Rolls-Royce has built a one-off Phantom Goldfinger that celebrates the homonymous 1964 James Bond film, where 007 locked horns with Auric Goldfinger and his bowler-hat-lobbing henchman, Oddjob. The Phantom tributes Goldfinger's 1937 Phantom III Sedanca de Ville.
Much like Oddjob's hat (which doubled as a weapon) Roll-Royce's attention to detail will blow your mind as it pays homage to the film's plot with a series of features from the company's Bespoke personalisation wing that was three years in the making.
The most obvious is the Phantom Extended’s two-tone finish, with yellow paint that has been precisely matched to the 1964 car's colour and given a modem flavour courtesy of a black wrap covering the upper quarter. The 21-inch wheels with black paint and silver hubcaps also replicate the film car's.
The final touch is found on the Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet mascot, which has a silver top and a golden underside, the hidden colour referencing Goldfinger's shady trade in gold smuggling. The figurine is made from solid silver with an 18-carat gold plate.
Gold, you'll (not) be surprised to learn, also features on the inside, kicking off with an 18-carat gold bar 'Speedform' in the shape of the car, which is hidden in a vault-like compartment in the centre console. The vents, 'organ pulls', speaker covers, plus the lower front and rear centre consoles are also finished in gold, and you'll find more of the pricy yellow stuff on the inside of the glovebox, inscribed with a famous Goldfinger quote from the film: "This is Gold, Mr. Bond. All my life, I have been in love with its colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness."
A VIN plate finished in 24-carat gold (with a build number ending in 007) completes Rolls-Royce's single-handed assault on the bullion markets.
But if gold is the #1 way for a James Bond Baddy to display wealth, fine art runs it a close second, which means you'll also find it in the Phantom Goldfinger.
It's a 3D hand-drawn isoline map of the Furka Pass in the Swiss Alps, where 007 is seen stalking his well-heeled prey in the film. It's made from stainless steel (surely some mistake!) that's darkened using "vapour deposition" and then engraved to reveal the shiny metal below. Gilded gold highlights the Furka Pass, and Rolls-Royce took ten attempts to get it right.
Next to the artwork, you'll see the car's bespoke clock modelled on the 'gun barrel' sequence at the start of every James Bond film since 1962's Dr. No. Look upwards, and you'll find another example of Rolls-Royce's fanatical attention to detail with a Starlight Headliner that mirrors the constellations as they were positioned over the Furka Pass on the 11th July 1964 (the last day of filming), with 719 gold-glowing LEDs.
Its attention to detail makes the car's picnic tables complete with fictional blueprints of Fort Knox (where Goldfinger's Operation Grand Slam master plan ultimately came to fruition), gold seat embroidery and gold-piping bullet caps seem almost obvious by comparison.
But, yes, there is more. The Phantom's gold golf-putter interior boot pull, engraved with the initials' AG' in tribute to the villain's signet ring, marks Goldfinger's love for golf. Oh, and the boot lighting projects '007' onto the carpet in homage to the Q Branch-issued tracker device Bond hid on the car in the movie. Finally, the Roller's trademark umbrellas – finished in red, blue, green, and yellow – mimic Goldfinger's brolly in the film.
That is the final touch of Rolls-Royce's doing but not the final touch on the car. That falls to the 'AU 1' number plate, gold's symbol on the periodic table, which the British company purchased (one can imagine at colossal expense) as a perfect finishing touch for the car.
Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: "At Rolls-Royce, we are dedicated to crafting deeply personal masterpieces that reshape the boundaries of possibility and truly define the essence of luxury. Each creation is a reflection of our commitment to producing extraordinary, unique motor cars that consistently delight and exceed the expectations of our clients.
“This particular project really invigorated our team of creatives, giving them the freedom to explore the reaches of their imagination. The final creation is a testament to the power of collaboration and the extraordinary ability of our designers, craftspeople, and engineers.”
Rolls-Royce doesn’t talk prices (vulgar), but when a 'regular' Phantom starts from more than £400,000, you can imagine what dipping it in precious metals and lavishing it with skilled craft people's time does to the price – we'd be surprised if it didn't double it.
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