Rolls-Royce celebrates 100 years of its flagship Phantom
The Rolls-Royce Phantom celebrates an important birthday this month, 100 years after the luxury saloon was first introduced.
Now into its eighth generation, the Phantom has long been the flagship of the British marque’s range. It has also earned an important place in automotive history.
Although the Rolls-Royce Phantom saw breaks in production during the last century, the model has endured to become one of the longest-running nameplates of all.
To celebrate this centennial year, Rolls-Royce has reflected on the car’s storied history, commissioning its design team to create a series of original artworks with the Phantom as their subject matter.
Unique works of moving art
Commemorating the Phantom with a series of illustrations is a project inspired by a historical precedent dating from 1910. In that year, artist Charles Sykes was asked to produce six original oil paintings for the Rolls-Royce brochure of the time.
Sykes depicted cars in environments such as arriving at the opera, or outside large country houses, reflecting the lifestyles of Rolls-Royce owners at the time.
For the modern artworks, the designers considered a wider range of Rolls-Royce customers, such as the Phantom V models owned by John Lennon and Elvis Presley.
A Rolls-Royce fit for kings and queens
The Phantom IV, launched in 1950, is the rarest of the model lineage, with only 18 examples produced. Rolls-Royce only sold a Phantom IV to clients deemed worthy enough to own one.
These included heads of state, such as the British royal family, who took ownership of the very first completed Phantom IV – depicted in one of the new illustrations (see below).
Commissioned by the Duke of Edinburgh as a more formal car for himself and the young Princess Elizabeth, the Phantom IV was tailored to the late Duke’s personal design requirements.
It marked the beginning of an association between Rolls-Royce and the royal family, which lasted until the turn of the 21st century.
Phantom: ‘A means of personal expression’
One constant throughout the Phantom’s history has been the emphasis on personalisation. From the earliest coachbuilt examples, through to bespoke commissions of the latest Phantom VIII, these cars have always been tailored to their owners.
Reflecting on the Phantom’s centenary, Chris Brownridge, chief executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “Phantom is much more than a motor car. It is a cultural phenomenon, both reflecting and influencing the world around it.
“Since its earliest days, the marque’s pinnacle product 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.
“These fascinating stories – and the exquisite images they have inspired our designers to create – offer a glimpse of Phantom’s extraordinary reach, and the world-changing people and events it is associated with.”
John Redfern writes for Motoring Research