Anant Ambani’s latest joyride, a 10.5 crore bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom, has a royal Indian connect

For Ambani, this car is more than just another joyride to enjoy. The automobile has been reinterpreted for the modern age, while paying tribute to its royal roots.

The rare orange shade is a tribute to the legendary 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II commissioned by the Maharaja of Rajkot (Source: Instagram/@super_car_in_mumbai)

What makes this Phantom so special?

The rare orange shade is a tribute to the legendary 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II commissioned by the Maharaja of Rajkot, one of the most iconic cars ever crafted in India’s royal motoring history. This all weather coachwork was done by Thrupp & Maberly, and was famously called the ‘Star of India’. The Maharaja’s custom-crafted Phantom II had a seven-seater cabriolet design and was finished in saffron and silver colour scheme.

Fast forward to 2025, we have the reborn ‘Star of India’ in Ambani’s garage. Here’s a little history of the iconic car.

The legendary automobile was commissioned in 1934 by Thakore Sahib Dharmendrasinhji Lakhajiraj, then ruler of Rajkot. The recently commissioned model packs the same colour scheme, but the original was inspired by the 563-carat star sapphire – the largest gem-quality star sapphire in the world, currently housed in the American Museum of Natural History. While the jewel still remains offshore, the car returned back to its roots, thanks to Yuvraj Mandhatasinh Jadeja of Rajkot who bought it back from the British collector at a Monaco auction four decades after it was sold to by the erstwhile Maharaja.

The luxury car had a number of features which were considered unique at the time, including headlights, which are controlled by the steering wheel and could track the vehicle’s progress on the road. Similar technology, now called “adaptive curve lights”, is featured in a number of cars today, including BMW’s and Mercedes’.