The Rolls-Royce Phantom is the flagship of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and one of the longest-running names in the motor industry. The first Phantom appeared in 1925 as the successor to the Silver Ghost; the current Phantom VIII was launched in 2017 and updated as Series II in 2022. In between, the Phantom carried monarchs, presidents, rock stars and film stars, and it remains the car most people picture when they hear the words “Rolls-Royce”.

Phantom at a glance
Maker Rolls-Royce (Derby and Crewe, UK) until 2003; Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Goodwood, UK, since 2003
First model Phantom I, 1925
Generations Eight (Phantom I–VIII)
Current engine 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12
Owner since 2003 BMW Group

Phantom I, II and III (1925–1939): the pre-war giants

Rolls-Royce built rolling chassis rather than complete cars, so early Phantoms wore bodies from coachbuilders such as Hooper, Park Ward, Barker and Brewster of New York. The Phantom I (1925) introduced a new overhead-valve six-cylinder engine and was also built in America, at the Rolls-Royce plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Phantom II (1929) was lower and more modern, and the Phantom III (1936) was the company’s first V12 car — a technically ambitious machine whose complexity kept specialists busy for decades.

Phantom IV (1950–1956): built for royalty

The Phantom IV is the rarest Phantom of all: only 18 were built, and Rolls-Royce sold them only to royalty and heads of state. The first went to Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1950, two years before she became Queen. Its straight-eight engine was never offered in any other Rolls-Royce car.

Phantom V and VI (1959–1990s): state cars and rock stars

The Phantom V (1959) used a V8 and a vast chassis intended for formal limousine bodies. It became a favourite of governments — and of pop culture: John Lennon’s Phantom V, repainted in 1967 in psychedelic colours, is one of the most famous cars of the 1960s.

The Phantom VI (1968) continued the formula with updates and is the car behind many royal occasions; Queen Elizabeth II received a Phantom VI state limousine to mark her Silver Jubilee in 1977. Built almost entirely by hand, the Phantom VI remained available until the early 1990s.

Phantom VII (2003–2017): the Goodwood revival

In 1998, Vickers sold Rolls-Royce Motors, and the outcome left the Rolls-Royce name for cars with BMW from 2003 while Volkswagen kept Bentley and the Crewe factory. BMW built a new headquarters and plant at Goodwood, West Sussex, and its first product was the Phantom VII, handed to its first customers on 1 January 2003.

The Phantom VII set the modern Rolls-Royce template — a tall upright grille, rear-hinged rear “coach doors”, umbrellas stored in the doors, and wheel-centre badges that always stay upright. It used a 6.75-litre V12 and an aluminium spaceframe. Extended-wheelbase, Drophead Coupé and Coupé versions followed.

Phantom VIII (2017–today): the Architecture of Luxury

The current Phantom rides on Rolls-Royce’s own aluminium platform, the “Architecture of Luxury”, later shared with the Cullinan and Ghost. Highlights include:

  • A 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 tuned for effortless low-speed torque rather than outright speed.
  • “Magic Carpet Ride” air suspension, which uses a camera to read the road ahead.
  • The Gallery, a glass-covered section of the dashboard where owners can commission artwork.
  • More than 100 kg of sound insulation, double-glazed windows and specially designed tyres.

The Series II update of 2022 added an illuminated Pantheon grille and refined details. Rolls-Royce’s first electric car, the Spectre, arrived in 2023, and the company has said it intends to be fully electric by 2030.

What makes a Phantom different

A Phantom is not simply a longer, more expensive luxury sedan. The body is hand-finished, the paint is polished by hand, and many cars are effectively bespoke: owners choose woods, leathers, embroidery and even the pattern of the fibre-optic Starlight Headliner. Rolls-Royce positions the Phantom above the Ghost and Cullinan as the pinnacle of its range.

Chauffeured Phantoms today

The Phantom’s rear-hinged doors, flat floor and upright seating make it a natural chauffeur car, which is why it remains popular for weddings and state occasions. For everyday executive travel in New York and New Jersey, most chauffeured services — ourselves included — rely on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which offers comparable rear-seat comfort. For how the two great British marques differ, read Rolls-Royce vs Bentley.