Rolls-Royce unveils one-of-one Phantom Dragon

Rolls-Royce has unveiled the one-of-one Phantom Dragon, created as a celebration of the Year of the Dragon. Commissioned by a discerning client from China, the Phantom Dragon offers a contemporary rendition of the ancient Chinese legend of two dragons with a pearl. This magnificent example of the marque's pinnacle product provides a conclusion to the lunar Year of the Dragon, as well as the beginning of the Phantom nameplate's centenary in 2025.

The Phantom Dragon's Gallery, which runs the full width of the fascia, houses a Bespoke marquetry made of 297 individual pieces and four different wood species. An artisan at Goodwood spent three months creating this striking feature, which involves intricately cutting out veneer shapes before assembling and fixing them by hand. The artwork represents the two dragons, enclosed within swirling clouds and guarding the pearl embodied by the Bespoke clock itself.

This striking feature, which took an artisan at Goodwood three months to create, involved intricately cutting out veneer shapes, then assembling and fixing them by hand.

The base layer is crafted from Smoked Eucalyptus, with the outline of the shapes rendered in Sycamore veneer ad filled with Ash burr. Black Bolivar veneer 'shadows' give the piece a sense of depth, making the dragons appear to be floating over the surface.

Exceptional woodcraft is expressed across the commission, including high gloss Smoked Eucalyptus elements, and Canadel door panels fashioned from natural open pore Smoked Eucalyptus. This is accompanied by Ardent Red and black leathers on the front and rear reclining Serenity seats respectively, completed with the client's family name in ancient Chinese calligraphy embroidered onto the headrests with cotton thread.

The theme continues with the stunning Bespoke Starlight Headliner depicting an abstract representation of two dragons (rendered in red and white). This celestial composition comprises of 768 red and 576 white fibre-optic lights, each individually hand-fitted and surrounded by 24 shooting 'stars'.

Creating a bold contrast to the dram of the interior suite, the one-of-one Phantom Dragon is finished in Iced Diamond Black, creating a signature shimmering satin appearance.