100 years of the Rolls-Royce Phantom: the ultimate status symbol for an entire century

The legendary Rolls-Royce Phantom can expect a letter from His Majesty The King any day now because it’s been precisely 100 years since this pillar of the motoring world and unassailable status symbol was introduced.

To try and encapsulate the history of the Phantom, the marque’s designers have created artwork paying tribute to the different eras of this car’s life, with some also celebrating its cultural impact through the decades.

Going right back to the start, rather than tearing off the covers at some grand motor show as we’d expect today, the first appearance of Rolls-Royce’s ‘New Phantom’ was in an advert in The Times newspaper on Saturday 2 May 1925. 

The Phantom I, as it was later known, wasn’t actually a car though. At that time, Rolls-Royce would only supply a chassis and mechanical components including the straight-six engine. Well heeled individuals then took this to a coachbuilder like Park Ward or H. J. Mulliner & Co to create something unique.

It wasn’t until the Phantom III was launched in 1936 that Rolls-Royce began supplying customers with its own bodywork, with this particular model being the first to feature a V12 engine as well. It was also the only iteration to have 12 cylinders until BMW took the reins nearly 70 years later.

Famous Rolls-Royce Phantom owners

There have been eight generations of the Phantom so far, with each one serving as transportation for heads of state, military commanders, the British and other royal families, one gold-obsessed James Bond villain, and celebrities from Liberace and Elvis Presley to Jay-Z and David Beckham.

John Lennon was among the Phantom’s most famous and notable owners. He ordered a nearly all-black Phantom V for himself in 1964, which was one of the first cars in Britain to feature blacked-out windows. 

The car was reborn a few years later, right before the release of the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, when The Beatles star added a psychedelic paint job using vibrant yellow with swirling, floral patterns and zodiac symbols. It became a symbol for the ‘Summer of Love’ that would begin shortly after the Phantom’s transformation.

But while Lennon's incredibly vivid Phantom V is an iconic piece of rock and roll history, apparently not everyone loved what he had done to the car. In fact, Lennon claimed that an outraged Englishwoman shouted, “How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce?” before whacking the motor car with her umbrella.

Today’s Rolls-Royce Phantom

After a nearly decade-long hiatus, the Rolls-Royce Phantom was reborn for the 21st Century with the Series VII introduced in 2003. It was the first generation launched after BMW acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand, its interlocked double R logo and signature Spirit of Ecstasy, plus it was the first model built at the marque’s new home in Goodwood, West Sussex. 

As well as successfully restoring the British brand’s reputation and bringing back the V12 engine, the Phantom VII appealed to a new generation of self-made entrepreneurs and more recently, social media stars. 

The current Phantom VIII was launched in 2017, based on a new bespoke platform, stuffed with more than 130kg of sound insulation, and featuring new technology to make Rolls-Royce’s famous ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ even more remarkable. Under the bonnet is a twin-turbo 6.75-litre V12 engine, which delivers what we described as “mighty yet effortless” performance after we tested the car.

Obviously a lot has changed about the Rolls-Royce Phantom over the past century. However, the brand’s Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy have been a constant feature throughout the ages, plus coachbuilding remains a key part of its appeal. 

Today, customers are offered practically limitless scope for customisation by Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke division, with each and every unique Phantom “a reflection of its commissioning client’s imagination, values and legacy,” says the firm.

As Rolls-Royce Motors boss Chris Brownridge puts it, the “Phantom is much more than a motor car”. He believes, “It has become a cultural phenomenon, both reflecting and influencing the world around it.

“Since its earliest days, Phantom has been among the most desired rewards for success and a potent symbol of power and prestige on the world stage. Above all, it has provided a means of personal expression for its owner, often becoming a work of art in its own right – the epitome of Rolls-Royce Bespoke.”

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