance checks, the completed figurine takes her rightful place above the iconic Rolls-Royce grille.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

In 2020, as part of a wider update of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars brand identity, a new abstract graphic element informed by the Spirit of Ecstasy was developed. Known as ‘The Expression’, this two-dimensional interpretation encapsulates the qualities of the Spirit of Ecstasy in a contemporary visual form for use across the marque’s corporate identity and reflects the company’s vision as a modern House of Luxury.

Rolls-Royce reimagined its iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine in 2022, to grace the bonnet of its first all-electric motor car, Spectre, 111 years to the day since the Spirit of Ecstasy was first registered as intellectual property of Rolls-Royce on 6 February 1911.

The figurine was remodelled to feature a lower, more dynamic stance that brought her much closer to the drawings made by her original creator, Charles Sykes, in the early years of the 20th century.

This version of the Spirit of Ecstasy stands 8.27cm tall, compared to the previous 9.5cm. Her robes, which flow behind her in the slipstream – often but erroneously characterised as ‘wings’ – are subtly reshaped to make them more aerodynamic and realistic. Rather than standing with her feet together and tilting at the waist, she is braced for the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low, her eyes focused eagerly ahead. These changes have both practical and stylistic benefits, contributing to Spectre’s remarkable performance as the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created, with a drag coefficient of just 0.25 cd.

CELEBRATING IN STYLE

In the modern era, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has celebrated landmarks in both its own history and that of the Spirit of Ecstasy through Private Collections, events and unique editions of the figurine itself. Notable expressions include:

Phantom Centenary Private Collection (2025): Marking the 100th anniversary of its pinnacle product, Phantom, the Private Collection is the most intricate and technologically ambitious ever undertaken by the designers, engineers, production specialists and craftspeople of the marque’s Bespoke Collective. Each motor car is crowned with a unique reimagining of the Spirit of Ecstasy, based on the first figurine ever fitted to a Phantom. Cast in solid 18-carat gold for strength, then plated in 24-carat gold for a flawless, tarnish-resistant finish, the piece was tested by the London Assay Office and awarded a full UK hallmark together with a specially developed ‘Phantom Centenary’ mark. The base of the figurine is finished with hand-poured white vitreous enamel delicately inscribed with the collection’s name.
Phantom Scintilla Private Collection (2024): Inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy’s grace, dynamism and ethereal beauty, and limited to just 10 models, the interior of each motor car is filled with design elements, textures and a continuous graphic inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy’s expressive, dynamic form. Claude Johnson’s original brief for a Rolls-Royce mascot is displayed on an embossed plate concealed in the glove compartment. These words, written in 1910, also capture the essence of Phantom Scintilla: ‘Speed with silence, the absence of vibration, the mysterious harnessing of great energy, and a beautiful living organism of superb grace’. For Scintilla, the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine is also rendered in a ceramic finish – alluding to the figurine’s origins and the aforementioned Classical Grecian sculpture, The Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Private Collection (2011): Celebrating the mascot’s 100th anniversary and limited to just 100 Bespoke Phantom models, the Private Collection featured exclusive body colours, leather combinations, wood veneers and interior details. Each motor car features a specially commissioned Spirit of Ecstasy in solid silver, with six hallmarks (including two designed specifically for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars) on a black-gold-plated illuminated base.

A CONTINUING LEGACY

Today, the Spirit of Ecstasy remains the marque’s defining symbol, advancing with each new chapter while preserving the quiet authority that has distinguished her since 1911. As tastes, technologies and cultures continue to evolve, she endures as a constant expression of the marque’s values – a steady presence that guides the future while remaining true to the heritage that shaped her.

ROLLS-ROYCE CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK BADGE: THE TRANSFORMATIVE ALTER EGO

Mon, 2 Mar 2026 14:06:00 +0100

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks 10 years of Black Badge following its debut in 2016
Black Badge set a bold template for modern super-luxury that echoes across the sector
1928 20 H.P. with black grille and Spirit of Ecstasy archived as early aesthetic precedent for Black Badge
The spirit and attitude of Black Badge trace back to John Lennon’s all-black 1964 Phantom V
The current Black Badge portfolio includes Black Badge Spectre, Black Badge Ghost and Black Badge Cullinan
Black Badge has inspired Bespoke commissions across gaming, sneakers and street art

