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RollsRoyce

‘THE PEARL CULLINAN’: A BIRTHDAY GIFT LIKE NO OTHER

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office Dubai presents one-of-one Bespoke commission, ‘The Pearl Cullinan’

Commissioned by a son as a surprise birthday gift for his father: fascia motif features the Arabic symbol for ‘father’ inlaid in stainless steel

One of the most extensive uses of mother-of-pearl ever seen in a Bespoke Rolls-Royce motor car, including central rotary dial and clock surround

Rear Picnic Tables handmade at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, each including 1,351 individually selected pieces of mother-of-pearl

Bespoke paint finish inspired by the colours of most prized pearl in the owner’s collection

“The Middle East region has long been the source of many of the most technically complex, creatively ambitious Bespoke commissions ever undertaken by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. ‘The Pearl Cullinan’ stands at the very summit of those achievements and is a supreme example of the marque’s creativity and craftsmanship. It is also the very first client Bespoke project to be commissioned through our Private Office Dubai. This is an extension of the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and gives clients direct access to our talented Bespoke designers, together with the full support of their local dealer partner. As the motor car is a birthday gift to the father of a longstanding patron, it adds a very special dimension to the project: it has been a privilege to create such a magnificent motor car to mark this auspicious occasion. ‘The Pearl Cullinan’ not only has a deep personal meaning to both father and son, it also commemorates the great heritage story of the family. At Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, highly Bespoke commissions have always been crafted with deep emotional connections in mind and each motor car has its own tale.”
 César Habib, Regional Director Middle East & Africa, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to present ‘The Pearl Cullinan’ – a magnificent, one-of-one Bespoke motor car commissioned by the owner’s family to mark a significant birthday. It is also the first Bespoke project to be revealed by the Private Office Dubai, which works with local Dealer Partners to bring the authentic Goodwood experience to clients across the Middle East and Africa region.

‘The Pearl Cullinan’ was commissioned in early 2022 by a longstanding Rolls-Royce client, to mark his father’s 90th birthday. Regional Director, César Habib, and Bespoke Lead Designer, Michelle Lusby, were originally introduced to the father with the purpose of understanding his passions and life story; these meetings provided valuable insights to inform the design direction for the commission.

BESPOKE PEARL ROSE EXTERIOR FINISH
The Bespoke Pearl Rose finish is inspired by the colour of the owner’s most prized pearl in his extensive, world-class collection and is reserved exclusively for this motor car: it will not be available to any other client in future. Paint specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood used carefully selected pigments to replicate a delicate hint of pink rarely found in natural pearls. Unusually, the paint combines both metallic and pearlescent effects to give exceptional depth and lustre.

Perfecting the finish required around 30 different iterations, each applied to a full-sized body panel. These were pre-checked under daylight simulation lamps in the Atelier at Goodwood, then sent to the client to make sure the colour was correct when viewed under the Middle Eastern sun. The paint also underwent extensive technical testing to ensure it will remain unaltered by heat or UV light over its lifetime.

The Pearl Rose finish is complemented with a single coachline, applied by hand in Rose Gold paint, to match the rose gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. The rose gold theme also extends to the Bespoke treadplates, which are revealed on each of the four door sills upon opening.

INTERIOR: THE ART OF PRESENTATION
The interior of ‘The Pearl Cullinan’ features two different leather colours. The front seats – where the father prefers to travel as a passenger – are finished in his favourite Cashmere Grey. In reference to the family’s heritage, the rear seats are trimmed in Ardent Red which takes inspiration from the colour of the material on which pearls are presented to customers, to best highlight their subtle natural colour variations. In a similar vein, the burr walnut veneer echoes the wooden presentation boxes in which pearls are traditionally handed over to customers upon purchase.

Bespoke embroidery detailing includes ‘RR’ monograms in Rose Gold thread on the headrests, and rear seat inserts in Grace White, inspired by the symmetrical growth patterns of an oyster shell and angled at the same precise 55 degrees as the veneer.

A CELEBRATION OF MOTHER-OF-PEARL
‘The Pearl Cullinan’ features one of the most extensive uses of mother-of-pearl ever seen in a Rolls-Royce motor car. The natural variations of this beautiful material created opportunities and challenges in equal measure for the marque’s designers and craftspeople.

This is particularly apparent with the detailed design of the Picnic Tables, fitted to the rear of the front passenger seats. The upper surface features an intricate, circular pattern inspired by traditional Arabic design that draws the eye inwards to a central point. Each tabletop is then inlaid with 1,351 separate pieces of mother-of-pearl, every one individually selected and placed by hand in the surrounding burr walnut marquetry and sealed with clear lacquer. The natural shade and colour differences in both the mother-of-pearl and the wood mean each tabletop is a unique work of art.

