To mark the centenary of its Phantom model, Rolls-Royce will soon unveil an exclusive Private Collection that will feature three woodworking techniques never before seen on a Rolls-Royce: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering, and gold leafing.
The interior door treatment created for the upcoming Private Collection is the most complex and detailed in Rolls-Royce history. The artwork visually blends geographical maps, winding routes, sweeping landscapes, floral elements, and depictions of experimental models into a single, stunning composition.
The creation of the door pieces is achieved by individually crafting sections of the overall composition and then assembling them like an intricate mosaic. Rendered in Blackwood, which was selected for its unique grain pattern, the design uses textures, contrasts, and reflectivity to celebrate the material, creating a rich visual effect with a monochromatic palette.
To ensure nothing detracts from the overall composition, Phantom's metal speaker grilles are replaced by small openings milled directly into the wood. The expansive panel is then stained to ensure absolute colour uniformity.
The design motifs, which include maps, landscapes, flowers and trees, are etched onto the wood at three different depths using a laser, each line of light and shadow carrying echoes of Phantom's century of stories. Areas more deeply etched into the wood appear to be darker, providing a contrast to the more reflective surface of the unetched veneer. This produces subtle shifts in colour and light.
Each composition tells a different story, and these innovations give the woodwork an intricacy and richness that hint at the extraordinary methods and technologies behind their creation.
