In a reversal of their original on-screen roles Rolls-Royce is following Aston Martin with a tribute to the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger.
On screen Auric Goldfinger was chauffeured by Oddjob in a distinctive yellow and black 1937 Phantom III Sedanca de Ville and it’s that waspish paint job that Rolls-Royce has revived for a one-off 2024 Phantom.
The extended-wheelbase limousine is a rolling homage to the movie with all manner of details designed to reflect Goldfinger’s obsession with the precious metal. At one point in the film the car is revealed to be used to smuggle gold hidden in its body panels, and while Rolls-Royce hasn’t quite gone to such lengths it has created a custom Spirit of Ecstasy which looks like its silver plating conceals gold beneath.
Inside you’ll find treadplates designed to resemble gold bars, a 24-carat gold VIN plate (with a number ending 007, of course), plus a hidden ‘vault’ between the front seats housing a solid 18-carat gold bar shaped as a Phantom. More gold lines the front and rear centre consoles and even inside the glovebox. The quote “This is Gold, Mr. Bond. All my life, I have been in love with its colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness,” is written on the inner lid of the glovebox.
A map of the Furka Pass which leads to Goldfinger’s Swiss smelting facility forms a dashboard art piece, and the Phantom’s starlight headliner shows the constellations as they would have appeared above the Furka Pass on the last day of the film’s shooting. A unique clock evokes the ‘gun barrel’ opening sequence of every Bond film.
More movie ‘extras’ include a picnic table inlaid with a map of Fort Knox, a gold-plated golf club mounted on the underside of the trunk lid, harlequin umbrellas and even the famous AU 1 number plate.
The car was created for a “significant” Rolls-Royce client in the UK. “Bringing Phantom Goldfinger into being was one of the Bespoke Collective’s greatest creative journeys to date,” says Bespoke Designer Nick Rhodes. “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. It was a privilege to be a part of the creative team that brought this highly sought-after collector’s piece to life.”
