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2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda PilotRolls-Royce Phantom Generations: Through the Years
Like the ghost it’s named for, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is skilled at wafting about, but with all the finest finery as we look at in this historical review.
100 Years of Phantoms
Rolls-Royce has a history dating to the early 1900s and even back then was known as a maker of the finest automobiles or “the best cars in the world”. The Rolls-Royce Phantom nameplate goes back almost as far, 1925 to be exact, and continues to be in production today. Not only is it the automaker’s flagship vehicle, the Phantom is the second longest-running nameplate in history behind the Chevy Suburban.
The First-Generation Rolls-Royce Phantom
Today, the first generation of Phantoms are referred to as the Phantom I to keep timelines easy. But nearly 100 years ago, Rolls-Royce called it the New Phantom as it replaced the O.G. Silver Ghost – a car that famously appeared in the James Dean film Giant. In case you were wondering, Rolls is big on naming its vehicles after apparitions.
These original Phantoms have the distinction of being made in both Derby, England, and Springfield, Massachusetts. Back then, Rolls-Royce manufactured the chassis and mechanicals, while a coachbuilder of the customer’s choosing handled final assembly. Notable coachbuilders of the time included legendary names like Zagato.
With a 7.7L straight-6 under the impossibly long hood and sweeping elegant fenders, the Rolls-Royce Phantom I carried a sticker price of about $13,000 at the time, which translates to roughly a quarter of a million dollars today. A little more than 3,500 of this series was produced and owners like Fred Astaire kicked off a theme of celebrities, the wealthy, and royalty favoring the Phantom for its exclusivity.
Rolls-Royce and Herring Scales: Second–Generation Phantom
The second-gen Phantom II arrived in the late 1920s with an updated 7.7L engine and a new chassis featuring improved suspension components. As well, the standard wheelbase jumped from 143 ½ to 150 inches as is befitting of a limousine. Of the nearly 1,700 produced, a few hundred were special Continental variants.
These unique models were based off company co-founder Henry Royce’s special project Phantom II that featured a more robust suspension, a tuned engine, and paint made out of ground herring scales. The US factory was closed at this point, but that didn’t stop the Rolls-Royce Phantom from competing against the likes of the Chrysler Imperial and Lincoln Model K. This generation was famously featured in the film Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.
V12 Power: Third–Generation Rolls-Royce Phantom
Before World War II brought Phantom production to a halt, the third-generation was built between 1936 and 1939. It would be the last car Henry Royce worked on directly and the first Phantom to feature a V12 powertrain. These behemoths weighed as much as 7,700 pounds and had trick features like on-board jacking and the ability to lubricate the entire chassis by pulling a lever inside the cabin.
Famed coachbuilders like Mulliner, Barker, and Park Ward continued the tradition of assembling the bodies to customer specification in typical limousine style but also as saloons, coupes, and convertibles. The Phantom III’s claim to fame was its use in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
For Your Royal Highnesses: The Exclusive Fourth Generation Phantom
Easily the most exclusive Rolls-Royce Phantom series, just 18 examples of the 4th-gen model were built between 1950 and 1956. These were the only Rollers ever made with a straight-8 motor and the first to find their way into the vehicular stables of the British royal family. Though Daimler held the “royal warrant” for motor cars going back to the turn of the century, Prince Phillip made it known he fancied one of these new Phantoms.
Naturally, Rolls-Royce responded with a painstakingly perfect example for “Their Royal Highnesses”, an example that the Duke of Edinburgh reportedly enjoyed driving himself. These Phantoms were only sold to customers deemed worthy of the privilege per Rolls-Royce, which included the Shah of Iran and General Francisco Franco of Spain. The ultra-low production figures and exceedingly exclusive owner’s club served to push Rolls-Royce into the top tier of super-high luxury automakers, a position it has enjoyed ever since.
Rockstars and Royalty: Fifth Generation Rolls-Royce Phantom
Starting in 1959, the Rolls-Royce Phantom V began production. Based on the automaker’s Silver Cloud II, this latest Phantom was powered by a 6.2L V8 mated to a 4-speed automatic Hydra-Matic transmission sourced from General Motors. There were 832 of these 5th-gen Phantoms produced with the bodywork handled by Park Ward or James Young, both of which had since been absorbed by Rolls-Royce.
