- First-ever Bespoke Rolls-Royce inspired by vintage video game culture
- Features ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner and ‘Laser Base’ Illuminated Fascia
- Interior and exterior details based on Bespoke 8-bit ‘Cheeky Alien’ motif
- Arcade-style artwork hand-painted on Technical Fiber interior surfaces
- Hidden retro gaming-inspired details turn the motor car into a game of its own
“The privilege of working within Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design is the breadth of ideas we’re asked to bring to life. Over the course of a month, we immersed ourselves in the 8-bit aesthetic that defined late-1970s and early-1980s gaming — from the games themselves and archive imagery of arcade halls to original promotional materials and cabinet artwork. Along with capturing the distinctive color palette, mood, and atmosphere of this rich source material, we wanted the client to feel that the commission was an immersive experience — recreating the same thrill they felt the first time they pressed ‘start’ on an arcade machine.”
— Joshua McCandless, Bespoke Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce unveils Black Badge Ghost Gamer, a Bespoke commission inspired by the 8-bit universe of vintage video games. Created for a client with a deep passion for early arcade culture, this nostalgic motor car incorporates references to the dawn of gaming. With elements including a hand-painted “Cheeky Alien” exterior Coachline motif, “Player One” seat embroidery, a “Pixel Blaster” Starlight Headliner, a unique Laser Base Illuminated Fascia, and hidden joystick-era Easter eggs, every discovery turns the motor car itself into a beautifully made game.
Insert Coin: A New Generation of Collectibles
Black Badge Ghost Gamer is the first Bespoke Rolls-Royce commission inspired by arcade-gaming culture — a rapidly growing category in the collectible world, defined by early video games, vintage consoles, and early media formats. Many Rolls-Royce clients actively participate in this market, driven by both accelerating value and a desire to preserve the artifacts of the late 1970s and 1980s.
This mindset shaped Black Badge Ghost Gamer, which reimagines 8-bit aesthetics through deeply immersive Bespoke features. Designers positioned each detail — from bold and obvious to hidden-until-found — so the discovery process becomes its own game.
Press Start: Bespoke Exterior Paint
Black Badge Ghost Gamer features a two-tone finish: a Salamanca Blue main body paired with a deep-shimmer Crystal-over-Diamond Black upper section. The effect echoes the metallic, neon-lit design language of classic arcade machines.
Working closely with the client, designers created the “Cheeky Alien” motif, hand-painted in green alongside an 8-bit explosion in pink on one side, and yellow and blue on the other. Each alien consists of eighty-nine individual “pixels,” each one-eighth inch square, recalling early bitmapped graphics.
The retro theme continues with an Illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy and Illuminated Pantheon Grille. Completing the exterior are black brake calipers and 22-inch seven-spoke forged Black Badge wheels.
Ready Player One: Bespoke Interior Suite
The Black and Casden Tan interior is a layered, tactile homage to the early digital age, designed to reward exploration like a 1970s arcade.
Seat embroidery reads “Player 1” and “Player 2” in front and “Player 3” and “Player 4” in the rear, all in an 8-bit-style font. The vivid stitching colors mimic the electric hues of vintage monitors. Each headrest features a block-color “Cheeky Alien” composed of eighty-nine embroidered pixels.
The Waterfall between the rear seats — finished in Black Badge Technical Fiber — includes a tribute to classic arcade imagery: above the Black Badge Infinity symbol, two stainless-steel “flying saucers” hover over a hand-painted lunar scene. Creating this artwork took more than two weeks, with paint blended and applied by hand using brushes, sponge techniques, and airbrushing to achieve authentic period tones. A subtle silver sparkle in the lacquer adds a celestial effect.
Hidden Easter eggs appear throughout, including a metal inlay on the rear picnic table and an engraved 8-bit motif on the concealed side of the front black-chrome air vent.
High Score: ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner and ‘Laser Base’ Illuminated Fascia
Each hallmark illumination is redesigned in tribute to early gaming. The Illuminated Fascia evokes classic “Laser Base” backdrops, complete with an 85-star gunship integrated into the constellation pattern.
The “Pixel Blaster” Starlight Headliner features eighty bitmapped battlecruisers formed from hand-placed fiber-optic lights. The Shooting Star effect is reprogrammed to simulate laser fire, with beams of light pulsing across the canopy.
Bespoke Illuminated Treadplates complete the commission, displaying arcade-style prompts — “PRESS START,” “LOADING…,” “LEVEL UP,” and “INSERT COIN.”
Delivered to a tech entrepreneur, Black Badge Ghost Gamer shows how Black Badge responds to the passions and cultural codes of a new generation of collectors who dare to play differently.
