Peter Lyon
September 13, 2025
This year’s Goodwood Revival will serve as hallowed ground for Rolls Royce as the ultra-luxury brand celebrates the centenary of its legendary Phantom. And to celebrate in style, Rolls Royce will display five magnificent examples of historic Phantoms on the Aerodrome Lawn at the Goodwood Estate in Surrey, UK.
“No motor car has played such a pivotal role in shaping automotive and cultural history as the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Over eight generations spanning 100 years – a remarkable anniversary we’re honouring throughout 2025 – it has represented the very best in engineering, comfort and personal expression for its owners, and won admirers around the world. Goodwood Revival – on the doorstep of the Home of Rolls-Royce – is the perfect setting to celebrate this extraordinary car and its continuing legacy with five of the most historically important Phantoms ever,” says Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Cars on display include the following…
PHANTOM I BROUGHAM DE VILLE – ‘THE PHANTOM OF LOVE’
Dating from 1926 – the year after the original New Phantom was launched – this celebrated motor car is one of the finest examples of automotive art and craftsmanship ever created. It was commissioned by Clarence Warren Gasque as a gift for his wife, Maude, an heiress to the Woolworth family fortune, and was both a magnificent monument to his devotion, and an immoderate homage to her passion for 18th Century French history and design. Interior details include bespoke Aubusson tapestries, a hand-painted ceiling with gilded cornices, and a drinks cabinet topped with a French Ormolu clock and a pair of French porcelain vases filled with gilded metal and enamel flowers.
PHANTOM II CONTINENTAL TOURING PARK WARD
The now rare and highly prized Phantom II Continental was the production version of an experimental compact, sporting Phantom II variant produced for Henry Royce’s personal use. It was designed for high-speed touring over long distances on the smooth, straight roads of Europe and one of the few Phantoms of its era in which weight, wind resistance and other performance-related factors were as important as passenger comfort. This example, chassis 92PY, was commissioned by Mr A Y Gowen, an American industrialist who owned 16 Rolls-Royce motor cars during his lifetime. Intended for his travels around Europe, it’s fitted with a sunroof as well as the unique yellow tinted sun visor.
PHANTOM III
This beautiful motor car was originally ordered and delivered to Major Frederick Warren Pearl of Eaton Square, London SW1, in 1937. It passed through a number of hands before being exported to the United States. In 1989 it was repatriated to the UK and acquired by its current owner in 1995, following a comprehensive restoration.
PHANTOM IV LANDAULETTE
Phantom IV is the most exclusive model to bear the Phantom name: just 18 examples were produced between 1950 and 1956 and were offered only to royal families and heads of state. The chassis was 23.5 inches longer than that of the similar Silver Wraith; it was also the only Rolls-Royce to be fitted with a straight 8-cylinder engine. Phantom IV is still used by the British royal family for state occasions.
PHANTOM V
A magnificent and rare Rolls-Royce Phantom V with coachwork by James Young, this elegant PV22 model is finished in its original Midnight Blue. It was ordered by Marks & Spencer in January 1963 for the use of its chairman, Lord Marks, and delivered to him in March 1964. In perfect mechanical order, it has covered just 92,000 documented miles from new.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
With the Rolls Royce factory literally on the doorstep of the Goodwood, the Duke of Richmond’s estate is the perfect location at which to celebrate the car’s centenary. During the Revival, Phantom will also make regular appearances on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit. Four Phantom course cars will run from the assembly area between each race, demonstrating the power, precision and dynamic ability that continue to define Phantom as ‘the best car in the world’ after 100 years.