“From the outset, Black Badge was created to welcome a new generation of clients into Rolls-Royce: individuals who express their success unapologetically and with conviction. By serving them with the care and precision that defines the wider Rolls-Royce experience, we have made the marque relevant to many clients who may never have previously considered it. This has supported the measured and sustained growth of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars over the ten years since Black Badge was introduced. Proof of its success is also evident beyond our own performance: Black Badge has established an aesthetic and experiential template that echoes throughout the luxury sector. I am excited to drive the further evolution of Black Badge in the years ahead.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

From the very beginning, Rolls-Royce has been defined not only by elegance, craftsmanship and superlative engineering, but by individualism, rebellion and a willingness to defy convention. This spirit was embodied by the marque’s founders themselves. Although their backgrounds could scarcely have been more different, both Sir Henry Royce and The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls rejected the limitations of their circumstances in pursuit of greatness.

Henry Royce overcame poverty, illness and a lack of formal education to become one of the world’s great engineers, creating what the media describes as ‘the best car in the world’, and ultimately being knighted for his achievements. Charles Rolls, born an aristocrat and educated at Cambridge University, could have lived a life of privilege. Instead, he chose the danger and discipline of early motor racing and aviation, becoming a pioneer in both. Today, both men would be described as disruptors: visionaries who shaped the world by daring to do things differently.

That same spirit of self-expression and creative defiance has echoed through Rolls-Royce’s history ever since. It found its most contemporary and powerful expression in Black Badge, the marque’s alter ego.

EARLY PRECEDENT: 1928 ROLLS-ROYCE 20 H.P. BREWSTER BROUGHAM

During the ongoing digitisation of the Rolls-Royce archives, marque historians formally documented a motor car whose daring specification anticipated the Black Badge aesthetic by almost a century.

In 1928, a Rolls-Royce 20 H.P. Brewster Brougham was delivered with a striking and highly unusual addition: its Spirit of Ecstasy and radiator grille were finished in black rather than the traditional bright metal. This treatment would have been exceptional at a time when polished chromium symbolised modernity and prestige. Yet this client chose a darker, more assertive expression, anticipating by almost a century the codes that would later define Black Badge.

The motor car was commissioned by J. E. Aldred, a founding financier of Rolls-Royce of America, Inc. Configured for his use in New York during the late 1920s, it reflected the tastes of a new, cosmopolitan generation who expressed their success through bold, progressive design. That sensibility extended beyond the motor car: Aldred later commissioned the landmark Aldred Building in Montreal, a striking Art Deco tower defined by geometric forms and rich, dramatic interiors. His decision to specify a black Spirit of Ecstasy and radiator grille was entirely consistent with this confident, urban aesthetic, which continues to shape Black Badge commissions today.

THE FIRST TRUE EXPRESSION: 1964 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM V

While earlier motor cars anticipated elements of this darker aesthetic, the spirit of Black Badge can be traced to a single, remarkable motor car. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, galvanising their status as the most famous band on Earth. That December, John Lennon ordered a new Rolls-Royce Phantom V from R. S. Mead of Maidenhead. He specified that it should be black everywhere, inside and out, including all the brightwork normally finished in chromium or stainless steel. Built by coachbuilders Mulliner Park Ward, his Phantom V was delivered in deep black gloss, including its bumpers and wheel discs. Only the Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy remained in chrome.

The motor car also featured darkened, reflective Triplex Deeplight glass in the rear doors, quarterlights, backlite and division. Lennon explained why in a 1965 interview with Rolling Stone: “It’s for when you’re coming home late. If it’s daylight when you’re coming home, it’s still dark inside the car. You just shut all the windows, and you’re still in the club.”

Inside, the rear suite was trimmed in black Bedford cord cloth with black nylon rugs, while the front featured black leather. It carried electric aerials for a radio and a Perdio Portarma television, along with seven pieces of black fitted luggage. Reports of a record player, fridge, telephone and even a pull-out bed persist, though these may have been later additions.

This motor car, uncompromising in its subversive intent and unapologetically unique, is now regarded as the spiritual progenitor of Black Badge.

A NEW GENERATION

It would take more than half a century and a technological revolution for this aesthetic to re-emerge as the defining expression of rebellion in luxury. In the early 2010s, a new generation of entrepreneurs began approaching Rolls-Royce. They had built their success at a young age, frequently leveraging new technologies and platforms to completely reshape industries. They projected their influence unapologetically, demanding exquisitely crafted products and uncompromising experiences, but with a dynamic edge and a defiant attitude that reflected their lives, their ambitions and their daring. Their taste defined new codes of luxury: darker in aesthetic, more assertive in character and bolder in design.

