Last week, Aston Martin revealed the DB12 Goldfinger Edition, celebrating 60 years since the release of the classic James Bond film. However, they’re not the only storied British marque getting in on the action. While Bond’s DB5 certainly gets a lot of attention, the film’s villain was also clearly into his cars as Auric Goldfinger drives a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedcanca De Ville. To commemorate 60 years since the film’s release, in suitable Rolls-Royce fashion, the British brand has reviled a one-of-one Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger.
Essentially a bespoke iteration of the luxurious Phantom Extended, this one-of-one Rolls-Royce pays homage to 1964s Goldfinger with numerous features that link to the plot and themes of the film. Rolls-Royce claims these features are some of the most extensively engineered bespoke touches the brand has ever added to a one-on-one vehicle, totaling three years of development to bring to fruition. Quite the statement from a brand that earned its reputation, in part, by pushing the concept of a bespoke automobile to new heights.
“At Rolls-Royce, we are dedicated to crafting deeply personal masterpieces that reshape the boundaries of possibility and truly define the essence of luxury,” said Chris Brownridge, chief executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “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.”
Looking at the exterior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger, the striking yellow coloring was precisely matched by Rolls-Royce paint specialists to the tone used in Goldfinger’s car. It’s a ‘long-side’ two-tone colorway, in which the black finish wraps around the vehicle in a single, uninterrupted graphic. The 21-inch disc wheels also take inspiration from the film and are finished in black with silver floating hubcaps.
Ever present on all Rolls-Royce models, in this one-of-one, the Spirit of Ecstasy plays on the film’s plot. In the movie, Goldfinger smuggles gold in the panels of his Rolls-Royce. Here, the Spirit of Ecstasy is made from solid silver, yet plated in places with 18-carat gold to look as if there is gold hidden beneath.
Inside the vehicle, the flagship feature is a hidden vault created in the center console between the front seats. Here, owners will discover an 18-carat gold bar in the shape of a Phantom ‘Speedform,’ a replica of the vehicle’s bodywork in a stylized miniature.
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Inside the glovebox, the quote “This is Gold, Mr Bond. All my life, I have been in love with its color, its brilliance, its divine heaviness” has been debossed on the inner lid. Numerous details throughout the interior, air vents, organ stops and speaker grills are finished in gold. There’s also a 24-carat gold-plated VIN plaque that’s ordained with a rather special vehicle identification number that of course ends in 007.
A further headline feature on the bespoke one-of-one Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger is the Furka Pass Gallery which runs the full width of the front fascia. This is a hand-drawn three-dimensional isoline map that depicts the contours of the Furka Pass in Switzerland, the setting for one of the most famous scenes in the Goldfinger. This feature on its own took over a year of development to create.
The starlight headliner has become a classic Rolls-Royce feature over the years and the Phantom Goldfinger continues the trend. As a further nod to the Furka Pass scene, the constellations shown identically reflect the night sky above the pass during filming on July 11, 1964, with 719 stares that bear a subtle gold hue.
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Finally referencing the scene where Goldfinger and Bond first meet to play golf, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Goldfinger includes a gold-plated putter, which is mounted on the underside of the boot lid.
“Bringing Phantom Goldfinger into being was one of the Bespoke Collective’s greatest creative journeys to date,” said Nick Rhodes, bespoke designer at Rolls-Royce. “The elegant and whimsical features that reference the film’s most memorable moments are an exquisite demonstration of the power of bespoke in adding a new chapter to an existing story.”
