Rolls-Royce announced its successor in an ad in The Times Newspaper on May 2, 1925:
According to the automaker, it’s likely that its Commercial Managing Director at the time, Claude Johnson, came up with the Phantom name in 1925.
The first new Phantom produced under BMW ownership and in Rolls-Royce’s new Goodwood facility was a blend of classic and contemporary elements.
By 2017, it was time for an all-new Phantom VII, which uses an evolved version of the last model’s spaceframe known as the Architecture of Luxury.
So far, the automaker’s master craftspeople have produced one-offs such as the Phantom Oribe, inspired by Cinque Terre and the Phantom Goldfinger.
American manufacturers indirectly played a major role in the development of the third-generation Phantom, which debuted in 1936.
The third-generation Phantom, which debuted in 1936, had a shorter wheelbase, lighter steering, re-positioned gear and brake levers, a four-wheel independent suspension, and wider rear seats.
The fifth-generation Phantom was introduced in 1956 and production was much higher than that of the Phantom IV, hitting 832 units.
A total of 374 Phantom VI units were produced, spanning the 1960s through the 1990s.
The Phantom VIII uses an evolved version of the last model's spaceframe known as the Architecture of Luxury.