Two exceptional motor cars will join the collection at the most anticipated hotel, THE 13. Reserved for the hotel’s most important guests, the two highly Bespoke gold infused creations will become the flagships of the 30 strong collection of Rolls-Royce Phantoms, commissioned by luxury entrepreneur Stephen Hung, Joint Chairman of THE 13 HOLDINGS LIMITED, to reflect his bold vision, as expressed in the design scheme of his refined and remarkable hotel.
Select guests will be conveyed in sumptuous style – ensconced in the world of Rolls-Royce and surrounded by Bespoke enhancements commissioned by Mr Hung – designed to make the experience as effortless and luxurious as possible. Identified by the inclusion of 24 carat gold on both the exterior and interior, the two distinctive motor cars will be heralded as the finest in the fleet and at the time of commissioning, the most expensive Rolls-Royce Phantoms ever built.
Luxury visionaries, like Mr Hung, come to Rolls-Royce in the knowledge that the marque’s craftspeople accept no compromise. Characteristic care and attention has therefore been applied to the creation of one of the car’s defining features, an exterior finish enhanced with the finest particles of 23.75 carat gold, a weight chosen for even disbursement, achieving a perfectly executed finish. The result is the most expensive and meticulously engineered paint the marque has ever produced – a challenge welcomed emphatically by the experts at the Home of Rolls-Royce.
Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “A Rolls-Royce motor car is commissioned to express the tastes, desires and lifestyle of its patron. It is testament to the skill of the artisans that so elegantly express their craft at our Global Centre of Excellence in Goodwood, that this bold and technically challenging design scheme has been executed so perfectly.”
The Surface Finish Centre at the Rolls-Royce Global Centre of Excellence in Goodwood installed new and specialist equipment to ensure no contamination could occur during the painting of the two motor cars. The finish uses 250% more paint than other Phantoms, resulting in an impressive 10 layers, one of which consists of a 40 micron deep layer of Gold, combined with glass and aluminium to provide an alluring shimmer.
Rolls-Royce Material Scientist, Nick Geehan, commented, “Only at the Home of Rolls-Royce would a team embark on such an ambitious project on behalf of one of our patrons. We accept nothing but perfection – the finish took eight attempts to mix the perfect colour; an apt number when considering the significance of lucky number eight in Macau, the home for these precious Phantoms.”
An uplit 24 carat gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy, the graceful figurine who proudly guides every Rolls-Royce, sits atop a gold-coloured Pantheon Grille and hallmarked Rolls-Royce badge, made using 97.1gms of 18ct gold before being plated in 24 carat gold to match the interior gold highlights. Vitreous enamel is used to form the signature RR emblem and is surrounded by 336 pavé set brilliant-cut diamonds. A golden twin coachline is hand-painted by Mark Court, Rolls-Royce’s resident expert coachline painter, using a fine squirrel hair paintbrush.
Within the coach doors, renowned Rolls-Royce umbrellas, on hand to protect occupants from undesirable weather or awaiting paparazzi, are also personalised by incorporating a gold handle and a golden trim to match the colour themes of the hotel. Gold tread plates engraved with ‘PHANTOM Specially Commissioned by Stephen Hung’ remind occupants of the distinctive origins of these remarkable motor cars.
A seminal moment for any building of architectural significance lies in the breaking of the ground. In the case of THE 13 hotel, this historical occasion was captured in the two Gold Phantoms through the application of a starlight headliner, created to depict the Macau constellation on the night of THE 13’s ground-breaking. Gold thread is handwoven into the star-scape to identify this constellation and a gold plaque, engraved with the date and location, reminds the world’s elite of the position of this new centre of luxury in Macau.
The grand entrance of the hotel is strikingly echoed in the interior of these Phantoms. On entering the Extended Wheelbase Phantom, guests are greeted by a black and white seat feature which boldly reflects the chequered floor of the entrance hall of the hotel. Drawing on skills from artisans at the Home of Rolls-Royce who trained in saddlery, the seats are covered in large scale hand-woven black and white leather panels providing a three-dimensional texture to the interior cabin. A new gold coloured pearl effect leather has been created to edge the seats, ensuring occupants enjoy a stately experience as they are cosseted from the environs of bustling Macau.
Extraordinary attention-to-detail informs every Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design. This is boldly expressed in a beautiful treatment of the instrument dials and clock with both referencing THE 13‘s red and gold theme. The clock was designed in collaboration with master jeweller, Graff.
All 30 Bespoke Phantoms, that represent the largest single commission in Rolls-Royce history, are destined for THE 13