As the world’s pre-eminent super-luxury brand, they were naturally drawn to Rolls-Royce, and celebrated the marque’s effortlessly powerful V12 powertrain, commanding design and peerless material palette. Yet, they requested a more disruptive treatment that reflected the personal worlds they were creating: dramatic, expressive and modern.

THE FORMIDABLE ALTER EGO

Crafting an officially sanctioned response to this group was the subject of careful internal debate. It would require the marque to create a dedicated space within the brand for a more daring expression of Rolls-Royce, one that could coexist with its contemporary, classically inspired and globally celebrated identity. The result was Black Badge.

Black Badge motor cars introduced vivid new colours and technical materials, matched by a more powerful, agile and sonorous dynamic character, tailored to self-drivers who wanted to wield the power of a Rolls-Royce themselves, rather than be chauffeured. To signal their commitment to this disruptive group, designers cloaked the marque’s most precious assets – the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, Pantheon grille and double-R ‘Badge of Honour’ – in black.

Black Badge motor cars were also given a symbol of their own: the mathematical symbol for infinity, marking the birth of a distinct universe within Rolls-Royce. It evokes the seemingly endless surge of power delivered by Black Badge-tuned V12 engines and honours Sir Malcolm Campbell, who piloted the Rolls-Royce-powered Blue Bird K3 hydroplane to a record-breaking 130 mph in the 1930s, carrying the same emblem, and expressing the same audacious spirit.

ENGINEERED DARKNESS

Rolls-Royce designers wished to present this bold new expression of the brand to the world in a signature treatment: one of the motor car industry’s darkest blacks. To create it, 45 kg (100 lbs) of paint was atomised and applied to an electrostatically charged body-in-white before being oven-dried. The motor car then received two layers of clear coat before being hand-polished by four craftspeople to produce the marque’s signature high-gloss piano finish.

At between three and five hours in duration, this operation was entirely unknown in series production, creating a unique and peerless intensity. This depth of darkness also provided the perfect canvas for a bright, high-contrast, hand-painted Coachline.

To match the dramatic coachwork, the marque’s Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople collaborated to develop a process that allows Rolls-Royce hallmarks such as the highly-polished Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon grille to be presented in black. Instead of painting these icons, a specific chrome electrolyte was introduced to the traditional chrome plating process that is co-deposited on the stainless-steel substrate, darkening the finish. Its final thickness is just one micrometre – around one hundredth of the width of a human hair. Each of these components was precision-polished by hand to achieve a mirror-black chrome finish before it was fitted to the motor car.

Specially designed Black Badge wheels enhanced the stance and presence of the motor car, signalling a more intense dynamic character. This was enabled through a Bespoke engine tuning that increased the power and torque output from the marque’s signature powertrain. Unique transmission and throttle calibrations to better exploit this increased potency were introduced, the chassis was lowered, reinforced and subtly stiffened, and a distinctive exhaust system that announced Black Badge’s arrival was fitted.

All V12 Rolls-Royce motor cars are equipped with a discreet ‘Low’ button on the gear selector stalk, allowing the driver to hold lower gears when required. In Black Badge motor cars, this existing control was recalibrated to access an additional reserve of power, reflecting the subtle and considered manner in which Rolls-Royce engineers approached this more urgent treatment.

Inside, new materials were developed that reflected Black Badge motor cars’ enhanced dynamism, drawing on technical palettes from the world of aerospace. Rolls-Royce artisans explored surfaces including carbon fibre through an entirely new lens, celebrating its intricate weave as a source of beauty rather than function. It was interlaced with fine threads of aluminium just 0.014 mm in diameter, then finished with six coats of lacquer, cured for 72 hours and hand-polished to a deep lustre.

Mirror-finished metal surfaces were also darkened in line with the Black Badge aesthetic. Interior brightwork, including the marque’s distinctive ‘eyeball’ air vents and Bespoke Audio speaker frets, was treated using a technique called Physical Vapour Deposition, one of the few metal-colouring processes that ensures parts will not discolour or tarnish over time, or with repeated use.

When clients experienced the motor cars for the first time, their response was emphatic: Rolls-Royce had perfectly captured the spirit these individuals wished to project by applying its uncompromising approach to craft to a bold new aesthetic philosophy.

