Rolls-Royce has completed Phantom Hummingbird, a one-off commissioned by a client as a tribute to his wife. The project, coordinated through Private Office Dubai, uses abalone-shell marquetry in a car from the brand for the first time, according to Auto Express.
The decorative theme is the hummingbird, but the material chosen to render its plumage comes from the marine environment. Abalone shell, from a marine gastropod, has a nacreous inner surface that produces blue and green reflections depending on the light.
Photo: Rolls-Royce, via Auto Express.
Each bird is made of 53 fragments
The folding tables in the rear compartment carry hummingbird motifs. Each is composed of 53 pieces of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl, 18 of which form the wings.
A third panel, placed between the rear seats and called the “Rear Waterfall” by Rolls-Royce, has a plant motif made from 84 pieces. The three compositions are mounted on ash veneer with an irregular grain pattern.
Photo: Rolls-Royce, via Auto Express.
Nine months to develop the project
The fragility of the shell required a working method different from that used for ordinary wood inlays. Each fragment was laser-cut 0.06 mm larger than the final size, then adjusted by hand before fitting.
Development of the whole project took nine months. Birch wood from a single log is also used in the cabin, selected so the grain pattern complements the decorative compositions.
Photo: Rolls-Royce, via Auto Express.
Dedicated colours inside and out
The seats are trimmed in Creme Light leather, with Moccasin and Tan accents, and the carpets are in Seashell. The Starlight Headliner completes the cabin with light points that imitate the night sky.
For the body, Wildberry and White Sands colours are mentioned. The fine coachline, drawn in White Sands, also includes a painted hummingbird, picking up the theme of the interior inlays.
Hummingbird is an individual commission, not a limited series offered with an announced number of examples. The price paid by the client has not been made public, and the presentation concentrates on the materials and personalisation techniques, without announcing powertrain changes.
