As the Rolls-Royce Ghost nears the end of its 10-year tenure, the carmaker has prepared an exclusive collection as a fitting farewell to the model line. This is a very rare occasion – once in 10 years at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars – that gives collectors of luxury the chance to obtain an item that is truly at its apex.
Highest levels of Bespoke
Known as the Ghost Zenith Collection, there will be just 50 Zeniths that celebrate the timeless elegance of a nameplate which has become the cornerstone of contemporary Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. In true keeping with its name, the Ghost Zenith Collection will feature the highest levels of Bespoke ever seen on a Ghost Collection car.
The only previous occasion when collectors around the world were afforded this privilege was in 2016 when an equally limited number of Phantom VII Zeniths celebrated the end of its extraordinarily long and successful reign. The cars immediately became highly collectable and sought after, re-setting the bar of luxury and, in doing so, creating a modern legend.
Model with a rich and extraordinary past
The Ghost is a luxury icon that carries with it a rich and extraordinary past. From the Silver Ghost, the car that established the moniker of ‘The Best Car in the World’ over 100 years ago, to the 200EX (pictured below), the experimental car that introduced the concept of a contemporary expression of this nameplate at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009, this model has offered patrons of the marque a modern, lithe and driver-focused Rolls-Royce.
When the Ghost went on sale in 2009, its elegant lines and dynamic offering quickly made it the most successful Rolls-Royce car ever to be built. Notably, it attracted a new group of young entrepreneurs to the marque. Indeed, the reduction in average age of a Rolls-Royce customer to around 43 is in part testament to Ghost’s global success.
“The Ghost Zenith Collection presents an entirely forward-looking study of the unique characteristics that have seen Ghost ascend to the status of the most progressive super-luxury saloon ever conceived. This unique Collection provides customers with a rare opportunity to own a car truly evocative of our time. Ghost is the most successful Rolls-Royce ever created and the Zenith Collection marks an important milestone in our modern history,” commented Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
References from the 200EX
The Ghost Zenith Collection draws many references from the 200EX (pictured above), with perhaps the most significant being the inclusion of a commemorative ingot. This came from the original 200EX Spirit of Ecstasy, melted down and set into the centre console of each of the 50 Zeniths. Engraved with the three key design lines of Ghost, the plaque details its significant origins. The Collection’s own Spirit of Ecstasy and clock are engraved with the name of this highly anticipated collection.
Furthermore, 200EX is immortalized in a complex engraving on the centre console of Ghost Zenith. A blueprint inspired artwork enlarged to a point of abstraction has been divided into 50 distinct parts, allowing each Ghost Zenith customer their own personal and individual work of art while, at the same time, uniting the collection as a group homage to Ghost.
An interesting feature is the interior of the Collection’s doors, owing to the illuminated door pockets. Ambient light emits through perforated leather enhancing the architectural elegance of Ghost’s interior. One will also encounter a complex piece of marquetry, created by the master craftsmen and women in the marque’s legendary woodshop. Available in either wood, Technical fibre or piano finished veneer, the door marquetry transitions from the driver’s suite to passenger suite, emphasizing the dual nature to Ghost.
Details inspired by original 1907 model
The rear seats feature embroidery that takes its inspiration from the seat details of the original 1907 Silver Ghost. This embroidery elegantly transitions from the rear to the front of the cabin and, in the case of the Extended Wheelbase Zenith, the headliner thrusts purposefully forward into the poised silhouette of the Spirit of Ecstasy. The seats themselves are accentuated in a contrasting leather, accenting Ghost as the ultimate 4-seat limousine.
Occupants of the Ghost Zenith Standard Wheelbase will experience an extraordinary phenomenon. The famed starlight headliner is presented in a unique Shooting Star configuration. Shooting stars fire at random across the cabin roof, adding an extraordinary sense of theatre. This surprise and delight feature consists of over 1,340 individually mapped and hand-woven fibreoptic lights.
Reminiscent of its Phantom counterpart, The Ghost Zenith Collection’s exterior styling takes on a new interpretation of its own: a special two-tone application with a gloss-contrast paint finish. Customers may select three different colour-ways – Iguazu Blue with Andalusian White, Premiere Silver with Arctic White or a daring Bohemian Red with Black Diamond, with multiple variants available highlighting the flexibility of the model. The Silver Satin bonnet was first seen on 200EX.