THE BLACK BADGE CANON

The Black Badge legend was established in 2016 with the debut of Black Badge Wraith and Black Badge Ghost at the Geneva Motor Show. The dynamic intent of Black Badge was confirmed almost immediately. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed that same year, a Black Badge Wraith was driven up the rain-soaked hill by racing driver Justin Law and recorded one of the fastest timed runs ever achieved by a Rolls-Royce motor car, placing it among the five quickest road cars of the weekend. In doing so, it outpaced several purpose-built mid-engined sports cars, demonstrating that Black Badge delivered not only visual intensity but genuine dynamic substance.

Black Badge Ghost and Black Badge Wraith were followed by Black Badge Dawn in 2017 and Black Badge Cullinan in 2019. While Black Badge motor cars were often presented in a signature dark treatment, many clients drawn to the marque’s alter ego chose to express it in vividly individual ways. They commissioned notably vibrant exterior hues, either selecting from Rolls-Royce’s prêt-à-porter palette of more than 44,000 colours or creating entirely new Bespoke finishes of their own. Inspirations included a vivid lime green recalling the Australian green tree frog, a luminous red inspired by the blossoms of the ‘Ōhi‘a lehua, and a deep, iridescent purple drawn from the exotic butterfly Rhetus periander.

As the Black Badge universe grew, so too did the experiences that surrounded it. Black Badge ownership came to encompass gatherings and moments that echoed the bold, disruptive spirit of the motor cars themselves, from private night-time driving experiences on closed airport runways and immersive takeovers of underground music venues to highly choreographed handovers staged in dramatic industrial settings.

This culminated in the launch of Black Badge Spectre, with a highly exclusive fleet of clandestine motor cars. Following the launch of Spectre, clients made clear that they were eagerly anticipating its Black Badge counterpart. In response, Rolls-Royce granted a select group early access to these specially commissioned motor cars, ahead of the official reveal in 2025, on the strict condition that their ownership would remain secret – an unprecedented gesture that reflected both the confidence of the marque and the discreet, rebellious spirit of these clients. Their unequivocally positive response to Black Badge Spectre, and the motor car’s daring treatment that had been developed in their image, provided strong validation of the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history.

A DECADE OF INFLUENCE

In the decade since it was created, the disruptive clients for whom Black Badge was conceived have embraced Bespoke with the same conviction that first drew them to Rolls-Royce. They have worked directly with the marque’s designers, engineers and artisans to translate their own unique codes of collecting and connoisseurship into Black Badge motor cars, creating commissions that draw on influences far beyond the traditional luxury canon. These range from vintage video-game culture and collectable sneakers to graffiti art, land-speed records, influential nightclubs, and even the digital economy.

Notable examples of these landmark private collections and private commissions include Black Badge Adamas (2018); Black Badge ‘Neon Nights’ paint trilogy (2020); Black Badge Landspeed (2021); Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow (2023); Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ (2023); Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis (2023); and Black Badge Ghost Gamer (2025). This spirit has also extended into the marque’s collectables, with the Cameo desktop sculpture and Rolls-Royce luggage now available in the same subversive treatment.

As Black Badge enters its second decade, the template it has set echoes across the super-luxury sector. Demand continues to grow for ever more expressive interpretations of Black Badge around the world. Rolls-Royce will respond with an expanding portfolio that further intensifies the Black Badge experience for those who continue to shape luxury on their own terms.

A CELEBRATION OF TIMELESS HERITAGE AND A FUTURE CLASSIC: ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS DEBUTS AT OBEROI CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects on its inaugural participation at the Oberoi Concours d’Elegance
The marque celebrated its historic and enduring bond with India, and reinforced the marque’s commitment to the Indian market
Black Badge Spectre showcased as a compelling bridge between the marque’s storied past and its future, reinforcing its place as a Goodwood-era collector canon

“India occupies a unique and highly meaningful place in the story of Rolls-Royce, past, present and future. We see a new generation of clients who bear a deep-seated appreciation for Bespoke craftsmanship and the depth of our heritage in equal measure. Oberoi Concours d’Elegance is an event that mirrors our own values of excellence and rarity, and it is a profound pleasure to engage with the Indian classic car community and meet so many enthusiasts and owners who continue to preserve the legacy of our motor cars. Their passion ensures that the spirit of Rolls-Royce remains as vibrant today as it was a century ago.”
Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects with satisfaction on its inaugural participation at the Oberoi Concours d’Elegance, recently held at The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur. This debut marked a significant moment in the marque’s history in India, a region that has been intrinsically linked with the spirit of Rolls-Royce for over a century.

