And now here it is, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla; an automobile so beautiful that it may have been transported from cloud nine by a choir of angels with bewings.
Yes, we’re exaggerating, but you get the idea: there won’t be many of these elegant Rolls-Royces produced. Just 10, according to Rolls, and even then only through its Private Office, which is presumably only accessible to an exclusive group of absurdly affluent and reticent clients.
The Spirit of Ecstasy, who in turn derived her shape from “The Winged Victory of Samothrace,” a 190 BC Greek statue, served as the model for the Scintilla. In 1910, sculptor Charles Sykes was commissioned to create a figurine that lived in a bonnet.
Since Parian marble was used to create the statue, the Spirit of Ecstasy is depicted here in a ceramic finish with a similar fine-grained appearance. Alas, silver seems a little cheesy now.
The Andalusian White top and Thracian Blue lower body of the paint job, on the other hand, are meant to represent the colors of the sea, giving homage to the island of Samothrace. It seems that a “metallic flake mimics the sparkle of sunlight on the water.” Spirit Blue has a double coachline and wheel pinstripes. Naturally, hand-painted.
There’s needlework inside. A substantial quantity of needlework. According to Rolls, the motif along the doors adds an additional 633,000 stitches and is “the most complex door design” the company has ever tried. The coach doors and rear cloth seats alone total 869,500 stitches (apparently someone’s job to count them all).
The latter uses six layers and thirty-six segments—Blue Grey, Arctic White, Spirit Blue, Powder Blue, and Pastel Yellow—that are stitched together using varying thread thicknesses and stitch orientations. Each interior takes 40 hours to make, and it took 2.5 years to develop. Whoa.
Additionally, a twill fabric with a reflecting sheen is used to finish the seats. For good measure, add 236,500 stitches more.
See the custom starlight headliner up above, which features 1,500 manually placed fiber optic stars that are allegedly modeled after the Spirit of Ecstasy’s flowing garment.
Above that, RR refers to the piece of artwork it created for the Celestial Pulse Gallery as a centerpiece made up of seven separately milled aluminum ribbons that flow across the front fascia and have the same ceramic finish as the statue.
“A Private Collection’s unveiling is always a historic occasion,” stated Chris Brownbridge, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce. There are very few of these rare and valuable cars in the world; they are real masterpieces. They inspire ideas among our clients for their own commissions and serve as a testament to the limitless creativity and expertise of the creatives and artisans at the Home of Rolls-Royce.
Additionally, they uphold Rolls-Royce’s standing as a genuine luxury brand. We make rare, intricate, and beautifully made super-luxury products that are highly valued by collectors today and will be treasured for a very long time. We don’t just produce cars.”
In light of that, it’s important to keep in mind that every Phantom Scintilla will come with a custom car cover. The pessimist in us fears that the cover will be on the automobile for an excessive amount of time, shielding a perfect investment opportunity from dirt and bacteria. Excuse me, fancy car.
