Phantom Drophead Coupe

Segment
Compact

Rolls-Royce has the whole "special edition" car thing down to a science. Just about any occasion, holiday or historical event has been celebrated with a one-off Phantom or limited-run Ghost. Everyone knows that when it comes to luxury cars, especially those that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, exclusivity and customization are everything. After all, why pay $500,000 for something your neighbor could own? Continue below to see some of the most ridiculous Rolls-Royce special editions around.

Have you ever heard of the Kingdom of Mysore? How about Tipu Sultan? Unless you're from India or an Indian history buff, the answer is likely "no." Regardless, that didn't stop Rolls-Royce from making a special edition Ghost Extended Wheelbase honoring the Tiger of Mysore. Only three will be made and for some odd reason they're only being sold in Abu Dhabi.

Truth be told, the Celestial Phantom is pretty damn cool. This one-off was made in 2013 to celebrate the Phantom's 10th birthday. Its unique name comes from the faux star headliner in the backseat. If the placement of the stars looks a little specific, it's because Rolls-Royce purposefully arranged them to form the constellations that were in the night sky when the first Phantom came off the assembly line. Talk about attention to detail.

Indiana Jones would be proud to own the Ghost Golden Sun Bird as it is likely the only one-off ever inspired by an ancient artifact. The artifact in question is the Golden Sun Bird, an all-gold work of art unearthed in Chengdu, China, and thought to date back to 1000 B.C. Yup, Indiana Jones would be awfully proud, but it doesn't yet belong in a museum.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe Aviator Collection is another special edition steeped in history, albeit aviation history. The Supermarine S6B was an award-winning seaplane powered by a Rolls-Royce airplane engine. As such the Phantom Coupe Aviator sports an interior reminiscent of an old-timey airplane cockpit with plenty of wood and a rich, brown color scheme. Thirty-five of these bad boys were made, a fact which may have driven away hardcore collectors.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed is the prettiest car on this list by far. It was created to pay tribute to Sir Malcolm Campbell, a Brit who designed record-breaking speedboats. What makes this special edition unique is that it's the first Rolls-Royce to have a painted engine. Like the Phantom Coupe Aviator Collection the run of the Phantom Waterspeed was capped at 35 cars.