The best cars in the world, The Rolls Royce Phantom range gets an exhibition to showcase the cars.

• ‘THE GREAT EIGHT PHANTOMS’ A ROLLS-ROYCE EXHIBITION
• ROLLS-ROYCE ANNOUNCES A GATHERING OF THE GREATEST PHANTOMS IN HISTORY 
• #GreatPhantoms 

At the end of July, ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition, will gather together the greatest Phantoms from the last 92 years in Mayfair, London. The Exhibition will welcome the next generation of this most celebrated luxury item. Over the next eight weeks, Rolls-Royce will announce which great Phantoms will journey to London from around the world, telling the stories of these motor cars and the historical events they witnessed. The first story will chronicle ‘The Fred Astaire Phantom I’. 

‘The Great Eight Phantoms’

From its debut in 1925, a Rolls-Royce Phantom has stood as witness to history’s most defining moments, from treaty signings to occasions of state and the events that have defined the world we live in today.

The conveyance of choice for the world’s most influential and powerful men and women for 92 years, Phantom has stood as a sentinel, silently witnessing moments as significant as The Beatles collecting their honours at Buckingham Palace, Field-Marshal Montgomery driving Churchill and Eisenhower, and numerous global superstars collecting their Oscars. 

Its standing as the longest existing nameplate in the world of motoring is testament to Phantom’s enduring importance to every generation’s leaders, from heads of state to generals, royalty to rock stars, stars of the silver screen to titans of industry. 

To celebrate this unprecedented legacy – a history still very much being written – Rolls-Royce will bring together the most famous examples of all seven previous generations of Phantom at ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ Exhibition from 27 July of this year. 

Phantoms that have been owned by the great and the good will return from around the globe to Rolls-Royce’s spiritual home in Mayfair, London – the global home of luxury – for this never to be repeated event, which will welcome the arrival of the eighth and most modern generation of ‘The Best Car in the World’, the new Phantom. 

In a series of updates over the next eight weeks, Rolls-Royce will reveal which famous Phantoms will travel to London for the Exhibition, an occasion that promises to write yet another chapter in Phantom’s remarkable history. 

The first of these iconic stories is about ‘The Fred Astaire Phantom I’, which is loaned to the Exhibition by its owner, the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. 

Rolls-Royce Phantom – ‘The Best Car in the World’

Rolls-Royce began producing the Phantom I in 1925. The car was developed in great secrecy, with the project code-named Eastern Armoured Car. This suggested Rolls-Royce was intent on producing the kind of military vehicles used in the First World War, most famously by Lawrence of Arabia. Sections of armour plate were left lying around the factory to confuse curious competitors eager to glean the secret of making the ‘best cars in the world’. 

The Phantom I was an instant success. The new 7.668-litre straight-six engine gave the car a fresh spring in its step. When General Motors opened a testing ground in Michigan, it was discovered that no cars could manage even two laps of the 4-mile circuit at full throttle without damaging their engines big ends – where the piston attaches to the crankshaft. However, Phantom I performed with consummate imperiousness and managed that, and more, at a steady 80mph without failure. 

Sir Henry Royce’s restless desire to, in his own words, “take the best that exists and make it better” quickly led to the creation of the Phantom II in 1929, this time with a totally new chassis, which significantly improved the handling, as well as a re-designed engine. 

The next Phantom, the third in the line, was to be Sir Henry Royce’s last project. He passed away in 1933, aged 70, about 12 months into the development of this next Phantom. The finished model, with its peerless 12 cylinder engine, was unveiled two years later and production lasted from 1936 until the Second World War. The final chassis was produced in 1941, although the war meant it did not receive its coachwork until 1947. No announcement came about a replacement and it looked as if the Phantom was another victim of the war. 

In 1950, Phantom IV appeared. The car was originally intended to be a one-off for Prince Philip and the then Princess Elizabeth. However, once seen, a further 17 were exclusively commissioned at the request of other royal families and heads of state around the world. Fitted with a straight-eight engine, it performed superbly at low speeds – essential for taking part in ceremonial parades – and featured the kneeling version of the famous Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet mascot. 

