Custom Rolls-Royce Koa Phantom: A luxury car inspired by a rocking chair

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The collaboration between the client and the Rolls-Royce Bespoke design team stimulated a conjuncture of master craftsmanship and the best materials, which led to the creation of an incredibly personal legacy.

After three years of intensive collaboration with a team of designers, engineers and craftsmen, Mr. Smith's vision has been realized. The custom car reflects both his personality and his age-old love and passion for veterans. This unique piece will join the personal collection of more than 60 motor vehicles at The JBS Collection Museum.

"It is our honour to present Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. with his latest Rolls-Royce Phantom. This Bespoke creation joins a collection of truly notable and historic motor cars. The Koa Phantom demonstrates the extraordinary skill of the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective – a precious and rare example of a naturally sourced material, Koa Wood, is masterfully incorporated into Phantom’s contemporary interior. It took more than three years for this commission to come to life and we are delighted that it will take an important place in The JBS Collection of Jack Boyd Smith, Jnr.,"

said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

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Inspired by a rocking chair

This commission was inspired by a family rocking chair made of Koa wood - a rare type of tree wood that grows only in the Hawaiian Islands. The idea came from Mr. Smith and his wife Laura, who had spent a considerable amount of time in Maui, Hawaii, where they found a liking for this warm and characteristic wood. But the relationship with the Koa trees is actually deeply rooted in their family history. A Koa rocking chair has been part of their home for several generations.

Apart from the fact that the craftsmen had to learn to work with this type of wood, it wasn't easy to get it either. The Koa tree grows only in Hawaii in national parks and is carefully protected by local laws. This type of wood can therefore only be obtained from privately owned agricultural land and it is very difficult to find such a source due to the very specific growing conditions.

A Rolls-Royce wood specialist described the chance of getting one's hands on it as "one in a million." The Smiths waited patiently for their perfect veneer from the Koa tree for three long years. The craftsmen then took on this challenge and managed to retain the rich textural finish of the wood for the car with an extended wheelbase.

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The colour of the exterior looks back to the past

The exterior of the Koa Phantom glows dark blue during the day, but hides in the dark at night. The Packard Blue shade refers to a rare 1934 car from Mr. Smith's collection, the Packard Twelve Coupe. Recreating the exact shade to match the veteran's 80-year-old surface involved transporting some parts of the old car to Goodwood. After more than 40 test attempts, a perfect match was finally found. The elegant hand-painted lines in Dove Gray that lead along the sides of the dark blue car correspond to the colour on the details in the middle of the wheels. The driver's door is adorned with the personal initials JBS Jr., while the passenger door boasts the initials of Mrs. Smith LAS.

The car's ceiling, the so-called headliner, is decorated with 1,420 fibre optic lights that shine from dark blue leather upholstery. They show the constellations of the night sky over the city of Cleveland in Ohio, USA on the day of Mr. Smith's birth.

The devil's in the details

The car is further adorned with small details such as a handmade picnic basket, the wood of which is also made of Koa tree; the saddle leather and stainless steel have been processed during a process that takes more than 500 hours to complete. The leather upholstery of the seats and the interior of the car are finished in grey Dove leather, which perfectly matches the interior of the Phantom.

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The picnic basket also includes wine glasses and carafes from the Ajka Crystal factory in Hungary, which is world-famous for using traditional techniques. The stainless steel cutlery has been handmade in England. Wedgewood porcelain plates are the icing on the cake.

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