The burr walnut fascia incorporates an exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay inspired by traditional Middle Eastern art. At its centre is the Arabic word for ‘father’, inlaid in stainless steel. In a first for Rolls-Royce, the Bespoke dashboard clock is set in a mother-of-pearl surround; the dial and hands are in rose gold. The centre rotary dial is also finished with mother-of-pearl, giving it a tactile, jewel-like quality.

Above the occupants, the Bespoke Starlight Headliner shows the sky as it appeared on the night and at the very place the commissioning client’s father was born.

Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer at the Private Office Dubai, said, “For me, there was a huge emotional connection with this Bespoke project. I had the privilege of spending time with the commissioning family, which allowed me to discuss details of the design directly with them, and really understand their true significance. Their unique use of mother-of-pearl was a great creative and technical challenge for us: to see the Picnic Tables go from my original digital designs to those beautiful, highly detailed finished works of art was fantastic. This is a truly special commission in so many ways, and a project we aspire to have as Rolls-Royce designers. Emotions inspire our imaginations.”

NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.6 mpg / 15.2 l/100km. WLTP (combined) CO2 emission: 377-368 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.1-17.5 mpg / 16.5-16.1 l/100km.

RollsRoyce

Rolls-Royce Phantom Inspired by Cinque Terre: Celebrating the Italian Riviera

  • Rolls-Royce presents a unique Bespoke Phantom ‘Inspired by Cinque Terre’ that honors the beauty of the Italian Riviera and its winemaking traditions
  • The hand-painted Gallery artwork captures the vibrant colors and famous architecture of the five cliffside fishing villages
  • The rear doors feature an embroidered grapes motif and the picnic tables have an inlay design paying homage to the region’s viticulture
  • The Bespoke Starlight Headliner showcases an intricately embroidered map of Italy with five glowing stars positioned to represent the five historic Cinque Terre villages

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is proud to present the Phantom ‘Inspired by Cinque Terre’, a magnificent Bespoke motor car that showcases the captivating allure and rich viticultural heritage of the legendary Italian Riviera.

The Cinque Terre, meaning ‘Five Lands’ in Italian, is located on the rugged coast of Liguria in northern Italy. These centuries-old fishing villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore – are renowned worldwide for their terraced vineyards, which overlook the Mediterranean Sea, making them a true marvel in winemaking.

This extraordinary motor car highlights the stunning vineyards of the area through intricate Bespoke features. Its exterior is finished in a deep and lustrous Ligurian blue, enhanced by a hand-applied double coachline in Navy Blue and Jasmine, adorned with a delicate grapes motif.

The timeless interior combines Grace White and Navy Blue leather with Jasmine accents, featuring a delicate grape-branch embroidery on the rear doors. Each embroidery piece consists of 9,215 stitches created using two different techniques. The grapes are embroidered with satin stitch, meticulously aligned to catch the light and give each grape a lifelike tone and luster. The grape leaf is crafted with a flatter tatami stitch, providing a textural contrast and enhancing the embroidery’s tactile qualities.

The grapes motif is also captured in an intricate inlay design on the picnic tables, made with stainless steel and gold plating. The surfaces are painted in Milori blue with a subtle sparkle to give depth and vibrancy to the color. The inlays are then meticulously applied by hand and sealed with a clear lacquer, resulting in a seamless and polished finish.

Above, the Bespoke Starlight Headliner is adorned with a map of Italy, embroidered with 14,338 individual stitches. Five glowing stars, placed by hand at the coastline’s edge, represent the Cinque Terre villages. Achieving the perfect embroidery required more than a month of meticulous adjustments by the Bespoke Collective to strike the right balance between thread shimmer and minute detail for the entire outline of Italy.

Inside the motor car’s expansive fascia lies the Gallery, showcasing a specially commissioned artwork capturing the colors, architecture, and vibrant character of Cinque Terre. The composition is a digital sketch brought to life with water-based acrylic paint applied by hand through airbrushing, resulting in an incredibly detailed artwork that is finished with multiple coats of clear lacquer. The focal features of the painting are positioned strategically within the Gallery so that every occupant of the motor car can easily admire them.

A final touch awaits inside the glove compartment, where silver debossing depicts the five villages.

The Phantom ‘Inspired by Cinque Terre’ has found its place in the client’s collection as a unique commission that will never be replicated.

NEDC combined: CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.7 mpg / 15.1 l/100km. WLTP combined: CO2 emissions: 362-351 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.7-18.2 mpg / 15.5-16.0 l/100km.

