Rolls-Royce Bespoke: A Very Personal Journey 

Every Rolls-Royce that leaves the Goodwood factory has been commissioned in a manner that is as unique as its new custodian. It is appropriate then that “bespoke” is the marque’s favourite term. It should come as no surprise then that a client’s journey from enquiry to delivery can take as long as three years.

According to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Auckland’s Brand Manager, Ruwan Siriwardena, New Zealand’s buyers are generally cut from a self-made, entrepreneurial cloth. In the past eight years, the average age of owners has dropped from 67 to 43 years. Globally, it’s younger still; some figures citing the mid 30s.

Siriwardena says most customers who book an appointment to commission their new creation have already done a lot of homework using the online Rolls-Royce Motor Cars configurator.

“Our new owners have largely arrived at our Pantheon doors having made the decision that they are ready for a new car. Given the personal journey that they embark on, my role is to guide them through the virtually infinite combinations made possible by a specification list that can be broadly classified as standard, Commissioned Collection, Special Order and Bespoke,” Siriwardena says.

“The pricing element often takes a back step to the lead time. A Rolls-Royce motor car can be delivered in seven months but the average is closer to ten. A Phantom owner will be prepared to wait up to 18 months.”

All Rolls-Royce showrooms strive to have examples of the Phantom, Cullinan, Ghost and Spectre for prospective customers to view and engage with. But Siriwardena notes that the first Rolls-Royce Cullinan delivered to New Zealand was commissioned by the owner after they had viewed the press photography of that vehicle.

“It was quite the leap of faith to commission a motor car that was yet to be viewed in the metal,” he says.

For another Auckland couple, the arrival of their bespoke Rolls-Royce Cullinan took two years from initial inquiry until the commission was confirmed and the vehicle was delivered. The Cullinan is the most popular Rolls-Royce Motor Car to be commissioned by New Zealand owners, followed by the Spectre and the Phantom, while many Ghost customers will often seek a showroom car.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Auckland also has a range of Provenance models available for those owners who urgently need a vehicle or require the use of one while waiting for their new commission to arrive in the country.

Commencing the journey

For most clients, the journey to commission their new pride and joy begins in the comfort of The Atelier, a private studio within the showroom. The Atelier displays a wide selection of paint colours, leathers and veneers, as well as the latest issue of the Bespoke yearbook featuring the most unique bespoke commissions from the previous year. It allows prospective clients to appreciate the breadth and depth of personalisation available to them.

According to Siriwardena, there are more than 44,000 paint finishes on offer including the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars equivalent of a matte paint, which it calls an Iced finish. The globally feted option of the Shooting Star Headliner finds favour with more than 97 per cent of new owners in New Zealand. Alternatively, a Panoramic Glass Sunroof remains an option for Cullinan and Ghost prospects.

The process to create a commission is extremely convivial. Customers are invited to take a seat with a coffee or cold beverage while the Brand Manager fires up the configurator in The Atelier. This is no ordinary configurator; it is a digital mood board which allows new owners to see exactly how their new motor car will appear in the metal.

As an example, we created a unique Black Badge Spectre in Dark Emerald, with a bonnet finished in Ice Black. We also had the option of a two-tone livery, in either a traditional split or a Spectre-specific aero split. The Spirit of Ecstasy can be illuminated or finished in dark chrome (and up-lit), whilst the Illuminated Grille can now be ordered with a colour, as can the brake callipers and the wheel centres. Owners have three coachline options available to them for the Spectre, a fender, waft or shoulder coachline from the standard, Commissioned Collection and Special Order colours. We chose a timeless Silver.

For the interior we chose Grace White as our primary upholstery colour, with Special Order Pine Green as the secondary, a Shooting Star headliner and Spectre’s beguiling starlight doors. Leather detailing includes harmonious Grace White stitching that extends to the instrument panel’s inner stitch, and the interior’s piping and monogrammed headrests in Scivaro Grey. 

Further options may include a coloured signature key, privacy glass, bespoke audio, illuminated treadplates, contrast lambswool footmats, a polished stainless package and a VIN plaque that wouldn’t be out of place on the original Silver Ghost; the model that earned the title “Best Car in The World”. Prospective owners can also specify a champagne chest, luggage and coloured umbrellas to name a few of the myriad options.

The choice when commissioning a new Rolls-Royce Motor Car borders on bewildering. It’s therefore easy to appreciate why some owners take considerable time to perfect their new vehicle before confirming the order with the factory in Goodwood.