The Phantom V was produced between 1959 and 1968 and 516 of this hugely successful model were made for clients including the Queen Mother, governors of Hong Kong, King Olav of Norway and John Lennon. 

The long-running Phantom VI (1968-90) carried on the royal connection, notably with the Silver Jubilee Car, a raised-roof version presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 by the British motor industry to celebrate her 25 years on the throne, and later famously used at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

In 2003, a watching world was greeted with Phantom VII, a glowing affirmation of the start of Rolls-Royce’s renaissance at his new home in Goodwood, West Sussex. It was sharply contemporary yet timeless in the manner in which it deftly retained Phantom’s characteristic aesthetic. Built at the Home of Rolls-Royce. an all-new, state-of-the-art centre of excellence, it arrived with a 453bhp 6.75-litre V12 – enough to propel it from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds – and every possible comfort a new breed of discerning luxury consumer could desire. Exquisite detail right down to the car's Teflon-coated umbrellas and self-righting wheel-centres, left a curious public in no doubt the marque was in safe hands.

Production of the Phantom VII ceased thirteen years later at the end of 2016. 

‘The Great Eight Phantoms’, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition, will be the first time that this exceptional group of truly iconic luxury motoring pieces will be gathered under one roof. Every Rolls-Royce Phantom is an exceptional car, but thanks to their pedigree, this particular collection will include some very singular cars indeed, all owned at some point by famous individuals, and having played their part in witnessing the making of world history.

This is such an uncommon pageant, it is no exaggeration to say we might never see the likes of it again. 

‘The Great Eight Phantoms’, a Rolls-Royce Exhibition, will take place in Mayfair, London, at the end of July this year. 

There is going to be a movie made which showcases the iconic and best car in the world, the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

Asif Kapadia is to direct the Martin Scorsese/Anthony Haas produced feature film drama SILVER GHOST. The project will be a co-production between Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions and Zuma Productions.

BAFTA Award winning Asif Kapadia, director of box office breaking films SENNA and Oscar nominated AMY, said, “What struck me when I read SILVER GHOST was how this true story weaves together the lives of five remarkable people that changed the destiny of the Western world and I am delighted to be working together with the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Anthony Haas to bring it to the screen.”

Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese remarks, "I’ve been captivated by the story of SILVER GHOST ever since Lord Richard Attenborough came to me with the project, and I’m thrilled that we’re going to be seeing it through.  It’s a project that requires a great and innovative storyteller, and that’s exactly what we have with Asif Kapadia.”

Developed by the late Academy Award winning director Richard Attenborough and producer Anthony Haas,SILVER GHOST tells the epic story of the iconic motor car, born out of an extraordinary odd-couple relationship between the maverick genius of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, marking the genesis of aviation and all the courage and daredevilry that went with it.

Set at the turn of the last century, it delineates the fascinating story of Rolls and Royce and their close friendship with motoring pioneer Lord John Douglas-Scott Montagu, his relationship with his beautiful wife, Cis, and his secret affair with his secretary and mistress, Eleanor Velasco Thornton. Eleanor was the inspiration for the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, designed by British artist and sculptor, Charles Sykes that to this day adorns all Rolls-Royce cars.

“When Richard Attenborough was asked how he would like to be remembered, he replied ‘as a storyteller,’” said Anthony Haas.  “Asif also knows how to tell a deeply personal and epic story and SILVER GHOST is an amazing untold tale of the highs and lows of what makes us human.”

"SILVER GHOST covers the thrilling and tragic events during which one of the greatest engineering names in the world was created," said Sir Ralph Robins, past Chairman, Rolls-Royce plc.

Rolls-Royce Motor cars unveils "Wraith - Inspired By Fashion"

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the world of Haute Couture have long been bound by a common philosophy – to take the very finest materials and craft them into the most exquisite and desirable luxury goods, appointed to the customer’s exact specifications. In this spirit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to unveil ‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’.

