May 17, 2016
Rolls-Royce's Zenith Collection
British automaker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is setting the highest standard of bespoke capabilities with its Phantom Zenith Collection of collectors’ vehicles.
The 50 examples, which includes some of the last examples of the Phantom Drophead Coupe and Phantom Coupe models ever built, have already been commissioned by Rolls-Royce connoisseurs. Through Rolls-Royce’s customization talents, the collection serves as a celebration for the Phantom Drophead Coupe and Phantom Coupe, two of “the rarest and best-loved luxury goods in the world,” which will be phased out of production in 2016.
A grand finale
When setting out on the Phantom Zenith Collection, Rolls-Royce’s bespoke design team sought to understand how both models fit into the lifestyle of the automaker’s discerning drivers. As a result, no detail was overlooked.
The Zenith Collection boasts an enhanced split-tailgate fitted with touring picnic basket and a glass shelf, the perfect place to serve Champagne. Adding to that concept, Rolls-Royce designed an onboard Champagne refrigerator large enough to hold two standard bottles and eight glasses.
Rolls-Royce Zenith Collection, Champagne fridge
While the Champagne refrigerator and bespoke picnic basket take up much of the vehicle’s trunk, the interior space is not compromised. Inside the vehicle’s cab Rolls-Royce included laser etched armrest cappings and a central fascia drawer designed to hold a memento signifying each model’s status as one of its last to be built.
The numbered memento is forged from a piece of Rolls-Royce’s Phantom assembly line in Goodwood, England. This piece of automotive history also shows the coordinates of the assembly line where the metal was removed.
Computer renderings of Rolls-Royce's Phantom Zenith Collection
Models for the Zenith Collection have exterior and interior color schemes that recall Rolls-Royce Phantom’s history. For example, the Madeira Red and Jubilee Silver Phantom Coupe edition was inspired by a 1930s Phantom II while the Midnight Blue and Arctic White version turned to the Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental of the 1930s for inspiration.
When fellow British automaker Jaguar Land Rover decided to phase out its beloved Defender model, the brand launched the Heritage Restoration program to ensure that the vehicle remains firmly embedded within its narrative (see story).
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