View source for Rolls-Royce Phantom

{{short description|Ultra-luxury flagship automobiles}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2023}}
[[Image:RollsRoycePhantomCirca1936.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Rolls-Royce Phantom III from circa 1936, photographed in [[Canberra]] in 2005]]
[[Image:Rolls Royce Phantom - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (5) (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|250px|Rolls-Royce Phantom VII]]

Automaker [[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce]] has used the '''Phantom''' name on full-sized [[luxury car]]s and [[limousine]]s since 1925, making it the longest-used [[Nameplate (automotive)|car model nameplate]] in automotive history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.autocarindia.com/auto-features/2018-rolls-royce-phantom-behind-the-scenes-405679|title=2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Behind the scenes |date=15 August 2017 |publisher=Autocar India |access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>

In the 20th century, the Rolls-Royce Phantom was a very low volume, hand-built limousine, which in its first four generations was custom [[Coachbuilder|coachbuilt]] to the customer's requests, and sometimes extravagant desires. Whilst automobile manufacturing over time became more mechanised and prolific, and vehicles from other manufacturers could be built in greater numbers and at lower prices, the Phantoms remained hand-built, and production of individual cars only began once the order was placed. The use of the name "Phantom" is a long tradition of naming Rolls-Royce models after "[[ghosts]]" or spirits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of Rolls Royce – Heacock Classic |url=https://heacockclassic.com/articles/the-history-of-rolls-royce/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=heacockclassic.com}}</ref> 

Initial generations of Rolls-Royce consisted of the chassis and engine, then arrangements were made to manufacture the body and interior, customised to the buyer's requests. The Phantom series has maintained favour with wealthy business people, celebrities, heads of state, and royalty, for its qualities, including large interior space, exclusivity, and presence.

During the years 1931-1998, when Rolls-Royce also manufactured [[Bentley]] cars, the Phantom was exclusive to Rolls-Royce and the approach to the most opulent models wasn't shared with Bentley. Before then, Bentley was an independent automaker who did produce, on a limited basis, the [[Bentley 8 Litre]] limousine, until Rolls-Royce took ownership and discontinued the 8&nbsp;Litre Bentley flagship.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Brooks | first1 = Philip C. |editor1-last =Carpenter |editor1-first=Rhonda |editor2-last = Iwalani | editor2-first = Kahikina | year = 2009 | title = The Mighty Sixes |journal = The International Club for Rolls-Royce & Bentley Owners Desk Diary 2010 | pages = 26–35 | location = Tampa, FL USA | publisher = Faircount }}</ref> Bentley would not manufacture a limousine until 2002, when the [[Bentley State Limousine]] was presented to Queen [[Elizabeth II]].

[[File:Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII 001.jpg|thumb|Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII]]

==List of generations==
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom I]], 1925&ndash;1931 
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom II]], 1929&ndash;1935
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom III]], 1936&ndash;1939 
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom IV]], 1950&ndash;1956
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom V]], 1959&ndash;1968
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom VI]], 1968&ndash;1990
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom VII]], 2003–2017
**[[Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé]], 2007–2017
**[[Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé]], 2008–2017
*[[Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII]], 2017–present

==See also==
*[[List of Rolls-Royce motor cars]]
*[[Spirit of Ecstasy]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
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{{Set index article|cars}}
{{Rolls-Royce}}
{{Rolls-Royce vehicles}}

[[Category:Rolls-Royce Phantom| ]]
[[Category:Rolls-Royce Motor Cars vehicles]]
[[Category:Rolls-Royce Motor Cars]]
[[Category:Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers]]