► Rolls-Royce’s Phantom turns 100
► Wealth has followed the ultimate limo
► Artworks by designers celebrate the generations
Wherever wealth and power have been found over the past century, a Rolls-Royce Phantom has never been far away. Ambassadors, monarchs, plutocrats and John Lennon have not only bought the range-topping limo, now in its eighth generation, they’ve also commissioned custom paint jobs and bodywork.
To mark the centenary, Rolls-Royce has issued a set of new artworks by its own design team intended to capture the essence of Phantom over the decades – a car that Rolls CEO Chris Brownridge says is ‘always moving with the times and its clients’ needs and requirements’. It is, he adds, ‘a cultural phenomenon, both reflecting and influencing the world around it’.
Work on the first Phantom began in 1921, when co-founder Henry Royce realised that after 15 years the Silver Ghost was getting long in the tooth. On 2 May 1925 the name of the new car was announced. As was normal in those days, the factory provided the rolling chassis – with a choice of long or short wheelbase – and the body was created by independent coachbuilders.
The bigger Phantom II followed in 1929, sticking with inline-six engines, but the MkIII from 1936 brought in the V12. A wider chassis also made room for more comfortable back seats, reflecting the tendency of Rolls owners to be driven.
When Rolls resumed car production after the Second World War, the Phantom was no longer in the line-up. But a 1950 special built for the royal family, powered by an inline-eight, inspired a limited run of 18 Phantom MkIVs.
The MkV from 1959 was offered with a choice of bodywork from the in-house coachbuilder, Park Ward, or an independent effort of the buyer’s choosing. That evolved into the MkVI, now with separate front and rear air-con, which stayed into production to 1990.
After Rolls was bought by BMW and moved to Goodwood, the first new car was 2003’s MkVII, using a new aluminium spaceframe and V12 engine, which evolved into 2017’s MkVIII, a car that jockeys for position as Rolls-Royce’s flagship with the Cullinan SUV and electric Spectre.
Like all Rolls-Royces, many new Phantoms are given one-off treatments by the in-house Bespoke team. And in the facia they all have a ‘gallery’, designed to house bespoke artwork, fittingly enough.