Rolls-Royce Marks a Decade of Black Badge and Points to Roots that Stretch Back Nearly a Century

Rolls-Royce is marking ten years of Black Badge, the specification it openly calls “the transformative alter ego.” The anniversary is a celebration of a successful sub-series introduced back in 2016; it is also seen as the continuation of a Rolls-Royce icon that existed long before the name was formalized.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was established in 2003 as the principal subsidiary of BMW, following previous times under Rolls-Royce Limited and Rolls-Royce Motors, which were founded in 1906.

Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, states: “From the outset, Black Badge was created to welcome a new generation of clients into Rolls-Royce (…).” He adds, “Proof of its success is also evident beyond our own performance: Black Badge has established an aesthetic and experiential template that echoes throughout the luxury sector.”

In the process of digitizing its archives, the historians of the company discovered an archived Rolls, that seemingly foreshadows the aesthetic of the Black Badge by nearly a hundred years. Another 1928 Rolls-Royce 20 H.P. Brewster Brougham was ordered with a black Spirit of Ecstasy and a black radiator grille instead of polished chrome, which was associated with prestige.

The model was purchased by J.E. Aldred, a backer of Rolls-Royce of America, INC., and configured for use in New York. It reflected what the company describes as the “tastes of a new, cosmopolitan generation who expressed their success through bold, progressive design.” Aldred was also responsible for commissioning Montreal’s Art Deco Aldred Building.

Rolls-Royce also highlights a 1964 Phantom V. That same year, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, and John Lennon ordered a Phantom V specified as “black everywhere, inside and out, including all the brightwork normally finished in chromium or stainless steel.” The gloss black example, built by Mulliner Park Ward, featured black detailing throughout, with the Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon grille remaining exceptions. It included reflective Triplex Deeplight glass, black Bedford cord cloth, black nylon rugs, and seven pieces of black fitted luggage.

The company regards Phantom V as “the spiritual progenitor of Black Badge.” The official Black Badge though first appeared in 2016 with the Wraith and the Ghost at the Geneva Motor Show. The company also released the special Black Badge Dawn in 2017, and it released the Cullinan in 2019. And finally, the present Spectre is finishing the Black Badge series.

More than a decade since the initial release, the Black Badge is positioned by Rolls-Royce not as an innovation, but as an extension. The anniversary is not a new beginning but rather a step in a design history the company currently traces back to almost a century ago.

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Series – Photo Gallery