RollsRoyce

THE GHOST OF MANCHESTER PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manchester unveils one-of-one Manchester Ghost
  • Extensively Bespoke Manchester Ghost celebrates the historical resonance of the city for the marque, the remarkable accomplishments achieved by the people of Manchester and the city today
  • The first Rolls-Royce to be inspired by the city of Manchester

 

“I am proud to unveil the Manchester Ghost, a truly special one-of-one embodiment of artistry and skill, curated in collaboration with our Dealer Partners from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manchester. As Charles Rolls and Henry Royce first met in Manchester, the city has, and always will have, a potent historical resonance for the marque. Our accomplished artisans, designers and engineers at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex have created a truly remarkable motor car, capturing the city’s history, and the city today, as well as celebrating some of its most remarkable accomplishments. The Manchester Ghost brings together the Home of Rolls-Royce where each motor car is hand built and the city where the original idea for Rolls-Royce was born.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, United Kingdom, Europe, CIS

A unique and extensively Bespoke one-of-one Ghost has been designed for Manchester, to celebrate the city’s historical link with the marque. The northern metropolis has long been an important place for Rolls-Royce: on 4th May 1904, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce first met in the Midland Hotel, in central Manchester, and it was from this meeting that the marque’s two founding fathers agreed together to create ‘the best motor car in the world’. This is the first time, however, that the city of Manchester has been chosen as the inspiration for a Rolls-Royce commission.

The combined talent of the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce saw designers, craftspeople and artisans collaborate over a period of two years to create this motor car. Designer Ieuan Hatherall explains:

“Manchester has always been a part of Rolls-Royce’s history. I wanted to create a highly contemporary yet elegant iteration of Ghost, honouring the significance of the city for the marque and celebrating the accomplishments of the people of Manchester whilst also incorporating the melange of Manchester’s modern and traditional architecture.”

MANCHESTER BEE

The Manchester Bee, one of the best-known symbols of the city and emblem for the city for more than 150 years, has been a source of great inspiration for this motor car. The Manchester Bee symbolises Mancunians’ strong work ethic and the city being a hive of activity. On the exterior of this unique motor car, a Bespoke motif, inspired by the Manchester Bee and presented in Turchese, is displayed on the C pillar. Inside, the Manchester Bee theme continues, with this iconic symbol embroidered on the front and rear seat inserts.

The traditional Silver exterior of the Manchester Ghost is punctuated with a coachline in Turchese, creating a contemporary accent to the car. The pinstripe wheel centre caps, also presented in Turchese, echo the design, while the brake callipers in the same hue elegantly complete the exterior.

ILLUMINATED FASCIA

For the Manchester Ghost, a truly special Illuminated Fascia, with 10,000 laser etched dots, depicts an ethereal view of Manchester from above. The largest etched dot on the Illuminated Fascia represents the location of the Midland Hotel, the very place where the marque’s two founding fathers first met at the start of the twentieth century. The Illuminated Fascia references the title of the poem ‘This is the Place’ by Tony Walsh, a sentimental tribute to the city of Manchester.

REAR SEAT EMBROIDERY

Landmark locations in Manchester are embroidered in tone-on-tone thread to the rear seat centre and demonstrate the unrivalled capabilities of the Bespoke department.

GRAPHENE HEADLINER

In 2004, two professors at the University of Manchester first isolated Graphene, an incredibly lightweight, strong and flexible material. The discovery of this material, with its unique properties, helped to reaffirm Manchester as a city renowned for revolutionary inventions, academic expertise, and research. This Bespoke commission celebrates this pioneering spirit, with the fabled Rolls-Royce headliner depicting a Graphene lattice inspired pattern.

ILLUMINATED TREADPLATES

The illuminated treadplates also celebrate Manchester’s reputation as a pioneer in the field of technology. Inside the cabin doors, the abbreviated name for the city, ‘MCR’ is inscribed in Binary. This is a tribute to ‘The Manchester Baby’, the world’s first stored programmed electronic digital computer which was successfully run at the University of Manchester on 21st June 1948 – a landmark moment in the history of computing.

“As a born and bred Mancunian, this commission is truly special and will always be highly memorable for me. From the moment we set out to design a motor car to celebrate the city of Manchester, we wanted to create something that would celebrate the city’s history and the place today. It has been great to work with the team at Home of Rolls-Royce to turn our vision into a reality.”
Jon Crossley, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Manchester

NEDCcorr (combined) CO2 emission: 343 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.8 mpg / 15.0 l/100km. WLTP (combined) CO2 emission: 359-347 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.9-18.6 mpg / 15.8-15.2 l/100km.