Asia's richest man's son shows off new $1.5M Rolls-Royce in a rare color last used 91 years ago by an Indian maharaja
Published on Oct 26, 2025 at 11:14 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Oct 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Asia’s richest man’s son has shown off a Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Extended worth $1.5 million in a rare color that was last seen on the luxury car over 91 years ago.
Anant Ambani, the son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has added a remarkable Rolls-Royce to his collection of incredible luxury cars.
While its size has turned heads, it’s also done so thanks to the saffron-orange it’s painted in, which is also known as Star of India Orange.
This is a color from India’s motoring past, last seen 91 years ago when it was sold just the once by Rolls-Royce to an Indian Maharaja.
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The special color of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Extended
Officially, the color is saffron-orange, but in India, it has the unofficial name of Star of India Orange.
It originates from a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II that was commissioned by the Maharajah of Rajkot.
That very special car was built by the coachbuilder Thrupp & Maberly, with the main body finished in this orange.
The car also had polished aluminum sections, including the hood and wheel arches.
At the front, there was also a very flamboyant headlight arrangement.
The car reflected the opulence of India’s royals, with the Star of India nickname sticking among collectors.
That car still exists, and until now, it was the only one in this beautiful color.
The Phantom VIII Extended revives the color
Thanks to the Rolls-Royce bespoke program, Anant Ambani was able to revive the color 91 years later.
The saffron-orange is an exact match to the original color on the 1934 Phantom.
Instead of polished aluminum, the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Extended has an all-white hood.
This pays homage to the polished hood on the original car.
There are also the usual chrome embellishments across the Phantom.
Naturally, the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament also features on the front of the luxury car.
Custom colors like this can add a huge amount to the car’s final bill.
At the time of writing, Forbes listed Mukesh Ambani’s worth at $97.5 billion.
So it perhaps comes as no surprise that his son can afford to have a custom Rolls-Royce like this.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom celebrates its centenary in 2025.
It thus feels apt that this color has made a comeback.
Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
