On a recent visit to 'Head Office', Rolls-Royce Dubai brand manager Mohammed El-Arishy had dinner at the nearby Goodwood Hotel, where historic photographs on almost every wall of motorsport greats caught his eye.
"My customers are all fascinated by the connection between the home of Rolls-Royce and this iconic centre of British motoring heritage," he explained, "so I decided to create a car that would capture the unique atmosphere and history of the Goodwood motor circuit.
And with the help of the Rolls-Royce Bespoke division, that's exactly what he did. His one-of-a-kind Chicane Phantom Coupé incorporates design cues and materials that evoke Goodwood's rich motor sport history.
SPACE-AGE MATERIALS
The traditional interior wood-finish makes way for carbon fibre - the material used in modern racing machines - with the bonnet and windscreen surround finished in matte black, to continue the theme and complement the gunmetal body colour.
The wheels are also finished body colour; that was standard practice in the days of steels and polished hub-caps, but it's the first time it's been done on a modern Rolls-Royce with alloy rims.
HAND-CRAFTED DETAILS
Hand-crafted details everywhere refer to the car's historic motor racing theme, with chequered flag motif stitching on the seats, echoed by a matching coachline on the outside - and a metal plaque bearing the car's name and Goodwood's famous track layout discreetly mounted in the glove compartment.
This is not the first time a Rolls-Royce Bespoke customer has had an unusual inspiration; requests have included a body colour perfectly matched to a favourite eye shadow and wood-veneer trim cut from a tree on the customer's estate.
Bespoke design manager Gavin Hartley explained: "The customer leads the creative process, working with us to create a highly personal, one-off car. We take great satisfaction in turning these dreams into reality."
The Chicane Phantom Coupé remains unique; there are no plans to put this design into production, but Mr Hartley will build you one like it if you ask nicely. Cost? If you need to ask, you can’t afford it.