The very first iteration of the Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner was developed in 2006. Equipped with 800 stars, the innovation was in response to who requested a sift dispersed lighting environment in his Rolls-Royce Phantom due to a sensitivity to light. The Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers, and craftspeople worked relentlessly to develop this technology, extending it to the entire length of the roof and varying the intensity of light emitted by each star to reflect the night sky.
Each star is lit by a single strand of fiber optic cable, hand threaded and cut at a unique angle, and lit by up to six powerful compact light canons. The constellation of each Starlight Headliner can be unique to the owner representing an important point in the timeline of their personal story. The typical headliner takes nine hours to craft, but a personalized pattern needs its own template, which can take as long as a week to complete. Two Rolls-Royce craftspeople work in tandem with this extraordinary feature. It’s the perfect marriage of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary technology.
First, the leather is perforated with 1,400 to 1,600 holes, each carefully counted. Fiber optic threads, which are hand-trimmed at different angles to achieve a twinkling effect, are set into these holes by hand. The craftsperson then ensures that the fibers are perfectly seated on the visible leather surface.
The Starlight Headliner can take on any personalized aesthetic, depicting constellations exactly as they were on any day in modern history. The work of art can feature Bespoke colours, graphics, shooting stars, and even illuminated wood veneer. One owner requested that the lights be configured in the shape of his coat of arms, and another asked for the configuration to represent the Ursa Major and Minor constellations. While for another customer, the Rolls-Royce monogram was created to illuminate separately from the rest of the stars.
The Bespoke designers were once posed with the query: ‘Could all this be accomplished by a robot? Probably, but it’s not. Instead, Rolls-Royce hires detail-obsessed individuals from specialty areas, including textile and technology. The result is a different take on heavenly creationism that’s always unique and personal.”
While it began as a Bespoke feature, nearly every Rolls-Royce Motor Car today features a Starlight Headliner. A Bespoke signature that has become as important as the Rolls-Royce “RR” monogram or the “Pantheon Grill.’ It is available in all members of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars family.