Several notable examples of these Phantoms helped burnish the brands’ reputation for exclusivity even more. John Lennon famously had one repainted as an homage to Romany wagons with red, orange, green, and blue swirls, plus a Libra painted on top. Elton John rocked one with a pink finish, Elvis Presley was a Rolls guy, and of course, Queen Elizabeth II continued to bring the royal touch to Rolls-Royce.
Saint George and The Dragon: The Long Running Sixth Generation
The longest-running Phantom series was the 6th-generation model that Rolls-Royce produced between 1968 and 1990. These would be the last Rolls’ to feature a separate chassis. The 6.2L V8 carried over from the prior generation until being replaced by a 220-horse 6.75L unit in 1979.
The Queen once again made her wishes to use the Phantom for official state duties known, commissioning a 1977 example for her Silver Jubilee along with a “regular” model in 1986. For her use, the traditional Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament was replaced by a model of Saint George slaying the dragon. #GodSaveTheUnionJack
Ye Olde Modern Phantom: Seventh Generation Phantom
In a convoluted transaction, German automaker BMW would ultimately take ownership of Rolls-Royce in the 1990s. By 2003, the Phantom was back as the 7th generation and is credited with returning the automaker to its former glory. It was the only Rolls-Royce model offered until the smaller Ghost arrived in 2009 and as such, the latest Phantom enjoyed serious attention to assembly.
The aluminum spaceframe was hand welded and though there were 3 robots involved in assembly, their only role was to spray coats of paint, each of which were hand polished. Customers could choose from 44 THOUSAND paint colors along with any choice for wood and leather hues and finishes.
BMW originally planned to fit the modern Phantom with a hearty 9.0L 16-cylinder engine, but the 6.75L V12 was chosen for its relative fuel economy. Because, you know, 454 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque pulling a near 5,500 sled is the very definition of efficiency. Anyway, these Phantom VIIs were also loaded with tech and unique features like a power reserve dial instead of a tachometer, a 15-speaker audio system, a fridge, and 16-way adjustable rear seats.
There were dozens of even more special models made in tiny volumes like the Grey Goose Vodka Phantom Extended Series, the Serenity edition with silk upholstery and a ruby-studded gauge cluster, and the Celestial model, which debuted the famous “Starlight Headliner” that uses fiber optic lights to create a night sky effect.
For those looking to spend more than the $300,000 starting price, a pair of gorgeous two-door variants – the Drophead Coupé and regular old Coupé – arrived in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Stickering at a cool half-million bucks (and then some), these Rollers helped make for the most successful run of Phantoms ever.
The Eighth Generation Rolls-Royce Phantom
Starting in 2017, the current 8th-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom was unveiled alongside eight of the most famous Phantoms of all time. Riding on an all-new aluminum spaceframe shared by the latest Rolls-Royce Ghost and Cullinan SUV, the new flagship Rolls features evolutionary styling, a more potent twin-turbo V12 powerplant, laser headlights, and the option for a 19.6 foot-long wheelbase variant.
The suspension features self-leveling air springs, adaptive dampers, active anti-roll bars, and a Flagbearer system that scans the road ahead and adjusts the suspension accordingly to ensure the smoothest ride possible. Four-wheel steering was implemented for the first time on a Rolls-Royce and special Silent Seal Continental tires use a layer of foam inside the tire to keep cabin noise levels down.
Up front, the signature Parthenon grille is newly integrated into the front bodywork, the hood continues to stretch for miles, and the automaker’s rear-hinged coach doors continue to be power-operated. Inside, The Gallery is a full-width glass-encased display of your favorite artwork that you would of course have commissioned. It’s the kind of thing that makes the Mercedes Hyperscreen look positively plebeian in comparison.
Then again, with a $450,000 starting price, pretty much every other car in existence is rather pedestrian against the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Which is perhaps the point of these outrageously extravagant land yachts. They have certainly earned the right to be known as “The Best Car in the World”.
