STORIES BENEATH THE SURFACE: ROLLS-ROYCE REVEALS THE MOST INTRICATE WOODWORK IN ITS HISTORY – AutoMart Canada

• Rolls-Royce reveals the most intricate woodwork in the marque’s history
• Introduces three Rolls-Royce firsts: 3D marquetry, 3D ink
  layering, and 24-carat gold leafing
• Artisans undertook special training as part of a one-year
  development process
• Extraordinary interior reserved for an exclusive Rolls-Royce
  Private Collection, soon to be revealed to celebrate Phantom’s centenary

“Our Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and
engineers are exceptional at what they do. To honour Phantom in its
centenary year, they pioneered groundbreaking techniques in their
mastery of wood, combining 3D ink layering, 3D marquetry and gilding
within a single surface. These intricate processes push materials to
the limits of their natural tolerance, transforming each panel into
a stunning, tactile sculpture. Having seen first-hand the challenges
and possibilities with wood techniques at Rolls-Royce, I can say
with certainty that the Collective has unlocked remarkable new
possibilities for Bespoke, a breakthrough made possible by their
extraordinary dedication to the Phantom nameplate on its 100th anniversary.”

Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In 2025, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks the centenary
of Phantom – a name that has defined the pinnacle of luxury for 100
years. Across decades and continents, Phantom has remained the measure
of what can be achieved when the rarest and most precious materials
are placed in the hands of master craftspeople.

To mark this milestone, Rolls-Royce will soon unveil an exclusive
Private Collection. For this landmark motor car, which honours the
brand’s pinnacle product, designers, craftspeople and engineers pushed
their artistry further than ever, developing three woodworking
techniques never before seen on a Rolls-Royce: 3D marquetry, 3D ink
layering and gold leafing.

Each composition tells a different story – first sketched by
hand, then translated into digital form and recreated in wood –
capturing places,
moments and journeys that have shaped Phantom’s
legend. These innovations give the woodwork an intricacy
and richness that hint at the extraordinary methods and technologies
behind their creation.

THE PINNACLE OF CRAFT: THE MOST INTRICATE DOORS IN ROLLS-ROYCE HISTORY

The interior door treatment created for the upcoming
Private Collection to celebrate Phantom’s centenary is the most
complex and detailed in Rolls-Royce history, with every journey etched
into its surfaces – a tribute to Phantom’s 100-year legend. It took a
full year to develop these pieces alone, pushing the medium of veneer
to its sculptural limits, just as Phantom itself has pushed the
definition of what a motor car can represent. The artwork visually
blends geographical maps, winding routes, sweeping landscapes, floral
elements and depictions of experimental models into a single, stunning composition.

The creation of the door pieces is achieved by individually
crafting sections of the overall composition and then assembling them
like an intricate mosaic. Rendered in Blackwood, selected for its
unique grain pattern, the design uses textures, contrasts and
reflectivity to celebrate the material, creating a rich visual effect
with a monochromatic palette.

Oversized veneer sheets were specially commissioned for this
project to accommodate the generous size of Phantom’s doors. Based on
the natural grain pattern of the piece, each of the large veneer
leaves is assigned to a specific section of the composition. The
designer responsible gave particular consideration to how the grain
catches the light at different angles, ensuring that new details and
textures are revealed at every glance.

To ensure nothing detracts from the overall composition,
Phantom’s metal speaker grilles are replaced by small openings milled
directly into the wood. The expansive panel is then stained to ensure
absolute colour uniformity.

LASER-ETCHED ELEMENTS

The design motifs, which include maps, landscapes,
flowers and trees, are etched onto the wood at three different depths
using a laser, each line of light and shadow carrying echoes of
Phantom’s century of stories. Areas more deeply-etched into the wood
appear to be darker, providing a contrast to the more reflective
surface of the unetched veneer. This produces subtle shifts in colour
and light, adding a sense of movement and texture beyond the linework.

REFINED DETAILS: 3D INK LAYERING

In contrast to the recessed, etched motifs, the
marque’s artisans developed a 3D ink layering technology to add fine
textures and intricate patterns directly onto the surface of the wood,
building Phantom’s narrative in gradual strokes. Built from individual
layers, these embellishments achieve an extraordinary level of
precision and clarity.

SCULPTURAL ELEGANCE: 3D MARQUETRY

To add further texture to the artwork, the designer
employed 3D marquetry. This introduces raised motifs, embellished with
engraving and 3D ink layering, on top of the main wood surface,
allowing Phantom’s history to rise in new dimensions and be felt as
much as seen. This three-dimensional approach adds depth, detail, and
a sense of tactile intrigue, inviting occupants to explore the motor
car’s surfaces and textures with their hands.

PRECIOUS METALWORK: THE ART OF GOLD LEAFING

This unique woodwork introduces another Rolls-Royce
first: gilding, also known as gold leafing, transforming Phantom’s
most significant journeys into luminous threads of history. Drawing on
centuries-old cabinet-making traditions, this process was adapted and
perfected by Rolls-Royce to meet the marque’s extreme temperature and
humidity testing parameters. Five artisans from the Interior Surface
Centre undertook a specialist course at West Dean College, a
celebrated centre of craftsmanship in West Sussex, to master the technique.

Once the wood sections were completed, artisans used 24-carat
gold leaves to depict roads on the map section – each one a gold
thread in Phantom’s story. Squares of gold leaf, typically just 0.1
micrometres (or 100 nanometres) thick, are hand-laid then sealed with
a protective coating that achieves a hard-wearing, high-gloss finish.
The ‘road’ is precision-cut and inlaid within the marquetry composition.

In its complexity, precision and visual effect, this remarkable
wood treatment represents a completely new form of wood sculpting and
a significant evolution in contemporary craft. It is only fitting that
these exquisite innovations will first debut on a Private Collection
celebrating Phantom, the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce.