Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents four magnificent Year of the Dragon bespoke commissions to mark the Lunar New Year, which begins on 10 February 2024. Designed and hand-crafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, these rare and beautiful editions – three Phantom Extended models and one Cullinan – are a celebration of Chinese culture through bespoke artistry.

Just as Chinese culture transcends national boundaries, the destinations for these highly bespoke motor cars span the world. The commissions draw inspiration from the dragon, an enduring and international symbol of power, success and prosperity.

For the Year of the Dragon bespoke commissions, the Rolls‑Royce Bespoke Collective created a modern, minimalistic expression of the dragon never previously seen in a Rolls-Royce, while remaining faithful and respectful to the original form.

Three of the commissions include fascia panels adorned with highly contemporary artworks reinterpreting the dragon form. Individually hand-painted by one dedicated Rolls-Royce artist, each is a distinctive exploration of the colour red, which represents prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture. Each of the three artworks is the result of over two weeks of detailed work.

The Dragon Emerges

The dragon motif also extends discreetly throughout the motor car’s interior. It is elegantly depicted in Phoenix Red stitching on the headrests of each of the four seats, providing a bold contrast with the seat leather, which is presented in either Black or White.

In three of the commissions, the rear Piano Black picnic tables incorporate a minimalist representation of the circular Chinese zodiac calendar in inlaid stainless steel. The names of the animals representing each year are inscribed in traditional Chinese calligraphy, with the dragon highlighted in gold: the central dragon motif is also depicted in gold. For the fourth motor car, a bespoke artwork featuring the dragon is inlaid in the Piano Black veneer in stainless steel.

The most dramatic expression of the mythical creature is the Bespoke Starlight Headliner, specially created for these commissions and the result of three months’ design and development work. Above the driver and passenger seats, 677 individually placed fibre-optic ‘stars’ form an abstract dragon motif, surrounded by a further 667 lights.

Artistic Expression

Each Phantom Extended commission is completed with a Gallery artwork, carefully protected behind an application of pure glass that runs uninterrupted across the fascia. Crafted from carbon fibre, it evokes dynamism and motion, complementing the dragon artwork. The interior is completed with bespoke lambswool carpets, perfectly colour-matched to the leather trim.

Rolls-Royce designers created unique colour ways for the different models: a duotone Cherry Red with Crystal finish over Selby Grey with a Crystal finish for the Cullinan; and a two-tone Silver and Cherry Red or monolithic Black with a Crystal finish for the Phantom Extended motor car commissions.

All four commissions feature a bespoke coachline, hand-painted in Phoenix Red, that subtly incorporates a dragon motif. Each dragon is orientated to face right, which symbolically represents the East – the direction of the rising sun.

(Images: Rolls-Royce)