Rolls-Royce Phantom Hummingbird Unveiled With Abalone Shell Marquetry That Changes With Light

British luxury marque Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Phantom Hummingbird, a highly bespoke Phantom Extended commissioned as a personal tribute to a client’s wife and curated through the luxury automaker’s Private Office Dubai.

Brought to life through Private Office Dubai, the one-off commission takes inspiration from the hummingbird, chosen as a symbol of joy, resilience and the ability to appreciate beauty in every moment.

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The Phantom Hummingbird marks the first time the British luxury marque has incorporated abalone shell marquetry into a Rolls-Royce car. The naturally iridescent material produces blue-green tones that change when interacting with light, depicting the shimmering feathers of a hummingbird.

The delicate marquetry unfolds across two distinct compositions in the cabin, including on each of the rear Picnic Tables, featuring a detailed hummingbird motif made from 53 individual pieces of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl.

A second botanical composition, made from 84 pieces of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl, appears on the Phantom’s Rear Waterfall panel between the two rear seats. Creating the delicate marquetry took Rolls-Royce craftspeople more than nine months.

The exterior of the Phantom Hummingbird gets a two-tone finish, combining White Sands on the upper body with Wildberry on the lower body. It also receives a hand-painted White Sands Coachline featuring a hummingbird taking flight.

Despite its extraordinary bespoke treatment, the Phantom Hummingbird retains the base Phantom Extended’s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, allowing the chauffeur-driven limousine to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in roughly 5.1 to 5.4 seconds despite its substantial weight.

“Designed primarily for being chauffeured, the introduction of abalone shell into Rolls-Royce marquetry presented our designers and craftspeople with a fresh creative and technical challenge, resulting in an elegant tribute to the hummingbird’s mesmerising presence,” said Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

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