Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has revealed Phantom Hummingbird, a bespoke Phantom Extended commission created as a private tribute to a client's wife through Private Office Dubai. Inspired by the hummingbird, a symbol of joy, resilience and beauty, the one-off luxury sedan introduces the first-ever use of abalone shell marquetry in a Rolls-Royce motor car.
The commission uses abalone shell alongside mother-of-pearl to recreate the iridescent colours of hummingbird feathers. Renowned for its natural blue-green lustre, the abalone shell reflects light in a way that mirrors the vibrant plumage of the tiny bird. A hand-painted hummingbird motif also features on the car's exterior coachline.
The bespoke marquetry is showcased across three interior panels. A hummingbird motif appears on each rear Picnic Table, with each bird painstakingly crafted from 53 individual pieces of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl, including 18 pieces in the wings alone. Between the rear seats, the Rear Waterfall panel features a botanical design comprising 84 pieces of the same materials.
Development of the marquetry took more than nine months, with Rolls-Royce craftspeople overcoming significant technical challenges due to the fragile nature of abalone shell. The company said six separate iterations were required before a suitable manufacturing method was developed. The final process involved reducing the thickness of each shell fragment before precisely setting and lacquering the pieces for long-term durability.
Every piece of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl was laser-cut slightly oversized before being hand-finished to ensure seamless joins. Once fitted, each Picnic Table and the Rear Waterfall panel required a further eight hours of detailed finishing work, contributing to a total of 45 hours spent on the three marquetry panels.
The nature-inspired theme extends throughout the cabin. The marquetry panels are set against Ash Burr veneer, while Silver Birch veneer, sourced from a single log to ensure consistent grain patterns, is incorporated into the Picnic Table designs. The interior is trimmed in Creme Light leather with Moccasin and Tan accents, complemented by Seashell carpets and a Starlight Headliner.
On the exterior, the Phantom Hummingbird is finished in a two-tone combination of Wildberry and White Sands, separated by a hand-painted White Sands coachline featuring the hummingbird motif.
Rolls-Royce did not disclose the price of the one-off Phantom Hummingbird commission.
