A Ghost in Provence
Art and artistry while essentially hailing from the same family are not quite the same. One focuses on the mastery of the outcome, the other, on the mastery of process. In a recent visit to the South of France I was blessed to witness both, as I headed to the idyllic location of Château La Coste.
© Eli Ankutse
© Eli Ankutse
© Eli Ankutse
Set twenty minutes away from Aix-en-Provence the 200-hectare plot is a symphony of art, architecture and exquisite culinary delights. On this particular visit there was an additional jewel in the Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade crown, namely the Rolls-Royce Ghost. The centrepiece and raison d’être for my visit, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is the embodiment of escapism and artistry, giving passengers—and drivers alike—an instant getaway regardless of what transpires outside the vehicle. Being inside the Ghost is like having your own bespoke climate; a curatable “mood” that you can take anywhere you wish.
On this occasion, the experience was as much being outside the Ghost as it was inside, with the beguiling architectural work of Tadao Ando encouraging closer inspection, while Ghost effortlessly carried us around the La Coste estate.
For a time, I was transported into the shoes of a modern Rolls-Royce Ghost owner, and the lifestyle helped me to greater understand the need for near-infinite personalisation options for Ghost. Rolls-Royce customers are tastemakers yes, but with unique lives, chameleonic needs, and desires that often change and develop from one moment to the next.
Ghost is both an artistic capsule of their lives and also a very important tool in its fulfilment, giving both reassurance and pleasure at the same time. This design task was given to Henry Cloke, Designer of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost which debuted in 2020. Cloke faced the unenviable task of replacing a car that was the best-selling Rolls-Royce ever made.
To achieve this Rolls-Royce consulted existing Ghost owners; their stories and opinions becoming an integral design inspiration used to create the Ghost of the future. The result was an overriding tone of “Post Opulence”; a vehicle that recognised the need for elegance and had great personality, without being overtly arrogant and fussy.
“Post Opulence was really key to us because it wasn’t meant to be minimalist and pure in a sterile way, it’s incredibly modern and beautifully designed — it still feels homely.”
— Henry Cloke, Designer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Back at Château La Coste, venture up the winding paths of the Luberon hillside at the rear end of the estate and you will find the floating Richard Rogers Drawing Gallery; his final project and a great example of the British-Italian’s uncompromising, timeless design. It also makes a fitting juxtaposition to the Rolls-Royce Ghost, both in form and ideals, possessing enduring visual modernity and a flexible multi-use interior, that not only ensures versatility but dramatic views across surrounding Provence.
As it happened, the exposed structural frame was finished in a striking burnt orange, similar to the metallic orange Ghost Black Badge Edition I had selected for the coastal Provence drive on day two of our visit.
Where the Ghost has softness and refinement at the heart of its premise, the Ghost Black Badge opts for a slightly more aggressive stance, giving more encouragement to the driver and yet retaining the elegance for which the marque is renown. Despite its 5.5meter length, the all-wheel steering gives Ghost Black Badge an agility that belies its scale, allowing you to take full advantage of that 6.75 litre turbocharged V12 engine.
As I meandered through the quaint Provence villages towards the coast, it was evident to me why Sir Henry Royce—albeit of ailing health at the time—would so love spending his winter life here. The drive alone was medicinal, as were the healing, panoramic costal views. The poise and balance of the drive was only matched by the encompassing environment. Exquisite leather, bespoke wood finishes and silent cabin yes, but here I’m referring more to the general quality of the interior atmosphere. The cleanest micro environment in any car, Ghost comes equipped with a Micro Environment Purification System, channelling all cabin air through a Nanofleece filter which removes almost all ultra-fine particles, viruses and bacteria in under two minutes.
I pulled up at Les Roches Blanches—the destination of my coastal drive—opened the power assisted door and stepped out of my Ghost for one final time. I stood back and once more looked over the burning orange Ghost silhouette now against the glistening blue back-drop of the Baie de Cassis; the embodiment of art and artistry. I reluctantly handed over the weighty key to the Rolls-Royce team and sauntered inside for lunch.
