Rolls-Royce has made a one-off, ‘Goldfinger’-inspired car with solid gold features
By Kathy Rose OBrien, CNN
London (CNN) — Rolls-Royce has created a one-of-a-kind car in honor of the 60th anniversary of the James Bond movie “Goldfinger,” with bespoke gadgets that would be the envy of Q.
Although Rolls-Royce cars have featured in a dozen James Bond films, the new Phantom Goldfinger is inspired by the 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville, which played a pivotal role in the 1964 Sean Connery film and remains “an enduring muse” to the brand, according to the luxury British car company.
For this new vehicle’s owner – and, spoiler alert, there is an owner already – it is gold-standard all the way. The project took three years to complete, said Rolls-Royce.
Unsurprisingly, this Bond-worthy car is full of bespoke gadgets – many of which are, obviously, gold.
There’s a gold golf club fitted to the lid of the trunk that references 007 and villain Auric Goldfinger’s first encounter on the golf course.
Meanwhile, picnic tables include a fictional map of Fort Knox bullion reserve in 22-karat gold inlay and there is a three-dimensional steel and gold gallery that incorporates a map of Switzerland’s Furka Pass, a key location in the movie.
These gleaming details play into the “if you know, you know” movie references that Nick Rhodes, bespoke designer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said he wanted to hide throughout the car like “Easter eggs.”
Bond buffs will know that in the movie in question, the titular villain’s Phantom car transports gold bullion concealed in the doors and inside its bodywork.
“We loved the idea of hidden gold, concealed in plain sight, and developed a variety of details that incorporate 18- and 24-karat gold,” Rhodes told CNN Wednesday.
“From a gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy figurine that appears to be shedding its silver surface layer, to a solid 18-karat gold bar shaped as Phantom in miniature, placed in a specially engineered vault in the central console.”
Although the client’s identity remains a mystery, they are a “car collector and James Bond enthusiast,” according to Georgina Cox, head of global product communications for Rolls-Royce.
The cars are hand built at Goodwood, southern England, and the client was given the honor of pushing the button that sent the vehicle off to be painted in the familiar two-tone yellow and black.
Fancy getting your hands on a similar bespoke car? While it certainly won’t be cheap, Rolls-Royce wouldn’t comment on exactly how much the project cost.
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