Phantom Drophead Waterspeed 1 of 35

2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Waterspeed

The Waterspeed edition features materials evocative of vintage speedboats, including brushed steel, hand-crafted wood inlays, and a special Maggiore Blue color in commemoration of the 1937 water speed record of 129.5 mph set by Sir Malcolm Campbell on Lake Maggiore on the Swiss-Italian border. Campbell's boat was powered by a Rolls-Royce R-Type engine. On 1 September 1937, Sir Malcolm Campbell established his legend. Taking the controls of his Bluebird K3 hydroplane boat, powered by a V12 Rolls-Royce R Engine, he set a world record of 126.33mph on Italy's Lake Maggiore. To celebrate this act of British heroism, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke team created Phantom Waterspeed Collection in 2014. A limited edition of 35 specially designed Phantom Drophead Coupé motor cars.
The exterior boasts a unique brushed steel deck and bonnet, while the bodywork is finished in Maggiore Blue: a unique colour inspired by the lake on which the 1937 world record was set. It takes a skilled craftsperson over 70 hours to shape this stunning feature, followed by 10 hours of hand-brushing to achieve the perfect finish.
The extraordinary depth of colour on the body comes from nine individual layers of the same Maggiore Blue. And to bring Campbell's bluebird motif back to life, it is incorporated into the door cap end and hand-painted coachline for the final touch
Step inside to find Windchill Grey leather upholstery with flashes of Maggiore Blue detailing. A colour palette that complements centrally bookmatched open-grain abachi wood veneers – the tactile finish takes 13 days to handcraft. A bespoke two-tone steering wheel and a unique clock adorning an infinity symbol mirror the designs of the original Bluebird K3 and K4.
Engravings of a bluebird in flight feature on the end capping of the armrests: each takes up to four hours to create from an individual billet of aluminium, polished and anodised for a lasting finish. And in celebration of Campbell's water speed records, the times, dates and speeds have been inscribed into the glove box lid as a permanent reminder.
Every detail of this dynamic car echoes its historic influence. Whether the roof is raised or lowered, the Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection lives up to its name: evoking the sensation of a boat effortlessly gliding across the water at speed.