Key Takeaways
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla is a tribute to Spirit of Ecstasy. The interior features exquisite embroidery that creates a luminescent effect and unique aluminum artwork. Only 10 Phantom Scintilla models were available, all of which were sold for an undisclosed price.
Rolls-Royce is a luxury brand that makes some of the most beautiful cars in the world. It’s lineup of impressive vehicles now includes the Phantom Scintilla, which made its debut at this year’s Monterey Car Week. A part of the brand’s 120th anniversary, this Phantom pays homage to the Spirit of Ecstasy that has become an enduring symbol of Rolls-Royce luxury and appears on everything from the Cullinan to the Ghost.
This new special edition features the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament in a unique ceramic finish reminiscent of the Greek sculpture “The WInged Victory of Samothrace.” This was the inspiration for the original Rolls-Royce mascot back in 1910. It’s an elegant representation of emotion that perfectly captures the ethos of the brand.
Inspired By The Elegance Of Greek Sculpture
Claude Johnson, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce back in 1910, commissioned sculptor and illustrator Charles Sykes to create the brand’s mascot. Johnson had seen the original Samothrace sculpture at the Louvre and wanted something similar for Rolls-Royce. Sykes believed it was too strong a figure, so he instead came up with a more delicate variation inspired by Eleanor Thornton, who was Lord Montagu’s secretary.
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The inspirational statue was made from Parian marble, which was quarried on the Greek island of Paros during the classical era. It’s known for its radiance, allowing light to penetrate several centimeters into the material so it looks like it’s glowing. The Spirit of Ecstasy on the Phantom Scintilla features a ceramic finish that’s a nod to that original. The upper body of the vehicle is finished in Andalusian White while the lower body is Thracian Blue. The colors are meant to evoke the oceans around the island of Samothrace. That paint features metallic flakes for the sparkle of the sun on water with hand-painted double coachline and wheel pinstripes in Spirit Blue.
An Interior That Defines Luxury
Inside, the story is pure luxury with design elements that mimic the ethereal form of the Spirit of Ecstasy. The doors and seats have an embroidered pattern that flows throughout the cabin through a process called “painting with thread” that uses varying colors and stitches to create a luminescent effect. Artisans crafted 36 sections of embroidery that were stitched together. It took two and a half years to develop with 633,000 stitches and 40 hours for each interior. Blue Grey, Arctic White, Spirit Blue, Powder Blue, and Pastel Yellow threads were used to create the door design, which is a continuous graphic across all four doors. The seats use a twill with a bright finish and incorporate matching threads.
Related Rolls-Royce Redesigns The Spirit Of Ecstasy For An Electric Future
The new figurine will debut on Rolls’ first EV, the Spectre.
The most striking element of the interior design is a bespoke artwork entitled Celestial Pulse. It features seven individually milled ribbons of solid aluminum with the same ceramic finish as the Spirit of Ecstasy. It’s highly polished to create a reflected sheen. There’s also a Starlight Headliner with 1,500 fiber-optic stars that feature a flowing animation and 4,450 perforations that reveal a silver fabric that plays on the light. It’s an incredible work of art and you can’t have one. Only 10 were built, all of which have already been claimed.
Rolls-Royce