By Lauren Jade Hill
This month Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the imminent launch of an exhibition that will bring together the greatest Phantoms to have been made throughout the car’s 92-year history. Entitled the Great Eight Phantoms, this showcase will take place in Mayfair, London from 27 July 2017, with each of the eight models revealed in the weeks approaching the exhibition.
Bringing these models together for the first time, Rolls-Royce has selected a series of Phantoms that have each been owned by famous individuals and been a part of events in world history, from stars winning Oscars to the Beatles collecting their honors at Buckingham Palace.
The Phantom I was first made in 1925, produced in secret with the code name Eastern Armoured Car. With its 7.668-liter engine, this model was an instant success, leading on to the making of Phantom II in 1929, which featured an entirely new chassis and re-designed engine.
The third model, which was Sir Henry Royce’s last project, was unveiled in 1936 and produced until the Second World War, exhibiting a 12-cylinder engine. And despite a pause in production, this was eventually followed by the Phantom IV, a car that was originally intended as a one-off for Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth, but that led on to 17 more commissions.
The Phantom V proved to be of particular favor, with 516 models made between 1959 and 1968 for clients such as the Queen Mother and John Lennon. But the Phantom VI was the longest running of the collection, being produced from 1968 to 1990, during which time it was the Silver Jubilee Car and later used for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Related
In 2003, the Phantom VII was introduced, marking the beginning of Rolls-Royce’s new home in Goodwood, while fusing the car’s timeless appeal with contemporary design and state-of-the-art features. Production of this model came to a closer in 2016.
Now, Rolls-Royce are telling the story surrounding the Phantom through eight particularly significant vehicles. And as each of the eight Phantoms is announced ahead of this one-off exhibition, Rolls-Royce will reveal the historical events they have been a part of. So far, Rolls-Royce have announced the inclusion of The Fred Astaire Phantom I, which is on loan from the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, and the Phantom III that was owned by Field Marshal Montgomery.
The Great Eight Phantoms, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition is set to take place from 29 July to 2 August 2017 in Mayfair, London. Keep up to date on the exhibition’s announcements over at rolls-roycemotorcars.com.
Content from our partners
