Mirror of Time: Rolls-Royce Marks Phantom’s Centenary with the Exquisite Centenary Private Collection
Rolls-Royce has chosen to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its most storied model, the Phantom, not with nostalgia but with artistry. The new Phantom Centenary Private Collection comprises just 25 cars and distils a century of craftsmanship, technical mastery and British precision into a single, breathtaking statement.
More than 40,000 hours went into creating a car that is less a vehicle than a rolling chronicle of luxury — a tribute to the royal patrons, film icons and engineers who have shaped the Phantom’s legend since 1925.
A shimmering echo of Hollywood’s golden age
From the outside, the Centenary evokes the glamour of classic cinema. Its two-tone finish blends Super Champagne Crystal with Arctic White and Black, sealed beneath a lacquer infused with crushed glass particles for a soft, jewel-like shimmer. The pièce de résistance is the 18-carat gold Spirit of Ecstasy, coated in 24-carat gold and hallmarked by the London Assay Office with a bespoke “Phantom Centenary” mark.
A cabin that tells a hundred stories
Step inside and the car becomes a journey through time. The rear seats are inspired by the famed 1926 Phantom of Love, whose intricate tapestry influenced the overall design. The fabrics were developed in collaboration with a couture atelier using a printing technique never before applied to automotive interiors. Each seat required more than 160,000 stitches, transforming textile into art.
The narrative continues up front, where laser-etched leather hides subtle references to Phantom development codenames such as “Roger Rabbit” (2003) and “Seagull” (1923).
At the heart of the cabin lies the Anthology Gallery: an aluminium 3D sculpture whose etched leaves bear quotes drawn from a century of press coverage. It is, quite literally, a book of motion, illuminated by shifting light.
A symphony of wood, gold and thread
The Phantom Centenary’s interior sets new standards in craftsmanship. Ebony wood panels depict maps, landscapes and journeys linked to the marque’s founders — from Sir Henry Royce’s winter retreat in the South of France to his summer home in West Wittering and the first Goodwood-era Phantom’s 7,200-kilometre expedition across Australia.
These panels combine 3D marquetry, 24-carat gold leaf and layered ink techniques created specifically for this project. Roads gleam in real gold, while the smallest details — 0.13-millimetre ships and place names — demanded an unprecedented level of precision.
A sky that remembers
Above, the Starlight Headliner glows with 440,000 embroidered stars, arranged to form historical motifs: Henry Royce’s mulberry tree, the bees of Goodwood and other icons of the brand’s heritage. Every pinpoint of light is a fragment of history, every stitch a salute to the past.
A monument, not a machine
With the Phantom Centenary, Rolls-Royce is not selling a car so much as composing a cultural statement — a tribute to craftsmanship and slow luxury in an era obsessed with electrification and digital minimalism. While other manufacturers talk of software and sustainability, Rolls-Royce quietly reminds the world that true luxury can still mean timeless beauty shaped by human hands.
The new Phantom Centenary moves through history like a dignified time machine, carrying the royal lineage of British engineering into its second century. Rolls-Royce is not merely building a car; it is building a monument and, as ever, doing so with serene confidence.
