Inside Rolls-Royce goes live with public exhibition in London 29.10.2014: A series of free live exhibitions called ‘Inside Rolls-Royce’ presented by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

    A series of free live exhibitions called ‘Inside Rolls-Royce’ presented by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

    First exhibition runs from 13 November until 16 November at Saatchi Gallery, London



Following the hugely positive reaction to this year’s Channel 4 television documentary about the brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has decided to engage directly with fans new and old in a series of free live exhibitions called ‘Inside Rolls-Royce’ presented by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.


Appropriately for this most popular of great British brands, the first of these exhibitions will open in London on Thursday 13 November at Saatchi Gallery on London’s King’s Road and will remain open for just four days. It will then go on tour visiting major cities around the world throughout 2015.


‘Inside Rolls-Royce’ will treat guests to an unexpected multi-sensory journey through the marque’s world-renowned engineering, design and craftsmanship, providing new levels of insight into the remarkable lengths required to create the world’s pinnacle super-luxury motor car.


“The huge response to the Channel 4 documentary reminded us of the love people from all walks of life have for this standard-bearer of British excellence, and bears testament to the successful renaissance of Rolls-Royce over the last 11 years,” commented Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.


 “It is only right that we give those people who support us free access to this great brand, and that this journey around the world begins in London, this most international of cities and the spiritual home of Rolls-Royce.”


Combining the latest technologies and design, ‘Inside Rolls-Royce’ delivers an engaging, interactive experience. Exhibits will be brought to life on visitors’ smartphones and tablets using the latest iBeacon technology. Loan devices will also be available so that nobody misses out. Guests will enjoy a taste of the enormous scope for personalisation afforded to every Rolls-Royce customer through the marque’s pinnacle Bespoke programme.


Each of the nine rooms at Saatchi Gallery will focus on one key aspect in the creation of a Rolls-Royce motor car. The first room brings Rolls-Royce’s palette of 44,000 paint colours to life through an innovative digital display. Visitors can select an item of their choice, place it onto the colour activation table and marvel as the room changes hue to match. They can then step into one of two paint pods each telling the story of the way Rolls-Royce creates paint.


Moving into the second room, visitors will see a breathtaking flying sculpture evoking a hallmark Rolls-Royce feature: the in-door umbrella. Eight individually bespoke umbrellas fly the length of the room, furling themselves by stages, until the last one slots neatly into the door of a Rolls-Royce Ghost.


The next room is inspired by Rolls-Royce Wraith’s starring role in Forza Motorsport 5, released earlier this year. Guests will receive the unique opportunity to configure their dream Wraith, then race against friends or compete for the best lap time. A selection of the highly advanced technology stories behind the Rolls-Royce driving experience are also revealed on touch screens.


Of course, no experience of Rolls-Royce would be the same without the personal touch of the people who bring each Rolls-Royce into existence. Expert craftspeople from the Home of Rolls‑Royce in Goodwood will demonstrate and explain their very particular and highly sought-after skills over the course of the exhibition.


The iconic Spirit of Ecstasy is next to take centre stage – and in a very personal manner. Every visitor will enjoy the opportunity to ‘Be The Spirit’ and briefly transform themselves into the iconic statuette that adorns every Rolls-Royce motor car. A video wall captures and emulates the movements of each guest through a beautiful and luxurious light particle animation.


Descending from this ethereal moment, the next experience celebrates the sheer beauty of the natural wood from all over the world that adorns the interior of a Rolls-Royce. Visitors are encouraged to feel the extraordinary walnut burls, each weighing more than 100kg, which will dominate the next room of the Gallery.


These illustrate the highly skilled craftsmanship and various stages of a process that demonstrates the most exceptional use of natural wood in the world. Visitors also have the chance to engage with an intriguing multi-sensory screen that allows them to create their own unique patterns and comprehend the wonder of ‘book-matching’.


In the final room, a hidebound sculpture will deliver a new perspective on the other key ingredient of a Rolls-Royce interior: leather of unequalled quality. This life-size leather-clad speed-form demonstrates some of the skills involved in creating a beautiful interior as well as challenging the visitor to find the sweet spot from where the sculpture reveals its true form as a Rolls-Royce Wraith.


The pièce de la résistance, of course, comes in the shape of the end result, where visitors will get the chance to get up-close and personal with the world’s finest motor car.



Emma Rickett, photo Rolls Royce