This Rolls-Royce Phantom was inspired by a rocking chair

Given the opportunity to have literally billions of dollars, most of us on these pages would probably commission some sort of one-of-a-kind dream car. 

American Jack Boyd Smith – owner of the JBS Collection of classic cars – is in that fortunate position and has done exactly that, with a little bit of help from Rolls-Royce. And a rocking chair…

Yep, in the images above you can see Smith’s bespoke extended wheelbase Phantom, and the Koa Wood chair that inspired his commission. Now, Rolls tells us that Koa is a rare species of tree that only grows on Hawaiian soil. Learn something new every day here, don’t you?

Koa is protected in Hawaiian State and National parks, though, and can only be harvested from private land. Thus, the statement in the Rolls-Royce press release reads…

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith patiently waited for three years for their perfect veneer, as the Rolls-Royce Wood Specialist negotiated with a supplier for a highly prized log from his own, personal collection.”

If you can negotiate the phrase 'prized log', then its wood has been used throughout the Phantom’s interior – most notably right across the dash and on the ‘Gallery’ fascia. It’s combined with Dove Grey leather and navy-blue highlights, and the signature Starlight headliner uses 1,420 fibre-optic lights to display the constellation of the night sky above Cleveland, Ohio, on the day Smith was born. Once again, if you could, you would. 

On the outside, the paint is matched to that of a 1934 Packard Twelve Coupe that belongs to Smith, and there’s a grey coachline as well as the initials of Smith and his wife Laura on either front door. 

Oh, and let’s not forget the champagne fridge in the back, the engraved pair of crystal champagne flutes and decanter, or the hand-crafted Koa Wood picnic hamper in the boot. Apparently the hamper alone took over 500 hours to complete. Crikey.

Thoughts, folks?