Rolls-Royce Recaps The Phantom’s 100 Years Of Superstar House owners

May 2, 2025

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Rolls-Royce tells the century-long story of the Phantom.

Only a few automotive producers within the historical past of the trade have been round for 100 years, not to mention a legendary flagship mannequin nameplate. That’s, nonetheless, the case for the Rolls-Royce Phantom, which has represented the top of the model’s ultra-luxury strategy to design, engineering, and craftsmanship for 100 years since first being launched in 1925. All through that point, the Rolls-Royce Phantom has remained a mainstay in popular culture and a shining image of automotive excellence all through the trade, and Rolls-Royce is honoring the unbelievable centenary by telling the story of the Phantom’s cherished legacy.

Nicknamed ‘the Spartan Basic,’ Subject Marshal Bernard Regulation Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, who performed an instrumental function throughout World Battle II, used two Rolls-Royce Phantoms, not solely as his private transport, however as an emblem of solidity and authority throughout the darkish instances of the battle. A 1936 Phantom III was his day-to-day automobile, which was used to deliver Winston Churchill, Basic Eisenhower, and even King George VI to planning periods within the lead-up to D-Day. One other Phantom III assigned to the Chief of the Imperial Basic Employees was additionally used throughout wartime, with distinguished passengers in that automobile, as effectively.

The Royal Household of the UK made use of the Rolls-Royce Phantom all through the flagship’s historical past, as effectively. The Duke of Edinburgh’s automobile was the primary Rolls-Royce Phantom IV chassis, with the codename “Maharajah of Nabha” to maintain it secret throughout improvement. The “Majarajah” automobile stays in energetic service on the Royal Mews at this time. Different Royal Phantoms embrace one other Phantom IV, two Vs, and two VIs. Nevertheless, the Phantom V has an influence within the UK past the Royal Household, with John Lennon of the Beatles famously commissioning one, initially in all black. Nevertheless, the automobile’s most well-known look got here from a rebirth in 1967, when it was repainted yellow with an intricate floral motif.

Silent movie stars owned Phantoms, together with Mary Pickford’s, which had a secret compartment for alcohol throughout the Prohibition years, and previous Hollywood legends like Greta Garbo and Fred Astaire had Phantoms, as effectively. Nevertheless, an extremely notable look for the Phantom on display was in Goldfinger, the place the 007 movie’s titular villain drove one to hold out his gold smuggling scheme. Over time, Rolls-Royce would make 12 appearances in 007 movies. The Yellow Rolls-Royce, a movie that additionally premiered in 1964, additionally starred a Phantom because the connecting thread between its anthology of three tales. Elvis Presley additionally famously owned a Phantom, which was commissioned with touches paying homage to his rock’n’roll legend standing.

Within the 2000s, Goodwood grew to become a brand new house for Rolls-Royce, and with it got here a completely new Phantom, one which has since reworked and turn into an much more everlasting fixture in popular culture as an ultra-luxury automobile, with appearances in music movies like Snoop Dogg’s Drop It Like It’s Sizzling, and Drake’s Began From The Backside. Manufacturers like Hermès and visionary high fashion designers like Iris Van Herpen have used the Phantom as a canvas for beautiful expression and avant-garde magnificence, and its unbelievable craftsmanship and opulence have served as inspiration for followers and the premise for beautiful commissions, one-offs, and splendid automotive expressions. With over 100 years of historical past, the Rolls-Royce Phantom shines as one of many biggest aspirational automotive icons and a illustration of the most effective the posh automotive trade has to supply all through that complete century. Beneath are among the greatest examples of the Rolls-Royce Phantom on the market proper now, listed on duPont REGISTRY, the supply for supercars since 1985.