February 16, 2017 – From the creation of ‘New Phantom’ in 1925, every generation of this most fabled name in luxury has served to define its moment, not only in Rolls-Royce’s history, but in world history. Quite simply, it has been the choice of the people who have defined our world and made it turn for the last 90 years.
Phantom I (or ‘New Phantom’ as it was then known) carried the weight of expectation of living up to its eminent predecessor’s billing as ‘The Best Car in the World’. Needless to say it emphatically succeeded. In doing so, elevating Rolls-Royce to a place beyond a maker of superlative motor cars, to the very standard by which all luxury endeavours are judged.
78 years later, Phantom VII, the first Goodwood Phantom heralded the renaissance of Rolls-Royce and established its own legend, returning the marque to its rightful place as the only conceivable mode of conveyance for the world’s most famous, wealthy and influential individuals.
Today, after 13 years defining luxury, Phantom VII leaves the stage with a fittingly artful tribute to the skills of the craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce. This very last seventh generation Phantom signals the end of the first successful chapter in the renaissance of Rolls-Royce under new custodianship and the establishment of a true global centre of luxury excellence in West Sussex, England.
The final Phantom VII – a study in luxury
Now, as this most significant motor car prepares to gracefully leave the stage, it is fitting that the final Phantom VII, a beautifully appointed extended wheelbase limousine, has been created to celebrate the golden age of travel that Phantom defined.
This remarkable example, commissioned by a renowned contemporary Rolls-Royce collector, perfectly serves to illustrate the extraordinary attention-to-detail and deftness of touch that has defined the first chapter at the marque’s home in Goodwood, West Sussex.
The art of marquetry – so beautifully used throughout Phantom’s life – depicts a stylised 1930s ocean liner, reflecting this particular patron’s fascination with the design and iconography of this grand era. The nautical theme continues with the application of tone-on-tone embroidery evoking the movement of the sea, exquisitely applied to the interior’s Powder Blue leather.
In true Phantom style, every possible detail has been considered. The clocks, featured in both the front cabin and the partition wall have been designed to echo the style of the radio clocks that adorned grand ocean liners. The Bezel, expressing 24 time zones, sits proud of the main clock, and reminiscent of HG Well’s time machine, allows the owner to rotate it in either direction depending on where they find themselves in the world.
The maritime theme even extends to Phantom’s indulgent lambswool carpets which feature a hand-cut wake effect elegantly created by the marque’s master craftspeople – perhaps a nod to the fact that this final Phantom has passed, leaving the world in its own wake.
The exterior is finished in a stunning Blue Velvet, completed with a twin coachline with ocean liner motif to the shoulder,and offset beautifully by pinstripe tyres and a solid silver Spirit of Ecstasy. This carefully tended hand-crafted scheme completes a stunning final expression for the last Phantom of its kind.
The completion of this very final motor car, and the decommissioning of the Phantom production line after 13 years, setsthe stage for the introduction of Phantom VIII, underpinned by an all-new aluminium architecture of luxury. Like its predecessor it will advance the standards set by its illustrious forbears.
Its arrival will herald the beginning of yet another great chapter in the history of the world’s most compelling and celebrated name in luxury.