This year, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars toasts 100 years of the best of the best. Throughout the Phantom’s long history of gracing Hollywood red carpets, state parade grounds, and the driveways of the world’s most powerful and privileged, it has been hailed as the very apex of luxury. Now in its eighth generation, the Phantom remains uncompromised, effortless and enormous – a statement of excellence and a canvas for bespoke expression. It is, and has always been, the Everest of refinement and craftsmanship.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom was first announced in The Times newspaper on Saturday 2nd May 1925, right as the society clubs of Mayfair and Manhattan were mid-roar and F. Scott Fitzgerald was signing his first copies of The Great Gatsby. “Phantom” conveyed the automobile’s supernatural quietness and ethereal grace. At this time, Rolls only supplied the rolling chassis; coachwork lay entirely in the hands of independent coachbuilders who created bespoke bodywork to the owner’s specification.
1926 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Phantom I Brougham de Ville. © Vintage & Prestige / P&A Wood.
Then, as now, Phantom’s generous proportions enabled patrons to specify almost any detail or indulgence they wished. Some clients asked for concealable writing desks or swivelling occasional seats in their long-wheelbase limousines, while owner-drivers requested safes, dedicated spaces to stow golf clubs and even secret compartments to carry diamonds.
The original Phantom had closely followed its predecessor, the Silver Ghost – so closely that some enthusiasts refer to it as a “Super Ghost.” Over the next four years, Henry Royce continued to refine his design until, in 1929, The Times carried a fresh advertisement announcing the arrival of the Phantom II. As for star power, it was this model that later appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (although it was actually a 20/25 h.p. Barker Saloon, which was styled to resemble a Phantom II).
By the time of Royce’s death in 1933, the company was already aware that luxury car customers were seeking more power without sacrificing comfort. American competitors including Cadillac, Lincoln and Packard were responding with straight-eight, V12 and even V16 engines, rapidly eclipsing the large-horsepower, in-line six-cylinder units that had served Rolls-Royce so well.
A Rolls-Royce 20/25 h.p. Barker Saloon was styled to look like a Phantom II in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Given this commercial pressure and the company’s proven experience in designing aero-engines, the Phantom III inevitably featured a V12 powerplant. The new block offered greater smoothness, flexibility, silence and acceleration – all key requirements for Rolls-Royce’s fabled effortless progress. Top speed was an astounding 100mph. Comfort was further improved by independent front-wheel suspension. Customers included Field Marshal Montgomery. Two decades later, a Phantom III would be integral to the plot of the James Bond film Goldfinger.
Rolls ceased all car production during World War II to concentrate on manufacturing aircraft engines – primarily the Merlin, which powered the Spitfires and Hurricanes to victory in the Battle of Britain. When peace returned in 1945, the company found itself in an entirely different world of austerity. To survive, it would need to make cars less complex, easier to service, and much less expensive to produce. There seemed to be no place for a post-war Phantom. But then the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Elizabeth stepped in.
The Royal Household was seeking to replace its ageing fleet of Daimlers but was unhappy with the range then on offer. So in 1950 Rolls-Royce was commissioned by the royal couple to create a one-off straight-eight limousine with coachwork by HJ Mulliner. That car remains in active service at the Royal Mews to this day. Prince Philip liked to drive it himself, and Meghan Markle rode in it on her way to marry Prince Harry. Rolls-Royce had identified a highly select but profitable demand, and in total 18 Phantom IVs were born, all exclusively for heads of state and royalty.
The new 6.75-litre V8-powered Phantom V was slightly more widely available, coming to market in 1959 with coachwork now brought in-house under Park Ward & Co. It came with a gear that allowed it to travel at walking pace, perfect for ceremonies. Two cars, known as Canberra I and Canberra II, were built for Royal service, featuring transparent Perspex cupolas over the rear compartments.
John Lennon’s bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom V (1964) was damaged in the filming of How I Won the War in 1966. Lennon had it painted bright yellow and artist Steve Weaver embellished it with elaborate, bright swirls and floral motifs in the psychedelic style associated with the Beatles in that era.
The most famous Phantom V is the gypsy-caravan-liveried yellow one owned by John Lennon at the height of Beatlemania. Elton John, Liberace and Elvis Presley were also committed fans, as were dictators including Nicolae Ceausescu, Tito, and the Shah of Iran. After 13 years and 832 examples, Phantom V received enough technical upgrades to be designated Phantom VI, prioritising comfort with separate air-conditioning systems for front and rear compartments. The last Phantom VI was delivered to the Sultan of Brunei in 1993.
The Phantom name then went dormant for a decade. Now under BMW ownership, at one minute past midnight on 1st January 2003, Rolls-Royce presented the very first Phantom VII to its customer. Unlike every Phantom before, this iteration was built entirely in-house, with spaceframe bodywork to a single design. But the silhouette was unmistakable, with its upright radiator grille, long wheelbase, minimal front overhang, and almost nautical sweep to the rear. This was a new era for the brand, dubbed “the last great adventure in automotive history.” A fresh generation of ostentatious music moguls like Jay-Z and Lady Gaga snapped these up.
Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Series II Extended Magnetism at the home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood. Like Phantom VII, Phantom VIII is built on the Architecture of Luxury.
The current Phantom VIII followed in 2017 with an evolved but no less attention-grabbing design, packed with the latest technology and tailored exactingly to patrons’ whims. The Phantom VIII has been subject to some of the most technically challenging and creatively ambitious commissions ever undertaken by the marque’s bespoke designers and craftspeople.
Throughout its history, the Phantom has never been compromised by existing engineering orthodoxy, fleeting trends or development costs. From the Phantom I of 1925 to the 2025 Phantom VIII, the essential purpose has always been the same: to be the unassailable pinnacle of luxury and motoring excellence.
Author: Adam Hay-Nicholls
If you are a fan of Rolls-Royce, you may enjoy reading about Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla, Rolls-Royce Cullinan II, and Rolls-Royce at London Craft Week.
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