ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS A CENTURY OF PHANTOM WITH ULTRA-LIMITED PRIVATE COLLECTION

Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Phantom Centenary Private Collection, a landmark series of just 25 motor cars honouring the 100th anniversary of its most storied model.

Described as the marque’s most complex and technologically ambitious creation to date, the Centenary Collection is a statement of craftsmanship, symbolism and legacy, three years in the making.

Each Phantom Centenary tells the story of the nameplate’s century-long reign as the pinnacle of luxury motoring.

Every surface, from its embroidered headliner to its gold-detailed engine cover, reflects an element of Rolls-Royce’s history.

The Bespoke Collective of designers and artisans distilled the Phantom’s heritage into 77 motifs that appear throughout the car, created using groundbreaking techniques such as 3D marquetry, ink layering, laser-etched leather and 24-carat gold leafing.

Chief Executive Chris Brownridge called the Centenary Collection “a tribute to 100 years of the world’s most revered luxury item,” describing it as “a motor car which reaffirms Phantom’s status as a symbol of ambition, artistic possibility, and historical gravitas.”

Inside, the rear seats feature more than 160,000 stitches across 45 panels of high-resolution printed and embroidered fabric inspired by historic Phantoms, developed in partnership with a fashion atelier.

The front seats are laser-etched with hand-drawn sketches that reference key design codenames, while the Anthology Gallery installation – 50 brushed aluminium fins engraved with a century of quotes – forms a centrepiece that reads like a living archive.

The exterior pairs Super Champagne Crystal paint with Arctic White and Black tones, finished with iridescent glass particles. Each car is crowned with a solid 18-carat gold Spirit of Ecstasy, enamelled and hallmarked with a bespoke “Phantom Centenary” mark. Even the famed RR badges have been plated in 24-carat gold and white enamel for the first time.

Bespoke woodwork depicts the Phantom’s most defining journeys, from Sir Henry Royce’s homes in France and England to the 4,500-mile expedition of the first Goodwood-era Phantom across Australia. Roads and landscapes are etched in gold, and interior embroidery continues these lines in gleaming thread.

The Starlight Headliner, with 440,000 stitches, portrays the mulberry tree under which Royce once worked, complete with bees from the marque’s Goodwood apiary and constellations referencing legendary Phantoms such as Sir Malcolm Campbell’s ‘Bluebird’.

Limited to 25 cars worldwide, the Phantom Centenary Private Collection stands as both an homage to Rolls-Royce’s past and a promise of its future, a modern-day heirloom crafted to be read, driven and remembered over generations.

Abercrombie & Kent says demand for Egypt is rising sharply across its key markets, with the destination now ranking among the company’s top performing regions for 2026.

The luxury travel group reports strong year-on-year growth across the UK, US and Australia, spanning private journeys, small group itineraries and high-end celebration travel.

Some Egypt itineraries in the US market have more than doubled compared with last year, while forward bookings already extend into 2027.

Industry observers point to a renewed confidence in Egypt as a destination, underpinned by significant cultural investment and a growing appetite for deeper, more personalised travel experiences.

One of the main catalysts has been the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, located beside the Giza Plateau.

The museum, the largest in the world dedicated to a single civilisation, brings together the full collection of Tutankhamun’s treasures for the first time and has reignited interest in Cairo as a standalone cultural destination rather than a gateway stop.

Abercrombie & Kent’s Senior Vice President, Egypt, Amr Badr, said: “The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum has been transformative – we’ve seen a significant surge in enquiries since November, and the calibre of traveller is remarkable.

“These are culturally curious guests seeking genuine immersion rather than surface-level touring.

“They’re booking private after-hours access to the museum, arranging consultations with Egyptologists, and approaching Egypt with the same intentionality they’d bring to any major cultural pilgrimage.

“Egypt has always been extraordinary, but 2026 feels like a renaissance moment – the perfect convergence of world-class infrastructure and a new generation discovering why this civilisation has captivated humanity for millennia.”

According to Abercrombie & Kent, British travellers are increasingly pairing museum-led experiences in Cairo with classic Nile journeys, while demand is also rising for private dahabiya charters and bespoke river itineraries.

In Australia, repeat high-spend travellers are returning to Egypt for milestone celebrations, often opting for private touring and exclusive access experiences.

The company is responding with further long-term investment along the Nile. Later this year it will launch Nile Seray, a new luxury riverboat that will feature in a private journey debuting in 2026.

A second vessel has already been commissioned, signalling confidence in sustained demand for high-end river travel in the region.

Egypt occupies a central place in the company’s history. Founder Geoffrey Kent first introduced Nile cruising to the brand in the late 1970s with the SS Memnon, laying the foundations for what has since become one of its most enduring destinations.

Nile Seray is now accepting reservations for departures from October 2026, with four-night voyages priced from USD $3,125 per person.

ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS A CENTURY OF PHANTOM WITH ULTRA-LIMITED PRIVATE COLLECTION

Only 25 of the most intricate Rolls-Royce Phantoms ever made will celebrate the nameplate’s 100-year legacy.

A resurgence in high-end travel to Egypt is being driven by museum openings, private river journeys and renewed long-term investment along the Nile.