United Kingdom, West Sussex, May 5 – In this year, the hundredth year, since its noble inception, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is pleased—nay, honoured—to commemorate the most exalted of motor carriages: the inimitable Phantom. A sovereign amongst machines, a vessel of unmatched gravitas, the Phantom has for one hundred years stood not merely as a creation of automotive genius, but as a symbol of supremacy, of distinction, and of peerless personal expression.
As declared by Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars:
“Phantom is much more than a motor car. For 100 years, it has stood at the pinnacle of all Rolls-Royce motor cars – a cultural phenomenon that both reflects and influences the world around it… Across music, politics, art and beyond, Phantom has been present at many of history’s defining moments. The stories that surround it – and the images they’ve inspired our designers to create – reveal its extraordinary reach, and its enduring connection to greatness.”
From the moment of its conception, the Phantom has reigned supreme—each of its eight stately generations an exemplar of effortlessness, excellence, and elegance. In form, in function, and in finesse, the Phantom remains the ultimate Rolls-Royce—unequalled in its embodiment of luxury and emblematic of those who command and inspire.
A Royal Theatre of History
In its august lifetime, the Phantom has played a discreet yet omnipresent role at the grandest junctures of global history. It has conveyed monarchs and ministers, legends and luminaries, visionaries and viceroys. With dignity and dominance, it has glided silently through palatial gates, military encampments, marble-floored embassies, and cinema premieres.
From Field Marshal Montgomery’s austere yet potent Phantom III—used to ferry Winston Churchill and King George VI in wartime England—to the resplendent Phantom IV designed at the behest of the Duke of Edinburgh for HRH Princess Elizabeth, the Phantom has borne the weight of empires and the hope of nations with noble grace.
From Abu Dhabi to Westminster Abbey, it has moved amidst statecraft and ceremony, diplomacy and devotion, never as mere transport, but as a herald of power, permanence and protocol. It has rolled forth as emissary and ambassador, whispering influence with every inch of its sweeping wheelbase.
A Canvas For The Cultural Colossus
Yet not all Phantoms tread the red carpet of monarchy and ministry. Some have danced to different drums. In 1964, the world’s most famous Beatle, John Lennon, summoned a Phantom V into being—a creature of black shadows and, later, painted paisley flamboyance. His resplendent, yellow, zodiac-adorned motor car was no mere mode of conveyance: it was a manifesto. A psychedelic chariot for a cultural revolution, its appearance ignited admiration and outrage in equal measure, cementing its legacy among the most iconic creations in automotive history.
To Hollywood and beyond, the Phantom has remained the motor carriage of stars and titans: from Fred Astaire and Greta Garbo to Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, each making the Phantom an extension of their grandeur. On screen, it has captivated millions—from Goldfinger’s villainous smuggler to The Yellow Rolls-Royce’s wandering aristocrats—each cinematic cameo a reminder of Phantom’s theatrical splendour.
A Tapestry of Bespoke Excellence
Rolls-Royce marks this regal centenary not merely with reflection, but with creation. Inspired by the historic artwork of Charles Sykes, designers within the House of Rolls-Royce have conceived eight original artistic tributes, each an homage to a generation of Phantom majesty. These works, like their muses, are splendid reflections of a century shaped by elegance, eccentricity, and exaltation.
From aristocratic ballrooms to Silicon Valley boardrooms, the Phantom has transformed in tandem with the age. With the arrival of Phantom VII and the opening of the Goodwood manufactory, a new epoch dawned: one of supreme personalisation. No longer solely the preserve of the titled or the tycoon, Phantom became the chosen steed of the self-made: bold visionaries, artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs who view it not merely as a symbol of arrival—but as the very vehicle of self-expression.
The Social Ascent and Immortal Presence
In the digital amphitheatres of the 21st century, the Phantom took its place once more upon the stage—this time livestreamed, geo-tagged, and celebrated by millions. From music videos to fashion galas, Olympic ceremonies to exclusive collaborations with Hermès and Iris van Herpen, the Phantom has ceased to be just a motor car—it is now an icon of global culture, a meme of magnificence, a whisper of legacy wrapped in leather and lacquer.
The Phantom Shall Never Cease Advancing
As the second century of Phantom’s reign begins, its road remains endless. Bespoke commissions flourish like modern tapestries—each one an embodiment of its patron’s imagination and a pledge of personal immortality. In a world forever shifting, Phantom stands as a beacon of constancy, a paragon of artistry, and a vessel of vision.
Throughout 2025, Rolls-Royce shall mark this centenary with a series of global celebrations, honouring Phantom’s storied past and illustrious present—while unveiling glimpses of its inspired future.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom: A century of presence, a future of greatness.
“We shall never yield to the sands of time”
