Rolls-Royce: Dazzling Showcase
Rolls-Royce celebrated the total solar eclipse with a stunning and rare display of its acclaimed Private Collection.
The total solar eclipse, which traversed North America on April 8th, was an awe-inspiring event for millions. In our somewhat fractured times, it was a unifying event that reminded us that we all occupy “Spaceship Earth” and we need to celebrate that now and then.
Joining in the eclipse celebration was the famed automotive company Rolls-Royce, with a special version of the company’s Ghost motor cars. From the Rolls-Royce Private Office comes its Private Collection’s Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis, which was showcased at an exclusive total eclipse viewing in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., and welcomed hundreds of thousands of people to the Niagara Region as one of the best places to view the eclipse on the continent.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presented the Rolls- Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis, designed by the automaker’s Bespoke Design team in Goodwood, England, and inspired by the dramatic solar eclipse, with colours exploring the captivating interplay of light and darkness. It was a rare event for Rolls-Royce — only 25 Ghost Ékleipses have been commissioned, and just five of those have gone to clients in North America.
“The creative concept for Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis is drawn from the impressive natural show of a total solar eclipse, a unique occasion in nature, which underpins the rarity and visual impact of a Rolls-Royce Private Collection,” says Martin Fritsches, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, North America. “Our Bespoke collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople in Goodwood have captured the magic of this celestial alignment in a truly stunning Rolls-Royce interpretation. Our event at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., celebrates this magnificent phenomenon.”
The light and dark elements of the natural eclipse were reflected in the design of the Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis. When the driver gets into the car and starts the engine, the vehicle’s Starlight Header displays a gleaming circle of fibre-optic lights, representing the totality of a solar eclipse. The mysterious, almost-ethereal light cast by the eclipse is captured in the copper exterior colour of this motor car, and the illuminated fascia of the Ghost Ékleipsis is adorned with 1,846 laser-etched stars in a tribute to the timeline of a total eclipse, and has been further embellished with a celestial timepiece that incorporates a brilliant-cut 0.5-carat diamond, an homage to the “Diamond Ring” effect of the Sun in the split-second when the Moon begins to move away from it.
The total solar eclipse was a stunning showcase of the power and beauty of the universe we all live in. Closer to home, the Rolls-Royce Private Office was a reminder that we can create some power and beauty here on the ground as well. Also, in January 2024, the luxury carmaker unveiled a new member of its family, with its first all-electric vehicle, the Spectre Super Coupé.
