Some BadStuff happened last year. Even luxury boutique automaker Rolls-Royce acknowledges this. But at least its customers weren't hit so hard that they couldn't still shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars for bespoke designs, which helped keep the automaker's craftspeople employed. Jobs!
The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective is a team of craftspeople, designers, and engineers who take a customer's Rolls-Royce a step further and customize it to their exact specifications and creativity, according to a press release. Because of the pandemic, Rolls said that its designers and customers "found themselves confined to the safety of their homes." Very responsible of them.
This, in turn, led to "a change in [the] source of inspiration from travel and its associated items of luxury grandeur, to rich and textural surroundings of the home, architecture and moments of stillness found in nature."
Same. We'll see how these custom cars turned out in a second, but if were me, my "rich and textural surroundings of the home" would include plastic takeout containers and the crisp whiteness of my KN95 masks. Perfect for a Wraith, in one girl's humble opinion.
Despite the pandemic and economic downturn, though, Rolls-Royce said it actually experienced a "robust increase" of bespoke commissions in 2020 over 2019. While a global crisis grips everyone else, why not stick your money where it matters: in a custom Rolls?
Read on to see some of those custom cars.
Part of Rolls-Royce's business is creating custom cars for customers willing to pay for the service. On average, the automaker experienced a "robust increase" of bespoke commissions in 2020 over 2019.
This is the Sportive Collection. It's comprised of two Black Badge Dawns and nine Black Badge Wraiths.
The interior has a colored weave that matches the car's exterior color. There are also hand-painted exterior coachlines.
The cars were commissioned for the United Arab Emirates.
The Arctic White and Hotspur Red Phantom is completely red inside, including its trunk.
It's so, so red.
The car was commissioned by a Rolls-Royce collector in Texas.
The inside of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan "Spirit of Russia" Collection has a map of Russia on its Starlight Headliner.
The Dawn Silver Bullet Collection turns the four-seater convertible into a two-seater convertible.
The cars are limited to just 50 examples around the world.
They're all painted in Brewster Silver Paint.
The Dusk in Tokyo collection is made of up a Phantom, Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinan. They're meant to celebrate Tokyo.
The Spirit of Ecstacy is depicted in rose gold.
The fascia clock is made of rose gold.
As are other details.
The illuminated fascia in the Rolls-Royce Ghost uses 152 LEDs and 90,000 laser-etched dots. It twinkles when you look at it.
You'll remember the Rolls-Royce Wraith Kryptos Collection.
Source: Insider
It's limited to just 50 examples as well.
There's an in-motion, data-stream inspired pattern on the headliner.
The Spirit of Ecstacy bears the word "Kryptos" in code.
A South African artist Dr. Esther Mahlangu loaned her artistry to the Rolls-Royce Mahlangu Phantom.
It's a one-of-a-kind commission that features contemporary African art.
There are bold, vibrant colors and geometric shapes.
The Rolls-Royce Neon Nights Colour Trilogy includes a Dawn, Wrath, and Cullinan.
The colors are Lime Rock Green, Eagle Rock Red, and Mirabeau Blue.
It's a limited run of the cars. Only four cars of each color will be made.
The green is inspired by a green tree frog from Australia.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom "Iridescent Opulence" has more than 3,000 iridescent tail feathers. Sourced sustainably, of course.
The car was created through a partnership with Nature Squared, a Swiss materials specialist.
The whole thing is supposed to remind you of nature.
From the outside, the Rolls-Royce Steed Phantom Extended looks like a regular Phantom.
But look inside! There's an embroidered horse on the back door.
You'll find a little handpainted coachline detail of the sun and the eight planets of our Solar System on the Rolls-Royce Wraith "Inspired by Earth."
You can see an airbrushed satellite image of the Middle East on the fascia.
The car's hood also a satellite view of the Middle East.
The interior leather is colored to look like the Emirates' desert sand. The blue is supposed to represent the lakes and rivers.
