CLASSIC design in a 21 Century style have secured a top international gong for the new Rolls-Royce Ghost.

The "red dot: best of the best" award recognises unusually high quality and groundbreaking design.

And in the eyes of the judges, the Ghost has a unique character expressed by an unmistakable appearance whose design reinterprets the classic values of the brand in a modern style.

The prestige manufacturer's chief designer Ian Cameron said: "This is a tremendous accolade for the entire Rolls-Royce design team.

"As a designer the challenge lies in translating ideas into a medium which others can see, touch and feel. We are very proud of what we have achieved with Ghost and are delighted to have been recognised with this very special award."

Ghost's flowing lines are dominated by its ‘Yacht Line' profile, with uninterrupted surfaces which flow between sculpted horizontal lines that highlight the luxurious character of the vehicle.

Contemporary touches include self-righting wheel centres and the Xenon headlamps that frame the latest evolution of the Rolls-Royce grille

Here the sides of the intake have been curved inwards and the vanes set back into the opening.

"We wanted this to be less reminiscent of the traditional Parthenon style and more like a jet intake," says Cameron, which, along with touches such as the optional chromed exhausts, hint at a more dynamic nature of the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever built.

The red dot award is one of the most important of its kind in world product design. It was first awarded in 1955 and recognises outstanding design work in a wide range of categories including not only automobiles, architecture, household and home electronics but also fashion, life science and medicine.

Previous winners include the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé, which was acknowledged for outstanding design quality in 2008.