Rolls-Royce Phantom at 100: History, Places and Legacy
“Phantom has always been defined by the people who commission it, and the places in which they use it. As an exemplar of excellence, Phantom has inhabited and been influenced by locations worldwide, from the glamorous Côte d’Azur to the peaceful Sussex countryside, and from the bustling heart of London to the vast wilderness of the Australian Outback. Each stage in this 100-year odyssey has shaped Phantom’s character and helped secure its place in cultural history. As we mark Phantom’s centenary, we reflect on some of the most important places, events and people that have made our pinnacle motor car everything it is today, and informed a new and extraordinary Bespoke creation soon to be revealed.” Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
The story of Rolls-Royce Phantom spans a century and circles the globe. Today, owners commission Phantoms in more than 100 countries across six continents. Each motor car answers its patron’s tastes and codes of luxury, and suits the specific conditions and surroundings in which it will operate.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reflects on the key locations, moments and people that shaped Phantom’s development and philosophy from its 1925 launch to the present day. This living legacy continues to define the pinnacle of British luxury motoring and the craft of Bespoke Rolls-Royce.
From 1911 until he died in 1933, Sir Henry Royce spent winters at a secluded retreat on the Côte d’Azur. He initially stayed at Claude Johnson’s villa, then moved to Villa Mimosa in 1917. There, he tested and refined many Rolls-Royces, including the first motor car to bear the Phantom nameplate. High-speed runs from England to France, combined with the Riviera’s sweeping corniches, create the ideal environment for assessment and improvement. From Villa Mimosa, Royce refined the Phantom with relentless focus to deliver an experience as singular now as it was then: the effortless command of immense power. Modern materials still acknowledge this influence, including Canadel interior wood panelling and Duality Twill bamboo fabric inspired by the groves in Le Jardin des Méditerranées that adjoins Villa Mimosa.
In the warmer months, Sir Henry returned to Elmstead, his home in West Wittering on the Sussex coast, eight miles from today’s Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Elmstead remains a place of pilgrimage for enthusiasts, preserving a personal connection to one of its founders. Royce established a nearby studio for his designers and engineers. Although the factory was located in Derby, he insisted on personally signing off every new component. Hence, motor cars arrived almost daily to be inspected, adjusted, and approved before being returned. Each round trip covered more than 400 miles, and marque specialists still use some of those same roads for testing and development. Alongside Elmstead, Royce acquired 60 acres of land and pursued agriculture and horticulture with characteristic zeal and attention to detail. A skilled engineering draughtsman, he also became an accomplished watercolourist. His studies of West Wittering and Le Canadel continue to inspire Rolls-Royce designers who seek to immerse themselves in his world.
For all its global reach, London remains Phantom’s spiritual home. For much of the twentieth century, Rolls-Royce operated from 14–15 Conduit Street near Savile Row in Mayfair, where Charles Rolls had opened one of Britain’s first car showrooms in 1905. He conducted demonstration drives and met clients from the city’s social elite. English Heritage recognised the building’s role in automotive history in 2010 with a Blue Plaque unveiled by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. London later helped to spark Phantom’s renaissance. In the late 1990s, the marque’s designers created a secret studio in a former bank on the north side of Hyde Park. Known as The Bank, a handpicked team led by Chief Designer Ian Cameron worked on a confidential project codenamed RR01. Their brief sounded simple yet remained ambitious: create a new Rolls-Royce from a blank sheet. They received three stipulations only, which required huge wheels, the Pantheon Grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. Chief Exterior Designer Marek Djordjevic studied historic designs for guidance. A coachbuilt Phantom II from the early 1930s proved the most influential, providing design elements that still define every Goodwood-era Rolls-Royce, most notably the celebrated waft line that rises from rear to front along the lower body, reminiscent of a motor yacht at speed.
The first Goodwood Phantom made its global debut at 00:01 on 1 January 2003, when its new owner took delivery. The client chose to immerse themselves in this grand and contemporary expression of the marque and began a 4,500-mile journey from Perth across the Australian continent. The journey delivered an audacious statement, demonstrating that Phantom had returned, ready to define a new era of global luxury travel. In a fitting full-circle moment, that same Phantom returned to the Home of Rolls-Royce in August 2025, the centenary year, for a detailed inspection by marque engineers.
Following the successful market introduction of Phantom, Rolls-Royce engineers turned to the future. They explored powertrains that would suit the brand’s electric era while amplifying qualities that clients celebrate in a Rolls-Royce. In 2011, the marque unveiled the 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric, a fully electric version of the Phantom. The company never intended it for production, yet the experimental car offered the first glimpse of how battery-electric technology could elevate the wider Rolls-Royce experience. 102EX marked the beginning of a bold electric journey that carries the marque into the present day and beyond.
Phantom’s remarkable history continues to inspire everyone at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The centenary in 2025 presents the perfect opportunity to honour the individuals and ideas that have shaped Phantom’s first 100 years. From world-renowned artists to musical pioneers, those who shape our world have chosen Phantom. It has served monarchs, politicians and captains of industry, and it remains a tribute to the vision of Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce. Across generations, Phantom has revealed its unique breadth and brilliance as a studio, stage, state room and gallery. Rolls-Royce will soon bring these stories together in a landmark Bespoke motor car that captures Phantom’s singular legacy, honours an extraordinary milestone and continues one of the most illustrious journeys in automotive history.
