Is the latest release celebrating the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film Goldfinger destined to become a future classic, or is it more of a novelty?

The somber Rolls-Royce Phantom III might be the most unlikely vehicle ever associated with a Bond villain. Alongside the Toyota Crown Deluxe from You Only Live Twice and the Ford Cortina in The Spy Who Loved Me, the 1937 coachbuilt Sedanca de Ville hardly seems fit for the roguish Auric Goldfinger.
Yet, in the hands of his henchman Oddjob—legendary for his lethal hat-throwing skills—the first V12-powered Rolls-Royce became the perfect partner in Goldfinger’s scheme to disrupt global gold markets by tainting the bullion in Fort Knox. “This is gold, Mr. Bond,” he purred. “All my life, I’ve been in love with its color, its brilliance, its divine heaviness.”

Now, amid a wave of books, gifts, and even a special Aston Martin DB12 marking the film’s 60th anniversary, one enthusiast—likely with substantial resources—has invested a fortune to create a unique, Goldfinger-themed Rolls-Royce. Despite its vintage, pre-war styling and imposing size, the classic Phantom III served as the inspiration.
Rolls-Royce has unveiled the bespoke Phantom Goldfinger, based on the modern Phantom Extended (priced above £450,000) yet distinctly inspired by the iconic yellow-hooded car from the 1964 Sean Connery film.

Loaded with what is believed to be the most gold ever incorporated into a Rolls-Royce, plus an array of 007-inspired details, the unnamed British owner paid an additional significant sum—likely over £100,000—to secure the legendary “AU 1” number plate from the original Goldfinger car, echoing the chemical symbol for gold.
This unique Phantom Extended took three years to complete, with the owner making numerous visits to Rolls-Royce’s factory in West Sussex. While it boasts a modern 6.75-liter, 12-cylinder engine generating 563 bhp, it’s the “whimsical” Goldfinger features that Rolls-Royce claims make this one of its most intricately engineered and customized models.
To appreciate the design’s significance, let’s revisit Auric Goldfinger’s cunning plot. His smuggling scheme cleverly utilized the Phantom III’s substantial frame, embedding two tons of 18-carat gold into the car’s bodywork before it was driven from England, over Switzerland’s Furka Pass, to be re-melted into bullion bars at an illegal smelter.

Few cars of the era could handle such a hefty load, but the final model Henry Royce developed before his death in 1933 proved ideal. With a 7.3-liter engine generating 165 bhp and fully adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers controlled from the driver’s seat, the Phantom III could easily mask the weight of its secret cargo.
The famous Furka Pass driving sequence, along with an unusual golf match between Bond—Sean Connery in his third 007 role—and Goldfinger, brilliantly played by German actor Gert Fröbe, are nearly as iconic as the gadget-packed Aston Martin DB5 driven by Britain’s top agent.

The detailing on this car is captivating. Celebrating the Phantom III’s supporting role, Rolls-Royce engineers outfitted the Phantom Goldfinger with an 18-carat gold bar shaped like the car in the center console, while the rear walnut picnic tables feature a fictional map of Fort Knox, crafted in 22-carat gold. Gold accents appear on the organ-stop air vents, speaker casings, and treadplates.
A fiber-optic headliner replicates the 719 stars visible above the Furka Pass in Switzerland during the 1964 filming, and a 3D steel and gold design spans the dashboard, tracing the contours of the Alpine landscape. A gold-plated golf putter mounted beneath the boot lid nods to Goldfinger’s iconic golf match with Bond, filmed at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire.

Naturally, Rolls-Royce remains tight-lipped about the identity of the owner with the Midas touch—or how much they paid. Do they have world domination in mind, or simply more money than they know what to do with?
Nick Rhodes, who led Rolls-Royce’s bespoke division for this project, says, “I’ve watched Goldfinger so many times as a reference point for designing this car, I could probably quote the script. All I can say is he’s a Bond and Rolls-Royce enthusiast who lives in the UK.”
Whoever this mystery buyer is, one thing’s clear: they love gold, they only love gold…