Rolls-Royce is always known for never declining the opportunity to challenge itself, especially when it comes to building one-off custom creations. In this case, the company completed a build that took over three years to complete with the one-off paying tribute to the iconic James Bond film Goldfinger
Paying homage in style
The Rolls Royce Phantom takes center stage in this build but the exterior is meant to pay homage to the 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III owned by the movie’s antagonist (sorry James you get to sit this one out) Aurich Goldfinger. The exterior gets matching gold and black paintwork with the 21-inch wheels being made with special floating center caps that match the movie car’s. The attention to detail even comes down to the “AU1” number plate which was reportedly secured for the new owner in England.
With the exterior changes being mostly limited to paintwork and minor styling revisions, the rest of the modern Phantom doesn’t change too much from the standard model which means the big sedan still maintains its elegant personality and its imposing demeanor as it glides down the road.
Gold adds to the allure of the Phantom Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger’s claim to fame was his obsession with gold. with this being very evident when you slip inside the Phantom. Rolls said that it took three years to finish the build with one year of that effort being solely dedicated to the complex inlay that’s mounted in the dash. In the Goldfinger, it’s supposed to be a contour map of the Furka Pass in Switzerland with the company going through 10 different versions of the 3D-printed stainless steel inlay before finally deciding on the one that made it into the car. The inlay is matched with a special pattern for the starlight roof liner which is supposed to replicate the night sky on July 11th, 1964 during the final day of filming for the movie.
And get used to the gold theme because the cabin has it practically everywhere. The speaker grilles and climate vents have a gold-plated finish while the Spirit of Ecstacy herself has splashes of gold trim on it. More gold is found in the front and rear consoles with a quote from Aurich himself placed in the glovebox. A gold-plated golf club is found in the trunk and the VIN-number is also plated in 24-karat gold. However, the best is saved for last with Rolls Royce adding a Speedform model of the Phantom that’s made out of solid gold. The model is hidden away in a secret compartment and the gold bar is projected to be worth at least over half a million dollars when the current spot price for a single ounce of gold is factored in. The picnic tables have a fictional map of Fort Knox with this detail taking over six months to finish.
Sadly you can’t buy one
Since this particular Phantom was a one-off for one of the brand’s high-profile buyers, other customers looking to replicate this model for themselves will be out of luck. 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.”
Instead, look for the Phantom Goldfinger to be a rolling example of how far the company’s designers and engineers can be pushed when presented with a unique build request.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.