Photo: The Koa Phantom with koa wood and dove grey leather interior. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Pressclub
With a surplus of consumerism luxury commodities domineering the world, Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended commission epitomizes the concept of luxury.
Rolls-Royce design team’s partnership with clients elicits skilled craftsmanship, thus the creation of an intimate legacy. One such person who created a personal legacy featuring the rare Koa wood, from the collaboration was Jack Boyd Smith, a car fanatic.
After a three-year alliance with Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, which comprised engineers, designers, and operatives, Mr. Smith’s dream became a reality. The team saw the creation of a vintage motor car, an unparalleled car to add to his collection in the JBS collection museum.
Koa wood is a rare class of tree growing in Hawaii. The Rolls-Royce phantom consolidated the koa wood in the Koa Phantom, an inspiration from M. Smith and his wife’s love for the Koa wood. Mr. Smith had non-debatable designs, and he knew the master craftsmen would require more time to perfect them. The Koa tree is rare and hard to find resource because it grows in Hawaii only and is protected by the government.
The wait for a harvested Koa tree from a private farm owner took three years, and the wait was worth it. The sample portrayed a remarkable depth of making never seen before. Rolls-Royce Bespoke Woodshop made it their business to preserve the specimen.
Today, the Koa Phantom shines deep blue during the day but does not shine at night. Mr. Smith matched his Packard twelve coupe motor care with the color of the Koa Phantom. Creating a replica was not easy and was a process that involved the shipping of parts from other vintage cars. More than 40 test panels were tested until they got it right. The coach line and wheel center were painted the deep blue color of the phantom, and the drivers and passenger doors contain the initials of JBS Jr and LAS, respectively.
The coach doors have a tread plate that reads the piece was built for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The phantoms dashboard has a glass where clients can see the unique art and design of the Koa phantom. The wood at the center of the Koa Phantom is the centerpiece preserved to exhibit its natural beauty.
The koa wood has a grey leather finishing with midnight blue underlines and pipings. The starlight headliner has indigo 1420 fiber optic lighting. The headrest has the Rolls-Royce emblem with matching exterior finishes. The back compartment has a champagne refrigerator, carafe, and wine glasses, all of which have the clients' initials engraved on them.
The final touch in this commission is the Koa wood picnic pannier. The process of crafting the saddle leather and stainless steel took more than 500 hours to finalize. The unique phantom has a dove grey interior and saddle leather, while the exterior and interior pannier feature stainless steel. The pannier has handcrafted wine glasses and carafe made in Hungary, stainless silverware from England, and a 12 piece set from Britain.
