Rolls-Royce Cullinan Cosmos is the First Rolls-Royce in History to have a Hand-Painted Inner Roof

We’re always up for some automotive indulgence, but the good folks at Goodwood know just how to pull out a surprise from the hat. Like the news dispatch we received today, of the Cullinan Cosmos, only one of which has been commissioned. This also happens to be the first Rolls-Royce in history to have an inner roof that’s entirely hand-painted.

The headliner (inner, fabric-covered roof) took over 160 hours to be completed, and this task was carried out by one of Rolls-Royce’s resident artists. This car was commissioned by a family fascinated by astronomy and space and ordered through the carmaker’s Dubai office. 

How was the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Cosmos Handcrafted?

Handcrafted is the keyword here. As soon as you step into the cabin of the Cullinan Cosmos, it feels like you are floating in outer space, thanks to its visual and tactile design. The custom Rolls-Royce colours used inside are Charles Blue and Grace White leather, complemented by glossy Piano White veneers that allude to the shiny surfaces of space satellites. There is a Star Cluster leitmotif that runs through the car, and is entirely bespoke, seen on door panels and headrests.

But the pièce de résistance is, of course, is the headliner used as a canvas for a handprinted work of art. Passengers looking up can see the Milky Way, replete with constellations and misty accents. The artist worked with acrylic paints and a multitude of brushes to add texture and depth to the artwork. He then used a special brush to finish the overall piece with a field of twinkling stars. Once the entire painting was completed, the craftsmen perforated it by hand to add the fibre optics to add the light effect. The mist was created by delicately applying paint with a makeup brush.

The outside of the car is in Arabescato Pearl, as a reference to the moonlight. The Charles Blue that you find inside the cabin is mirrored on the outside as a twin coach line.  This project, as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ Head of Bespoke, Phil Fabre de la Grange describes it, “explores new frontiers with our first ever hand-painted Starlight Headline.”

If there is one manufacturer that somehow manages to realise the most outlandish extravagances of its customers, while consistently promoting the art of handmade and the culture of bespoke, it has got to be Rolls-Royce.