Held for the second time, Oberoi Concours d’Elegance brought together some of the world’s rarest and historically important automobiles and motorcycles, many owned by Indian royalty and private collectors and preserved over generations. The event’s close affinity with Rolls‑Royce was reflected in a dedicated ‘Pre-War Classics – Rolls Royce’ class, a period which not only celebrated the marque’s historic presence in India but also underscored the country’s unique role in shaping Rolls-Royce’s legacy.

Set against the ethereal backdrop of Lake Pichola, the Rolls-Royce lounge on the sprawling garden lawns of The Oberoi Udaivilas served as a meeting point for brand enthusiasts and some of the world’s most discerning collectors, celebrating the pinnacle of automotive excellence in one of the region’s most breathtaking settings.

In a compelling bridge between the marque’s storied past and its next chapter of timeless luxury, Rolls-Royce displayed Black Badge Spectre at the event. Spectre fulfils a prophecy made by Charles Rolls in 1900, who predicted that the electric car would be “perfectly noiseless and clean”. As the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé, Spectre is increasingly recognised by clients and collectors alike as a motor car of lasting significance.

Spectre’s status as a future classic is also underpinned by exceptional engineering. Conceived with the same commitment to longevity and resilience as every Rolls-Royce, it delivers what many have regarded as the perfect execution of an electric powertrain.

Rolls-Royce’s presence at the Oberoi Concours d’Elegance reflected the growing importance of India within the marque’s global strategy, both as a historic heartland and as a dynamic, forward-looking luxury market. The country emerged as the highest growth market in the Asia-Pacific in 2025, achieving double-digit growth for four years consecutively. As Rolls‑Royce continues to evolve – marrying timeless craftsmanship with technological progress – the company remains dedicated to meaningful engagement with markets and communities that value permanence, provenance and Bespoke expression.

NEW ROLLS-ROYCE EXTENSION BUILDING REACHES LANDMARK MOMENT

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:14:00 +0100

Rolls-Royce celebrates landmark moment as new extension building declared weathertight
Occasion marked by CEO and Board of Directors signing final wooden exterior louvre panel
Initial fit-out by Technologies already underway within the building
Some areas and equipment will be operational this year; project remains on schedule for completion in 2029
40,000 m² facility will provide increased capacity for Bespoke and Coachbuild operations

“This moment marks the point at which our new extension building becomes fully weathertight, meaning our specialist Technologies can begin the complex, exacting process of fitting-out, in readiness for full operation in 2029. It’s a really pivotal point in the project – a project that upholds the standards and vision of our founder, Sir Henry Royce, and his famous injunction to strive for perfection in everything we do. The Directors and I have also been inspired by his practice of personally inspecting and signing off each new component, giving them his own ‘seal of approval’. Having previously signed off the final element of the structural steelwork, we wanted to do the same for the last of the wooden louvres that now clad its exterior. It’s enormously exciting to see the work progressing with such pace and precision. To have that sense of personal connection with such a significant project through these signing ceremonies is very special for all of us.”
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has completed a significant phase in the construction of its extension at Goodwood, with the new building now formally declared fully weathertight.

To mark the occasion, Chief Executive Chris Brownridge and the Board of Directors hand-signed the final one of 1,745 wooden louvres fitted to the side of the 40,000 m² building. The Directors had previously signed the final steel beam to be installed in the building’s internal structure, before it was lifted into place at the structure’s highest point in a similar ceremony last year.

The louvres, each measuring 100 cm x 58 cm, are made from red cedar – the same material used to clad the original building it now adjoins. Red cedar has been selected for its longevity and the way it gently weathers over time to a soft silver-grey colour, blending sympathetically into the surroundings. The building’s front elevation is also clad in red cedar panelling.

With the new building now fully weather-tight, work can commence on the fit-out by Rolls-Royce’s specialist Technologies. One of the most significant projects is the new Surface Finish Centre, or paint shop; other departments will be busy with installing new equipment and creating dedicated areas for Bespoke and Coachbuild commissions.

At £300m+, the extension represents the largest single investment in the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since it opened in 2003. It will further strengthen Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars’ contribution to the UK economy, which currently stands at over £500m annually.