Rolls-Royce’s Phantom ‘Hummingbird’ uses real abalone shell in one-off commission
Marks the first time that the material has been used in a car.
Rolls-Royce has turned to the natural world for its latest commission – a one-off based on the Phantom called ‘Hummingbird’.
While based on the brand’s flagship luxury saloon, this private commission – designed for a client in Dubai – marks the first time that Rolls-Royce has used abalone shell in the exterior design. Abalone shells are known for their natural iridescent finish, similar to mother-of-pearl.
Applied to depict the wings of a hummingbird, the abalone shell has been combined with mother-of-pearl to give the graphics a shimmering effect that reflects light when in the car is in motion.
Inside, each picnic table gets its own abalone hummingbird crafted from 53 individual pieces of shell and mother-of-pearl. Some 18 pieces are used in the wings alone.
There’s also a ‘botanical motif’ on the rear panel between the back seats, and it’s here that 84 pieces of shell have been used. In total, the composition of these designs took over nine months with Rolls-Royce’s technicians learning how to use the brittle shell to create the motifs.
Each piece of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl has been laser-cut before being hand-filed to a precise shape. Every edge is blended together with the next piece to ensure a smooth, seamless finish. In total, the picnic table and rear panel designs took 45 hours to complete.
Elsewhere, there are high-end materials used with silver birch on the picnic tables and creme leather being combined with moccasin and tan-coloured detailing.
Rolls-Royce hasn’t disclosed a price for the Hummingbird, but it’s likely to be significantly higher than the £450,000 starting price for a standard Phantom.