While the debate about whether wood trim is acceptable in a modern-day Lexus rages on, the Rolls-Royce has been working overtime to bring to life the vision of car enthusiast and collector Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. At the core of Mr. Smith's commission is the Koa Wood, a rare species of tree that only grows on Hawaiian soil. And after three years of intense collaboration between the designers, engineers and craftspeople at the brand's Bespoke Collective, the Koa Phantom is finally ready to join Smith's personal collection of over 60 unique cars in what he calls the JBS Collection Museum. 

The idea for the Koa Phantom - the car is, in fact, an extended-wheelbase variant of Goodwood's flagship - stems from Smith's wife Laura, who adored Koa wood for its warmth and character having spent significant amounts of time in Maui, Hawaii. A Koa wood rocking chair has served as the centrepiece for the family's home for many years. And while it sounds relatively straightforward for a brand like Rolls-Royce to infuse sentimental materials and design cues into the commissions of its high-net-worth clients, creating the Koa Phantom was not without its challenges. 

The fact that the tree only grows in Hawaii is only the tip of the iceberg. The species is protected in Hawaiian state and national parks, and harvesting is only allowed in privately-owned agricultural land. Factor in the specific growing conditions required for a Koa tree to thrive and a single log becomes an extremely precious resource; something a 'Rolls-Royce Wood Specialist' calls a one-in-a-million chance as far as automotive customisation goes. 

Fast forward three years from the start of the project and you have a one-off Phantom Extended looking particularly inviting with its special wood veneer crafted from a Koa log that said 'wood specialist' had to negotiate with a supplier from his own personal collection. To match the colour and texture of the grain, the car is finished in a Bespoke 'Packard Blue' hue formulated to match Smith's rare 1934 Packard Twelve Coupe. The paint itself involved the shipment of various vintage car parts to Goodwood and 40 test panels before it was perfected. A 'Dove Grey' hand-painted coachline and the initials of Mr. and Mrs. Smith on the doors are the final touches on a tasteful and timeless exterior.

No Bespoke Rolls-Royce is complete without the brand's over-the-top picnic hamper. And the one that comes with the Koa Phantom naturally gets a Koa wood finish to match. This single accessory took 500 hours to craft, and it features hand-made wine glasses and decanters from Hungary's Ajka Crystal factory while the 12-piece stainless-steel cutlery set is hand-made in England as a tribute to British steel heritage. That's a lot of time spent on something that doesn't affect the way the Phantom drives, but we're talking about the same people who squeezed 3,000 feathers into a dashboard here.

Will we ever see them work their magic on a Malaysian commission featuring wood veneer from a jambu tree or pokok cengal?