By: Emily Bunn
“A Luxury Commission of Patience”
In a sumptuous collaboration with car enthusiast Jack Boyd Smith Jr., Rolls Royce has created the first ever Bespoke Koa wood Rolls Royce Phantom. The one-of-a-kind vehicle was produced with naturally harvested Koa wood sourced from a rare private collection in Hawaii. This Bespoke Commission was inspired by the Smith’s family rocking chair, a center piece in their home, bringing a familiar warmth and comfort to the vehicle’s interior. The exterior hue color, a deep navy blue, was color-matched to Mr. Smith’s 1934 Packard Twelve Coup.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, spoke of this legendary commission in a Rolls Royce press release:
“It is our honor to present Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. with his latest Rolls-Royce Phantom commission. 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, Jr.”
One of the most notable features of the vehicle a glimmering Bespoke headliner, handcrafted with 1,420 fiber-optic lights on the navy-blue leather interior, created a star-spangled view of the night sky, any time of day. The constellations of lights depict the night sky on the date of Mrs. Smith’s birth, a heartwarming personal dedication that makes this vehicle even more unique. This commission took three years to complete, and has been called “the ultimate expression of Patience and Bespoke” by Rolls Royce. The Koa Phantom joins Mr. Smith’s collection as his fifth Rolls Royce. When asked by the company if his collection is complete, Mr. Smith replied in release statement:
“There is no finish line that I hit and say, okay I’m done. That’s not going to happen because I am going to buy another building and we’ll just continue going.”
