Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has transformed a handcrafted wooden model car into an exclusive artwork series that will support the Aldingbourne Trust, a charity that provides services and opportunities for people with learning disabilities, including autism and Down’s syndrome.
The project began with a small but meaningful gesture. When Rolls-Royce presented its final 2024 donation to the charity, members of the Wood@Aldingbourne team handed over a carefully carved model car made from Sapele hardwood.
From dash boards, and interior trim on a Ghost or Phantom, to the rear decklids on models like the Arcadia Droptail, wood ofcourse has long played a defining role in bespoke Rolls-Royce interiors for decades, where carefully selected veneer slices are matched and finished by hand to create seamless grain patterns across the cabin and the piece, now displayed at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, immediately captured the attention of the brand’s design studio.
Using the same digital rendering tools normally reserved for bespoke client commissions, one Rolls-Royce designer created a detailed visualization inspired by the wooden model. The result is a limited series of just three framed prints with what appears to be Art Deco-inspired lines, each individually signed and numbered to verify authenticity.
“It was a privilege to work with Aldingbourne Trust as our House Charity in 2024. It’s a pleasure to extend our support for this wonderful organisation beyond 2024.” - Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Two of the prints will remain closely connected to the charity that inspired them. One will hang inside the Aldingbourne Trust café, while another has been presented directly to the Wood@Aldingbourne team that built the original Sapele model. The third will serve a fundraising role when it appears as a raffle prize during the Goodwood Members’ Meeting this April.
“We were so appreciative of the fundraising efforts by Rolls-Royce staff, and the tremendous awareness we were able to generate through being their House Charity. It’s wonderful that the relationship has continued through this collaboration, which meant so much to the client who created the original wooden model, and will help raise further money for us.” - Abigail Rowe, Aldingbourne Trust
Founded in 1978, Aldingbourne Trust now supports more than 1,500 people through training programs, employment opportunities, and social enterprises such as Wood@Aldingbourne, located about 10 minutes from the Rolls-Royce headquarters at Goodwood.
Images: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
