Rolls-Royce has handcrafted a stunning one-off Phantom and filled it with DRAGONS

From the outside, it’s as understated as a Phantom 8 gets. But inside, Rolls-Royce’s latest Bespoke project - the superbly named Phantom Dragon - is a gorgeous commemoration of Chinese culture. And dragons. Brilliant, terrifying dragons.

The theme is based on an ancient Chinese tale, but you can appreciate the vast expanse of Phantom Dragon’s dash featuring 297 individual pieces from four different wood species and a bespoke Rolls clock with a pearl, without knowing the full story.

Using the different tones of smoked eucalyptus, sycamore, ash and black bolivar, RR's craftsfolk have created rather special marquetry, depicting two dragons in swirling clouds around the centre clock, as though guarding it.

Dragons also happen in the starlight headliner (customised with over 1,300 fibre-optic lights) and in the embroidered red leather headrests, red being the luckiest colour, while the headrest stitching features the family name of the deep-pocketed customer.

Shuai Feng, lead designer, said: "Our goal for this project was to express China’s most revered symbols and the client’s personal iconography impactfully yet respectfully, while also subtly incorporating Rolls-Royce’s design handwriting."

That ancient Chinese tale? Legend has it two dragons that protected humans were rewarded with a pearl by the gods. Instead of either dragon selfishly claiming the pearl, they agreed to share it. Moved by their loyalty, kindness and generosity of spirit, the gods bestowed another pearl to give them one each, a lesson any parent will well understand.

Plus, it's no coincidence the Phantom 8 has been chosen. In Chinese culture, the figure of eight is the infinity symbol and also brings luck.

Not since Eddie Murphy voiced Mushu in Disney’s Mulan have we appreciated dragons so much.