A relook at Rolls Royce's 2016 finest Bespoke motor cars

There are only a handful of global brands that could withstand the test of time and the whirling turbulences of the economies. Amongst these resilient few, only one or two stood out as trademarks that anyone could easily draw an inference to. One of them is luxury automobile manufacturer Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Ever since it was founded 113 years ago, Rolls-Royce has established itself as a coach-builder for the world’s wealthiest and most influential people. And in the remote world of affluence, Rolls-Royce knows that taking on the conventional approach of assembling cars with the same specifications is unlikely to be the correct route to delight its customers, who are mostly, if not all, well-known personalities with unique tastes and insatiable preferences. Rolls-Royce’s solution to evergreen consumer satisfaction is the Bespoke department. Comprising a highly-specialised team of designers, engineers and craftspeople, the Bespoke Department, which calls Goodwood, England, its home, is the brain behind every customised Rolls-Royce. In the words of Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: “Rolls-Royce patrons live in a world beyond material acquisition, indeed they seek to commission, curate and collect. This is why they come to houses like Rolls-Royce to commission deeply personal luxury items, knowing this will be executed at the hands of the world’s most skilled artisans. In commissioning these extraordinary objects in close collaboration with our designers they create a timeless legacy, often profoundly inspired by the most important moments in their lives.” He added: “Rolls-Royce will never stray from this path, ensuring the precious relationship between patron, house and artisan is never derogated by proliferation. This unique approach is beautifully expressed in just a small collection of some of the remarkable commissions executed at our centre of global excellence in 2016.” Today, whilst practically every model that rolls out from Rolls-Royce has been customised by the Bespoke Department to varying extents, what follows is a sneak peek at some of 2016’s finest Bespoke models from the marque.  The Phantom Zenith Collection The term “Zenith”, according to the Oxford Dictionary, refers to “the time at which something is most powerful or successful”. Quite naturally, there is no better vocabulary than "Zenith" to describe Rolls-Royce’s most posh and pricey model, the Phantom. And there is no grander affair to retire its seventh generation than the special commissioning of the Bespoke Phantom Drophead Coupe and the Phantom Coupe. Named as the Phantom Drophead Coupe Zenith and the Phantom Coupe Zenith and exclusively limited to only 25 units under each model, the Phantom Zenith Collection represents the epitome of ultimate automobile luxury. Typical of Rolls-Royce style, every possible comfort has been considered. The addition of the champagne fridge, which is large enough to hold two bottles and eight Rolls-Royce glasses, is a fine demonstration of the extent of luxury that Rolls-Royce has laid out for its patrons. As a final touch, the central fascia drawer is built to house a priceless memento signifying each car’s status as one of the very last. On opening, owners will discover a removable polished aluminium case, laser engraved with their motor car’s unique identification number surrounded with a beautiful application of Best English Blacking, a not-known technique most commonly associated with fine gun-making. The Peace and Glory Phantom The Peace and Glory Phantom is the one and only car in the world, built for a special customer in Vietnam. Based on the seventh generation Phantom Extended Wheelbase, the rear central console in the Peace and Glory Phantom is wrapped with fur that exquisitely replicate those found on tiger. That is not all. The cabin features a wealth of unique interior fittings, echoed with a subtle gold coach-line and motifs on the Madeira Red exterior. Furnished in a two-tone design of Moccasin and Fawn Brown leather, the interior is finely embellished with multiple personalised motifs stitched into the hide and laid into the veneer, all by hand. The Bespoke white instrument dials on the driver’s console are an elegant colour contrast with the Consort Red steering wheel rim. Mr Fux’s Pebble Beach Dawn The Pebble Beach Dawn belongs to US collector Michael Fux, a connoisseur collector. The Dawn, coated in ‘Fux Blue’, a colour specially developed by Mr Fux himself, contrasted nicely with the Arctic White interior and rear deck. To achieve that harmonious colour setting, designers wrapped the entire interior, including steering wheel, instrument panel cowling and interior veneers, in Artic White. The result is a truly unique yet contemporary layout. The Dawn, Ghost and Wraith Equally pleasing, the Rolls-Royce’s Dawn, Ghost and Wraith models continue in their individual quest to become the perfect canvas for the most discerning patrons of luxury in the world. The Wraith exudes a hint of playfulness with a vibrant interior that combines purplish-blue leather trim with ostrich leather on the central consoles and door panniers. Finished in emerald green, the Dawn is built with matching interior accents on Seashell leather. The Ghost, which is commissioned by a wealthy dealer from the Middle East, a distinctive hallmark of the car is its barrel oak veneer dashboard panel, which comes with a ‘folded back’ design. Once folded, one can see the musical inscriptions of owner’s favourite number. The ‘Blue Magpie’ Phantom Drophead Coupé Don’t be fooled by its striking racer-boy body-paint. The ‘Blue Magpie’ Phantom Drophead Coupe, which is tailored for a classy gentleman from Taiwan, incorporates a number of Bespoke features of regional significance. Its exterior is immaculately finished in Silverlake with an Andalusian White bonnet. Elements of gold are cleverly incorporated in the Bespoke twin coach-lines and the pinstripes the encircle the wheel centres. Within the cabin, the headrests are embroidered with an illustration of the blue magpie, a bird that is representative of Taiwan. The craftsmen’s attention to detail even extends to the car’s boot floor, which is uniquely finished in teak with white maple inserts. Nautical Dawn for Pebble Beach For many of Rolls-Royce’s patrons, a Bespoke car represents a long-held passion. To this particular Floridian customer, who has a love for high-performance yachts, Rolls-Royce has customised a nautical-themed Dawn, that draws inspiration from the lines of these fast craft. Delivered to her at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the Nautical Dawn comes with a two-tone combination of Arctic White, mimicking the high-contrast appearance of a super-yacht. Complemented by a teak rear deck and ‘Canadel’ teak interior panels, the Nautical Dawn’s tread-plate concludes the oceanic theme.