Rolls-Royce Phantom Brochure - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Raleigh

Design and engineeringRolls-Royce DNAThroughout the long lineage of Rolls-Royce motor cars, severaldefining features and design principles have become part ofthe DNA of the marque. Quintessential to every car is thetriumvirate of the radiator grille, the interlinked ‘RR’ logo andthe iconic Spirit of Ecstasy.Early grilles were the handiwork of skilled craftsmen whowould spend an entire day making each one. Today the grillesare still handmade by Italian artisans and are pressed from asingle piece of stainless steel.The grille on Phantom and Phantom Extended Wheelbaseis a more traditional interpretation of the ‘Pantheon’ shape,while on Phantom Coupé and Phantom Drophead Coupé it isslightly smaller and angled back to give the cars a gentler profile.Ghost and Ghost Extended Wheelbase feature the currentevolution of the iconic grille, as Director of Design Giles Taylorexplains, ‘We wanted it to be less reminiscent of the traditional‘Pantheon’ style and more like a jet intake.’Even when the grille is not in view, there are other designelements that immediately mark out a Rolls-Royce as being aRolls-Royce: the 2:1 ratio of the height of the wheels to theheight of the body; the long wheelbase and bonnet; the shortoverhang at the front and the long overhang at the rear. Thelong and graceful ‘waftability’ line is another design cue that isunique to Rolls-Royce. Running along the rear sill to the front ofthe car it gives the impression the car is moving even when it isat rest.Notable signature features include the rear-hinged coachdoors, which together with the virtually flat floor and large dooropenings allow passengers in the rear to enter and exit the cargracefully and unobserved. And the self-righting wheel hubcentres that ensure the interlinked ‘RR’ logo remains upright atall times.Inside every car the authority driving position provides anelevated view of the road ahead and a generous view of theseemingly endless bonnet. The dashboard is deliberately simpleand uncluttered, giving effortless access to the key controls,which are positioned intuitively in front of the driver. The classicRolls-Royce controls, which include organ stops, violin keys,eyeball vents and elegant dials, provide an aesthetically pleasingalternative to digital read outs and buttons.114 115