Combining two British icons, Rolls-Royce builds a one-off, rugby-inspired Wraith

By Ronan Glon September 23, 2015

Seamlessly combining two British icons, Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke Design Studio has introduced a one-off, rugby-inspired Wraith in time for the World Cup that’s currently taking place in the United Kingdom.

Appropriately dubbed Wraith — History of Rugby, the coupe was designed as a homage to William Webb Ellis, the Englishman who is generally credited for inventing rugby in 1823. “With a fine disregard for the rules of [soccer] as played in his time, Ellis first took the ball in his arms and ran with it,” explains Rolls-Royce.

The one-off Wraith is painted in a special shade of white that’s directly inspired by the British rugby team’s jersey. A thin green stripe right below the belt line and rose-shaped accents add a finishing touch to the sport-inspired look. For those not in the know, the rose is the symbol of the British rugby team.

The cockpit has been spruced up with a rose embroidered on each headrest and model-specific sill plates with the aforementioned rose emblem. Piano black trim on the top part of the dashboard and on the steering wheel provide a contrast with the seats, which are upholstered with an off-white leather called Seashell (in Rolls Royce-speak).

The Bespoke Design Studio hasn’t made any mechanical modifications, meaning the one-off Wraith is powered by a 6.6-liter V12 engine that generates 624 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 590 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 to 5,500 rpm. Bolted to an advanced eight-speed, satellite-aided automatic transmission, the silky-smooth twelve-cylinder sends the Wraith from zero to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, an impressive statistic for a car that weighs over 5,200 pounds.

Rolls-Royce has not revealed what the future holds for the one-off Wraith — History of Rugby. However, if you’re not the lucky new owner, you can pick up one of the limited-edition rugby balls manufactured by Gilbert to match the Wraith as a consolation prize.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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