A DIGITAL age has played with the design of one of the oldest car-makers as Rolls-Royce embraces subtle changes to its badging, colours and typography.

The company said that in recent years, Rolls-Royce has experienced change at a quicker rate than ever before and now has a portfolio with five models, each with a distinct character.

Almost every car created at the brand’s Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex, is bespoke and tailored to the lifestyle requirements of diverse and discerning patrons.

The introduction of Black Badge, has met the needs of a subset of these clients, answering their call for an edgier, alternative Rolls-Royce and linked to a major change in the age of clients to an average of 43 years.

Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Mueller-Otvos said that as the company’s digital presence increases “there has never been a more important time for the visual language of the company to reflect our standing as the leading luxury brand in the world.”

“We have embarked on a fascinating journey of modernising our brand identity to echo those changes seen in our portfolio, our client demographic, their lifestyle and the luxury world that surrounds them.”

The new image was created by Marina Willer, partner at design studio Pentagram, to create an identity that could move beyond the mechanics of being the “Best Car in the World” to encapsulate the brand’s presence and standing as a true House of Luxury.

The identity was designed to appeal to the new demographic of clients and all that they represent both digitally, and physically.

In the badge, the new look reduces the words “Motor Cars” to place greater emphasis on “Rolls-Royce”. The new typeface is Riviera Nights, from the same family as the Gil Sans Alt used currently and has an art-deco style that comes from Rolls-Royce archives from the 1930s.

The centerpiece sculpture, The Spirit of Ecstasy, has been recreated as The Spirit of Ecstasy Expression that the company said is more compatible with the two-dimensional needs of digital media.

Pentagram’s colour choice was initially based on the materials used in making a Rolls-Royce, such as wooden brown hues and graphite coloured technical fibres complemented by a colourful array of leathers.

However, although true to their artisanal origins, brown and slate palettes confined the identity to the past. The desire was to seek a more expressive, luxurious colour palette, one appealing to both male and female clients, one with a future vision.

The result was purple hues, specifically those with a deep and majestic tone and which have always signified wealth and power.

In a nod to the Spirit of Ecstasy, a colour named Purple Spirit will pave the way for the future of luxury by becoming Rolls-Royce’s signature colour.

A metallic Rose Gold is chosen to complement this colour. This elegant and modern hue will be reserved for items of longevity and used only in printed form.

The new look will be used for future communication and car production but no timeline has been announced by Rolls-Royce.

By Neil Dowling