Fittingly, the marque’s first showroom in Conduit Street, Mayfair was founded a short step from London’s famous centre of tailoring excellence, Savile Row. Here, Sir Henry Royce and his partner The Honourable Charles Rolls echoed the offerings of their illustrious neighbours by providing London’s most stylish denizens with the automotive equivalent of the finest cloths; a perfectly engineered Rolls-Royce chassis and running gear. 

The customer would then call upon their preferred coachbuilder, who would furnish the car with personal touches and accoutrements specified perfectly to their requirements.

A century later, a bold new generation of customers continue to share the same appetite for commissioning expressions of their taste and lifestyle. ‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’ provides a modern take on this grand tradition. Akin to commissioning a fine suit or elegant piece of couture, the journey of creating a highly Bespoke Rolls-Royce motor car begins at the marque’s equivalent of the tailor’s atelier, the Bespoke Design Studio at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. 

Here, the Designers honed the aesthetic theme of the car, drawing inspiration from colour palettes, materials and techniques used in the world of high fashion. The result is an extraordinary interpretation of Wraith’s characteristic blend of power, style and drama.

Giles Taylor, Director of Design for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “This iteration of Wraith provides a canvas for materials and finishes most commonly associated with the world of fashion. Inspiration was sourced from international catwalks and Bespoke Tailors, resulting in an aesthetically stunning and sartorially on-point motor car.”

‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’ two-tone exterior colour scheme of Andalucian White and Arctic White offers a neutral setting for a choice of accent colours, namely Jasmine, Tailored Purple or Mugello Red. Wraith’s signature shoulder-line is accentuated deftly with the addition of a hand-applied feature-line in the chosen highlight colour, alluding to the divergent interior of the motor car.

Like the finest Bespoke garments, beauty is found in the subtlest details. On opening Wraith’s coach-doors you will find a contemporary impression of the car’s classic Arctic White and Black interior colour scheme. Beyond the traditional placement of embroidered headrests, seat stitching and piping, the accent colour has found an elegant new application via a striking two-tone composition steering wheel. 

A seamless stitch, a highly complex craft technique from the world of fine tailoring, was mastered and applied to the wheel by the craftspeople in the Leather Shop at the Home of Rolls-Royce.

The very finest garments are crafted exclusively from the most luxurious materials – with tactility, comfort and quality as important an attribute as the aesthetic of the piece itself. The Bespoke design team took inspiration from this approach in appointing the car’s front and rear door pockets with fine silks, adorned with an abstract representation of the Spirit of Ecstasy with each emblem set precisely at fifty-five degrees to complement the lines of the door.

The remarkable craftsmanship and attention-to-detail employed in the creation of any Rolls-Royce is evident in the exquisite application of wood to the dashboard, with the lacquering process for ‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’ alone taking nine days to painstakingly complete. This is completed elegantly with the integration of a Bespoke Clock, set as a piece of jewellery, styled exclusively to emit a pearl effect, reminiscent of silk fabrics.

The contemporary fashion theme is completed with the integration of welting, a specialist technique most commonly associated with Bespoke tailoring. Presented as a colourful silk strip, the welting stylishly frames Wraith’s signature leather door-panel. 

To mark the occasion of the creation of this timeless Wraith, the motor car took part in a landmark shoot on the production line at the Home of Rolls-Royce in the South of England.  The luxurious materials and distinctive features presented in the motor car were accentuated by fashion models, set against a backdrop of the hand-made motor cars. 

The global debut of ‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’ is available to view via PERISCOPE^©, the new live-streaming App of Twitter^©. Followers of @RollsRoyceCars on Twitter can download the App from the iTunes App Store and follow the authenticated @RollsRoyceCars feed.  The unveiling, which will take place at New York’s PRATT Institute as part of the PRATT Presents Women of Influence in the Business of Style event can be viewed live on 8 May at 4.15pm EDT (9.15pm BST, 10.15pm CET).

The remarkable success of Wraith in attracting a new generation of successful entrepreneurs to the marque has been underpinned by a surge in demand for Bespoke personalisation – a remarkable 95% of all Wraith motor cars left the Home of Rolls-Royce with an element of Bespoke design last year, giving bold expression to the notion that Bespoke is Rolls-Royce.