As excitement mounts a week before the opening of “The Great Eight Phantoms” exhibition at Bonhams in London’s Mayfair district, Rolls-Royce today reveals the last three legendary Phantoms to be on display.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has graciously consented to the display of her Phantom VI State Limousine. The Phantom IV that belonged to the Aga Khan III, one of 18 Phantoms built exclusively for monarchs and heads of state, and the first Phantom VII Goodwood, which marked the rebirth of Rolls-Royce on January 1, 2003, will also be part of “The Great Eight Phantoms”.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Phantom VI State Limousine
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II graciously consented to her Phantom VI State Limousine being displayed at “The Great Eight Phantoms”, a Rolls-Royce exhibition.
In 1977, on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee, the British Society of Engine Manufacturers and Traders presented Her Majesty with a new official State Limousine, a custom-built Phantom VI.
The most striking feature of this Phantom VI, bodied by Park Ward, is its raised roof supporting large tempered glass windows. These allow Her Majesty, as well as other members of the Royal Family using the vehicle, to see and (more importantly) be seen.
This Phantom, like other vehicles in the royal fleet, sported the “royal mascot” of Saint George slaying the dragon in place of the Spirit of Ecstasy when Her Majesty was on board, except during her visits to Scotland, when a silver lion replaced it. The car was also fitted with a bracket for displaying the Queen’s coat of arms and the Royal Standard.
Like all royal vehicles, the Phantom was clad in burgundy Royal Claret and black Black Livery and, as a state car, did not require a license plate.
The Phantom VI was also on hand in 2011, for another major event in the Queen’s long reign. On April 29 of that year, Prince William, her grandson, married Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by her father, was driven to the Abbey in the Phantom VI, taking full advantage of the panoramic windows to give the delighted crowd the best possible view of her last minutes as Kate Middleton, before transforming into a princess. A happy ending, both for Kate and for the splendid Phantom VI Silver Jubilee.
The Aga Khan’s Phantom IV
The second Royal Phantom on show is that of the Aga Khan III. The Aga Khan III is famous for combining a jet-setting lifestyle as a thoroughbred horse owner with his role as leader of the Nizarite Ismaili Muslim community. The Aga Khan is one of 18 heads of state and royalty to have ordered a Phantom IV from Rolls-Royce.
Aga Khan III was President of the League of Nations from 1937 to 1938, but he also owned five Derby-winning horses, and won the British Champion Owner title in flat racing 13 times. He liked to enjoy the finer things in life, and it came as no surprise when he decided to buy a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.The Hooper bodywork of the Aga Khan’s Phantom IV features remarkably flowing lines, the rear wheels were partly concealed, and the bodywork is Sedancade Ville-style, while the interior features sumptuous red Connolly leather. It took two years, from 1950 to 1952, to build this car, because of the many bespoke additions: an adjustable mirror, a concealed silver brush, a comb and a compact – all featuring an engraving of the Aga Khan’s royal crest, also visible on the doors – as well as a built-in dictaphone and a complete picnic set.
The Phantom IV Aga Khan was kindly entrusted to Rolls-Royce during the exhibition “The Great Eight Phantoms” by Mr. Iaon Tiriac.
The first Phantom Goodwood – the Phantom VII
The first Phantom Goodwood was the car that marked the renaissance of Rolls-Royce in 2003. While the brand was known at the time as “the last great adventure in the history of the automobile”, this renaissance saw Rolls-Royce regain its place as a leading brand in the world of luxury, thanks to resolutely modern models – first the Phantom, then the Ghost, the Wraith and the Dawn – but above all thanks to a unique approach to luxury that enabled every customer’s desires to be fulfilled: personalization.At one minute past midnight on January 1, 2003, the first Phantom Goodwood was born, and three months later, the first model was shipped from Southampton, England, to Perth in Western Australia, in April 2003. Following this launch, the Phantom embarked on its first great adventure: an epic 4,500-mile journey across Australia. The journey began in Perth, continued along Australia’s west coast, crossed Nullarbor Plain to Adelaide (South Australia), passed through Victoria and along the Great Ocean Road, ending at Sydney’s Harbour Bridge (New South Wales).the owner gave his daily “driving impressions” to the team back in Goodwood, describing the new Phantom as a “Grand Tourer in the strictest sense of the word”. The only problem was sand seeping into the Spirit of Ecstasy retraction mechanism during a storm in the Australian desert.
Fourteen years after its creation, the first Phantom Goowood is still in perfect condition. It is on loan to Rolls-Royce’s “The Great Eight Phantoms” exhibition from its owner, the same gentleman who originally commissioned it,
“The Great Eight Phantoms”, a Rolls-Royce exhibition, will be held at Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London, from July 29 to August 2. The exhibition is organized in support of The Prince’s Trust, for which the public is invited to make donations.
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