2014 Rolls-Royce
'Pinnacle Travel Phantom'
The 1920s through to the 1960s was the undisputed 'Golden Age' of cross-continental rail travel. Iconic routes such as the pan-European Orient Express remain the very pinnacle of luxury travel, romantic and alluring unlike any other mode of transport.
The Rolls-Royce 'Pinnacle Travel' Phantom, which I created during my time in the company's Bespoke Design studio, pays homage to that glorious era. It likens travelling long distances in the rear seat of a Phantom to the experience of a relaxing voyage on the Orient Express.
This is one of a handful of projects for which I drove the concept generation and design work...
The car was premiered at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show, at an exclusive and suitably Art Deco themed event in partnership with fashion designer Stephane Rolland.
The interior was the focus of the project, being central to the crafting a unique passenger experience. The exterior received a distinctive treatment to compliment the interior, in Madeira Red with a Silver Sand long-side two-tone, to emphasise the length the car.
A single coachline runs the length of the body-side, with a simple hand-painted motif inspired by the streamline trains of the 1930s.
The car was offered with two alternative colour schemes, one of which - Black Kirsch with Cornish White - was shown at the 2014 Singapore motor show.
The marquetry in the car - extensively displayed throughout the cabin - tells the story of a train rushing through a night-time landscape, with the light from the train's carriages catching the trees and hills as it goes. The train itself is a laser-cut stainless steel inlay, making it a bright and contemporary focal point in the scene.
The wood veneers include mahogany, tudor barrel oak, straight-grain walnut and ash burr. Tropical woods were avoided so as to keep the car completely authentic to the vintage European theme.
The rear compartment perfectly evokes the romance of a private railway compartment, with its partition screen, sheepskin carpets and Art Deco fabric scatter cushions - a first on a Bespoke Rolls-Royce.
The most eye-catching feature is the graphical link between the marquetry atop the door, and the embroidered panel beneath it.
The picnic table backs feature the similar artwork as the front passenger's fascia panel, where we view the train rushing by from a side perspective as smoke billows in its wake.
Below is a proposed (but sadly never realised) design for the picnic table tops, a map displaying the Orient Express route.
The clock design (below) was inspired by period European station clocks, in reference to the continental rail travel theme. The clock features a backlit dihedral-textured face, unique hands and 24-hour numerals.
Advertising art blossomed during the 20s and 30s, particularly travel advertising. The posters of time succinctly captured the fashions, attitudes and mood of the time.
To tune-in and channel the spirit of the era, I kicked off the design project by creating my own vintage poster (below), for the Orient Express.
All materials are property of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 2014
