Inside a Billionaire's Bespoke Rolls-Royce
Japanese entrepreneur, space adventurer and supercar enthusiast Yusaku Maezawa designed his perfect car.
Yusaka Maezawa has been making recent headlines in relation to his upcoming journey to fly around the Moon aboard Elon Musks' SpaceX Big Falcon Rocket. Scheduled to lift off in 2023, the Japanese billionaire is in the process of recruiting eight members of the public to join him on the first circumlunar flight.
But while he waits for the historic flight, his sights are set on a somewhat more earthly, yet no less exciting, vehicle. One look at his Instagram (@yusaka2020) will show you Maezawa is no ordinary supercar enthuthiast. He owns a Bugatti Chiron—likely one of the only ones in Japan, and a Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet, the ultra-luxurious convertible version of the G500 4x4² that was limited to just 99 vehicles.
He has a Mercedes AMG-One, an Aston Martin One-77, and an Aston Martin Valkyrie. His custom Pagani Zonda called the Zonda Zozo (named after the fashion retail company he founded, Zozo), was extensively damaged in a crash in 2016 but seems to have been rebuilt. As of January 2020 Maezawa is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of US$2 billion and is the 22nd richest person in Japan.
Now, he has a new supercar for his stable, a custom-built Rolls-Royce, called the Phantom Oribe. According to the British luxury car marque, Maezawa "envisioned the car as a 'land jet'" and it "reflects his personality and passions." Maezawa was hands-on during the design process, and requested that the car's striking two-tone exterior matched the characteristic green and cream glazes of antique Japanese Oribe ware, of which he is a prominent collector.
The upper part is finished in Oribe Green, a bespoke colour created exclusively for Maezawa; and in an unusual move, Rolls-Royce has made the paint available for use on Maezawa's private jet which the Phantom will be paired with.
Developed over many months by specialists in the Surface Finish Centre at Goodwood, it perfectly captures the lustrous, deep-green glaze that characterises these 16th century ceramics. The effect is completed by the cream-white lower section.
The car was made in collaboration with Hermès, the luxury fashion brand, using materials, techniques and know-how from both houses and handcrafted between Goodwood, West Sussex, and Hermès in Paris.
The interior is finished predominantly in Hermès Enea Green leather, extending to details that include the immediate touch-points of the client; for example, the steering wheel, duchess handles, gear selector and the rotary controls for the motor car’s climate settings.
The Hermès leather flows around the upper instrument panel, interior pillars and parcel shelf. It is on hidden surfaces including the glove compartment and luggage compartment lining, centre console, decanter stowage compartment and Champagne cooler. The glove compartment lid is embossed with the signature Habillé par Hermès Paris.
Delicate Hermès piping adorns the headrest cushions and calf supports of the rear seats, while soft Seashell White accents complement the matching lambswool floor mats.
Wooden speaker frets are formed by perforating the Open Pore Royal Walnut veneer applied to the doors, creating a seamless aesthetic and delicate haptics. Open Pore Royal Walnut is additionally applied to the centre and rear consoles and picnic table backs; the interior features Hermès ‘Toile H’ canvas on the door armrests, centre and rear consoles and the signature headliner.
Hermès with its equestrian heritage uses stitching and edge-painting techniques originally employed by master saddlers. For Phantom’s Gallery that runs the length of the motor car’s fascia, Hermès commissioned an artwork based on a design by the celebrated French artist and illustrator Pierre Péron (1905–1988) who created many of the House's iconic scarves. The work, inspired by the famous Hermès horse motif, is hand-painted on Open Pore Royal Walnut and is presented as though staged in an art gallery, behind glass.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officerof Rolls-Royce said it represents "a pinnacle product" and "a landmark" for Rolls-Royce Motos Cars. “It has been an extraordinary privilege to unite on such a creatively challenging, technically demanding commission and bring our client’s remarkable vision so beautifully to life," he added.
