In late July, Rolls-Royce will open a special
exhibition dubbed ‘The Eight Great Phantoms’ as it prepares to reveal the 2018
model.
All seven previous generations of Phantoms produced
throughout its 92-year history will be present with one being showcased each
week. The oldest, Fred Astaire’s 1927 Phantom I from the Petersen Automotive
Museum, is the first one to be detailed.
Production of the Phantom started in 1925 and it
proved so popular that just four years later, the Phantom II was released with
a new chassis, redesigned engine and much improved handling. Development of the
Phantom III began in 1932 and just 12 months later, Sir Henry Royce passed away
aged 70.
Despite his passing, development of the third-generation
Phantom continued and the vehicle was produced from 1936 to the start of World
War II. For many years, it appeared as though the Phantom III would be the
final one but in 1950, the Phantom IV appeared and was initially built
exclusively for Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth. Another 17 examples were
later built for other world leaders.
Between 1959 and 1968, the Phantom V ruled the
streets and was immediately replaced by the Phantom VI which was in production
for 22 years. Thirteen years later in 2003 is when the most-recent Phantom was
released and in just a couple of months’ time, the eighth-generation car will
premiere.
