Rolls marks 10 years of Black Badge 'alter ego'

John Lennon helped pioneer the concept of a blacked-out Rolls-Royce - talk about prescient...

By Matt Bird / Monday, 2 March 2026 / Loading comments

Not that long ago, Rolls-Royce was not a brand for young people. Too stuffy, too old fashioned, too prim. But as the 21st century has developed, as the Rolls-Royce line up has evolved - think of the Ghost and Wraith’s introduction - and the attitudes of the world’s wealthiest have changed, so the Spirit of Ecstasy has become hugely aspirational for an entirely new generation of fresher faced buyers. Alongside a rejuvenated model line up, this appeal can surely be partly attributed to the Black Badge spec, now available across every R-R bar the Phantom and celebrating 10 years this month.

First announced at the Geneva show in 2016 for the Wraith and Ghost, the Black Badges were the raciest Rolls-Royces yet created from the factory. And that made them cool: in monotone and with some neat touches they looked meaner, the interiors actually made carbon fibre look good, they went faster, and they handled a little more keenly. The Black Badges moved Rolls-Royce into a space that it hadn’t been before, and it was exactly the space that a more overt kind of rich person wanted to be. A new generation of wealth told Rolls what they wanted from the brand, and that’s Black Badge became. Or, as Rolls-Royce puts it: ‘They projected their influence unapologetically, demanding exquisitely crafted products and uncompromising experiences, but with a dynamic edge and a defiant attitude that reflected their lives, their ambitions and their daring. Their taste defined new codes of luxury: darker in aesthetic, more assertive in character and bolder in design.’

Following 2016 (and that outrageous FOS burnout), it was no surprise to find that more Black Badge Rolls-Royces came after the Wraith and Ghost. Following absolutely the same template, too, because it had worked (and continues to work) so well: black out the chrome bits, add the infinity badges, fit the Black Badge wheels and boost the V12 ever so slightly. There’s obviously more to making a new Rolls-Royce than just that - there’s 45kg of paint so think of, for one thing - the Black Badges do have some recognisable design themes. Even if you don’t actually go to black…

The popularity can be witnessed, to some extent, by just how many Black Badges are for sale. We just love a slightly sportier car in Britain, whether it’s a M Performance BMW, an AMG Line Mercedes, an Aston Martin ‘S’ car or a Black Badge Rolls. There are examples on PH all the way back from a 2016 Dawn and to a 2026 Spectre (the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever, don’t forget). Highlights? The Black Badges that aren’t black, really, for being a bit different - see the Orange Ghost, two-tone Wraith and Turquoise Dawn for proof of that.

There’ll be plenty more where 10 years of Rolls-Royce’s ‘formidable alter ego’ has come from, basically, because the clients can’t get enough. Indeed Black Badge is now about more than just the cars, said to have also inspired additional Rolls-Royce Bespoke commissions ‘from vintage video-game culture and collectable sneakers to graffiti art, land-speed records, influential nightclubs, and even the digital economy.’ Plus there have been one offs built from the Black Badge cars, because sometimes even flagship Rolls-Royces aren’t exclusive enough. See the Wraith Black Arrow, Cullinan Blue Shadow and Ghost Ekleipsis as evidence. It’s been a busy first 10 years for Black Badge, put it that way.

Rolls-Royce chief exec Chris Brownridge said: “From the outset, Black Badge was created to welcome a new generation of clients into Rolls-Royce: individuals who express their success unapologetically and with conviction. By serving them with the care and precision that defines the wider Rolls-Royce experience, we have made the marque relevant to many clients who may never have previously considered it. This has supported the measured and sustained growth of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars over the ten years since Black Badge was introduced… I am excited to drive the further evolution of Black Badge in the years ahead.” So don’t be surprised if a Phantom Black Badge, which has never existed in the first decade, comes to fruition one day. After all, why not?