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The year 2025 at Rolls‑Royce was marked by an exceptional anniversary. Phantom—the brand’s pinnacle model and one of the most celebrated nameplates in the history of luxury—marked 100 years since its debut in 1925. And throughout the year, Rolls‑Royce did not celebrate only a motor car, but above all the stories of people, places, and moments that shaped Phantom… and that Phantom itself has influenced.
The original “New Phantom”, designed by Sir Henry Royce, became synonymous with unwavering luxury and technical excellence. Across eight generations, Phantom has retained its status as the most grand and refined motor car the marque has ever built—and in its centenary year, its legacy unfolded as a global series of events, gatherings, and Bespoke creations.
A century on the world stage
The celebrations took place quite literally across continents. Throughout the year, all generations of Phantom appeared at landmark events—from pre‑war examples to today’s Phantom VIII. The journey began at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, continued through the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival in the United Kingdom, and included, for example, Torre Loizaga near Bilbao in Spain, where all eight generations were displayed.
A powerful highlight was also the drive undertaken by members of the 20‑Ghost Club across Scandinavia and the Baltics: more than 2,000 kilometres from Helsinki through Nordic landscapes in a convoy of 26 pre‑war Rolls‑Royces, including three Phantom I models. The oldest car dated from 1927.
Phantom also made an appearance in Karlovy Vary, where its cultural role was underscored during the city’s film festival. In Poland, Rolls‑Royce hosted a jazz evening with Stacey Kent; in Baku, an exclusive cultural club scene paid tribute to Phantom’s “musical” life. In North America, the anniversary was honoured with its own dedicated class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, bringing all eight generations together for the occasion.
Phantom and music: a legend brought to life
The centenary also paid tribute to music icons who chose Phantom as a symbol of success and a source of inspiration—from Marlene Dietrich and Liberace, through Elvis Presley, to Sir Elton John, Pharrell Williams, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.
The most famous story in Phantom’s musical mythology belongs to Keith Moon, drummer of The Who, who reportedly drove his Rolls‑Royce into a swimming pool during his 21st birthday celebrations. Whatever the reality, the image of a Phantom beneath the surface became a symbol of rock ’n’ roll excess. To mark the centenary, Rolls‑Royce chose to reference the legend quite literally: it submerged the body shell of a Phantom Extended—an out‑of‑service prototype destined for recycling—into the Art Deco Tinside Lido pool in Plymouth, England.
The location also carries its own Beatles connection: on 12 September 1967, The Beatles visited during the filming of Magical Mystery Tour. That same year, John Lennon unveiled his yellow, hand‑painted Phantom V—forever linking Phantom with music history.
Phantom and art: surrealism on four wheels
During the celebrations, Rolls‑Royce also recalled Phantom’s long‑standing connection to the art world. Salvador Dalí once filled a friend’s Phantom with 500 kilograms of cauliflowers and, upon arriving at the Sorbonne in Paris, opened the doors so the vegetables spilled onto the ground—a moment that itself marks its 70th anniversary (26 December 2025).
The marque also reflected on other owners who shaped the cultural conversation of their time, including Andy Warhol, who reportedly bought a 1937 Phantom on impulse in 1972 after seeing it parked outside an antiques shop in Zurich.
The year’s culmination was the unveiling of the Phantom Centenary Private Collection—Rolls‑Royce’s in‑house Bespoke tribute to its most storied model. Limited to just 25 examples, the collection combines traditional and highly innovative craft techniques to tell a century of stories: about personalities, clients, journeys, places, and moments that defined Phantom’s first 100 years.
Its iridescent two‑tone exterior in Super Champagne Crystal over Arctic White and Black is complemented by a solid‑gold Spirit of Ecstasy—an homage to the elegance of Phantom’s “Hollywood era.” Inside, the car becomes a narrative in materials: the Anthology Gallery features sculpted words selected from a century of media acclaim. The rear seats are upholstered in high‑resolution printed and embroidered fabric, developed with a couture atelier over the course of a year.
The Starlight Headliner captures historic moments in 440,000 stitches. The doors showcase the most complex woodwork the marque has created to date, combining 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering, and 24‑carat gold leafing. Rolls‑Royce describes the result as its most technologically ambitious Private Collection to date.
A year that inspired clients: Bespoke commissions for centenary delivery
The anniversary was also reflected in client orders. Many customers planned their Bespoke Phantoms years in advance so that delivery would take place in 2025—making their motor cars part of both a personal legacy and Phantom’s ongoing story. These commissions were created by the Bespoke Collective and Private Offices in Shanghai, Dubai, Seoul, New York, and Goodwood. Each of these cars carries a special centenary chassis plaque displaying its unique VIN.
Among the most notable are Phantom Year of the Dragon (a marquetry Gallery featuring two dragons and “pearls” in the form of a Bespoke clock), Phantom Cherry Blossom with the marque’s first sculptural 3D embroidery of sakura petals, Phantom Dentelle inspired by couture lace, and Phantom Chinese Mural Art, which works with an adapted reduction woodblock printing technique.
The future of Bespoke: Goodwood expands
While 2025 belonged to history, Rolls‑Royce also strengthened its future. In Goodwood, construction continued on a major site expansion valued at £300 million, bringing new technologies and possibilities for Bespoke—new materials, techniques, and bold creative directions. Phantom, as the marque’s largest “canvas”, is set to remain the place where these innovations will be realised on the grandest scale.
“For Rolls‑Royce, 2025 has revolved around the centenary of our pinnacle product, Phantom. This was a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to honour the stories that built this nameplate’s legend—from the motor cars themselves to the towering figures in music, art, business and statecraft who have chosen a Phantom of their own. We marked this extraordinary occasion with exceptional global celebrations and landmark commissions that perfectly set the tone for Phantom’s next 100 years,” said Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars.
Phantom is not merely a motor car. It is a cultural artefact that has appeared, for a century, wherever the history of style, power, and creativity has been written. And that is why its centenary is more than an anniversary—it is a reminder that true luxury is recognised by the stories that outlast their time.
Exclusive importer of Rolls‑Royce for the Czech market: www.rollsroyceprague.cz.