Many Rolls-Royce clients are powerful and influential figures in the international fashion, design and super-luxury community. These individuals apply their professional instincts, as well as their personal sensibilities, to their Rolls-Royce commissions. Based on the close relationship the marque’s designers have with these clients, they have anticipated demand for an emerging aesthetic movement and created Rolls-Royce Ghost Prism.
Drawing inspiration from the world of contemporary design, Rolls-Royce Ghost Prism showcases flawlessly finished dark, neutral tones which are subtly accented with bold strokes of colour, creating a timeless statement. It is this contrast between a solid form and bright, spectral hues that inspired Ghost Prism’s name.
The example presented is shown in Gunmetal grey, which has a rich mineral finish, produced through an exacting 10-step process in which four layers of paint are meticulously applied, then polished by hand for 16 hours.
In place of the marque’s classic mirror-polished stainless-steel finish, the motor car’s grille and rear-lid brightwork are presented in high-gloss Burnout, a smoked black-grey hue. To achieve this effect, each metal piece is hand prepared by the marque’s artisans: first, a light abrasive is used across each piece to provide a ‘key’ for a hardwearing primer, onto which four coats of Burnout paint is then applied. After curing, these pieces are individually polished to ensure that they match the high-gloss brilliance of the motor car’s coachwork. In keeping with the understated aesthetic of Ghost Prism, the front bumper and side profile brightwork feature a deep gloss black finish.
Clients have a choice of four bold accent colours – Phoenix Red, Turchese, Mandarin and Forge Yellow – to complement their chosen exterior colour and create the striking contrast central to this contemporary design movement. The selected accent colour is applied to the lower bumper inserts, brake callipers and coachline – a sparing yet cohesive gesture that spans the mechanical, aerodynamic and sculptural elements of Ghost. The subtle flashes of colour further extend to the interior of the motor car, including the 1,040 coloured ‘stars’ in the Bespoke Starlight Headliner – each individually placed in the leather canvas through perforated holes, precisely chalked and punched by hand - which fill the cabin with a gentle glow.
While clients are able to appoint their interior suite with a near-limitless number of Bespoke colourways, early Ghost Prism commissions incorporate a light and vibrant palette, in contrast to the bold authority of the motor car’s exterior.
Just 120 examples of Ghost Prism are available globally, a subtle acknowledgement of 2024 being the 120th anniversary of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.