Driving any Rolls-Royce is a special occasion – but when you’ve got a brace of Phantoms you’re spoiled for choice
Driving through Auckland’s inner city suburbs these days can be a car spotter’s dream. Just take Ponsonby, Parnell or Newmarket for example — the numbers of wildly expensive and exotic machinery parked on the road can have one’s head spinning around like an out-of-control merry-go-round.
Bespoke machinery from Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin and Maserati are all common sights — almost to the point that you become blase to it all. At times, I hardly even bother taking a second glance at that new Murcielago or F430 that’s just pulled up alongside me at the traffic lights, maybe Aucklanders are just getting too hard to impress these days?
However, I did take notice when I recently had the opportunity the briefly drive David Blackmore’s 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom. Although I didn’t stray terribly far from David’s office, it was enough to get a feel for how the other half live. This car has the presence of a concours-prepared Mack truck. People with big smiles were pulling over in front of me just to get a look, while others dived for their cellphone cameras to get a shot of this imposing machine. They laughed, while tapping their friends’ shoulders to get their attention, and you could see them mouth the words — “It’s a Rolls-Royce!”
When you’ve shelled out the thick end of half a million on a second-hand car (and that’s a bargain) you want everybody to notice you — and they do, believe me.
The slower the traffic, the more time people have to see this stately battleship coming through. For a vehicle measuring over six metres nose-to-tail, the Phantom proves surprisingly graceful. Swinging out of the car park, I quickly noticed its tight turning radius, while on the road it felt smaller than the numbers suggest. You do sit noticeably higher, closer to the driving position in an SUV than a standard sedan, but there’s no sense of driving a truck, even though it may look like one to some. It’s quite difficult to adequately describe the Phantom without actually experiencing the car for yourself. It has thicker carpeting that your living room, better leather than any lounge suite, and a price tag that’s higher than an average Auckland house.
But what really had people guessing was the fact that I was following David in his magnificent 1967 Rolls Royce Phantom V. This car is equally, if not more impressive, and as we headed off we certainly created more than our fair share of attention.
German Roller
David Blackmore is no stranger to the pages of NZCC, as you may remember the recent article on his awesome 1932 Blower Bentley.
This 2004 Phantom is the newest addition to the Bentley Trust fleet, black on the inside, black on the outside, they don’t get any more impressive than this. David is rather partial to big, powerful, comfortable cars, and as we glanced over at his line-up of Bentleys he told me that his Arnage Turbo feels small in comparison to the big Roller.
David’s acquisition of the Phantom came after a call from a local prestige car dealership around a year ago. “David, we have just the car for you!”
Unable to resist the urge to at least take a look, purely out of curiosity more than anything else, David decided to take up the offer and view the car. When he walked into the showroom there it was — a blend of traditional luxury and contemporary hardware, wrapped in black, the first child of the marriage between the esteemed British marque and its new parent, BMW. At half the replacement cost of a new Rolls-Royce Phantom — and with room for a little more negotiating — David was driving this three-year-old seductive monster home within a few hours of sighting it.
Those who know David are well aware that he likes to pimp out his rides, and the Phantom is no exception. Rumour has it this Phantom was going to receive a few subtle extras, like a winged demon with horns — to be made by Weta Workshop — to replace the Spirit of Ecstasy, and even a row of spent cartridge shells in a spiny ridge along the bonnet, spring loaded naturally, to collapse if anyone was unlucky enough to be flung across them. Maybe even a Darth Vader licence plate.
However, none of these modifications were, as yet, clearly evident. Although purists will, no doubt, not take to the altered Rolls-Royce logos which now read ‘ROCKN ROLLS.’ These are so subtle that unless you’re close up, you can barely see they have been changed. There are also flame graphics on the side indicator lenses, and a small chrome skull adorns the rear license plate surround.
The current plate is a single T, with a very faint outline of P H A N and O M added to either side, not to mention the ‘bling’ in the form of large diamante lettering across the rear panel.
Breaking with Tradition
I’m not sure that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited could have envisaged such additional subtleties when it revealed the all-new Rolls-Royce Phantom in late 2002.
New custodian of the Rolls-Royce marque, BMW, was totally committed to launching a new company, a new plant and a new car, which was unveiled to the world in January 2003.
The Phantom was entirely new from the ground up, capturing the spirit of the world’s most famous marque, interpreted in an absolutely contemporary way.
Beginning with a blank canvas, the design and engineering teams were ultimately influenced by the philosophy of Sir Henry Royce — strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better, if it doesn’t exist, design it.
The outcome was a car incorporating cutting edge engineering technology, supreme quality and the finest in hand-built craftsmanship. The Phantom’s aluminium space-frame is the largest of its kind ever built for any car. More than 200 extruded aluminium profiles and 300 sheet parts result in low weight and extreme strength. The Phantom’s entire body shell weighs in at a meagre 550kg, but has a torsional rigidity at least twice as stiff as any previous Rolls-Royce.
The light weight, normally aspirated, 6.75-litre V12 engine develops a respectable 338kW and a peak torque of 720Nm at 3500rpm. Even more impressive, is that 78 per cent of it torque is produced at just 1000rpm, a tad over idle. This equates to effortless, staggering acceleration from standstill, catapulting the huge machine to 100kph in 5.7 seconds, and on to a limited top speed of 240kph.
Inside, is everything you’d expect from a Roller, with more leather hides and matching pieces of wood than you’ll find on a herd of cattle lost in Sequoia National Forest. Rolls offers numerous options so there’s ample opportunity to tailor this luxurious environment to individual specifications.
Self-levelling air suspension with electronic dampers and multi-link rear, double wishbone front suspension combined with an extra long wheelbase and high profile tyres give the perfect combination for a silky smooth ride.
The Phantom is also the first car in the world to feature the advanced PAX run-flat tyre system that allows the car to run for 160km at 80kph after a puncture. David informs me that because of the unique size of the tyres, the cost to replace each one is around $3500 — ouch!
Of course, what would a Roller be if it didn’t have a few unique gizmos to make it just a little more special, well in the eyes of prospective owners anyway. So, how about an electrically retractable Spirit of Ecstasy, which can be lowered out of sight whenever the Phantom is parked; wheel hub centres with the double-R logo which remain upright at all times; and unique, Rolls-logo umbrellas which stowed within each rear door.
Best of British
David is not a person to delve into the previous history of any of the cars he buys. Previous ownership, or where it’s been, is not really that important as far as he is concerned. Essentially, if he likes a car and is in the market to buy, then that’s what usually happens. Although in the case of his 1967 Phantom V, he did stumble across something interesting whilst bidding for it on eBay. Apart from the fact that the price was right and David just happened to hit the ‘buy now’ button at precisely the right moment, much to the dismay of other auction watchers, he found out the car had previously been owned by the British royal family, and had also been used by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham.
The fact is though, that David actually purchased the Phantom V so he could compare it to his brace of 600 Mercedes-Benz Pullmans. The best of German versus the best of British. Quite appropriate as, during the ’60s, Mercedes and Rolls-Royce boasted that their cars were the best in the world, the biggest, the most powerful and most luxurious.
After spending a little time in the classic Phantom, David quickly came to the conclusion that the two cars were in fact worlds apart. The Mercedes handled and performed significantly better in every respect, but the Rolls had the X-factor.
This gracious lady still has a presence befitting royalty, with its stately composure and glorious Mulliner Park Ward coachwork. In fact, not only was the Phantom V designed purely for royalty, it was also aimed at Heads of State as well as the very rich and famous. Eminent former owners of Phantom V Rolls-Royce cars include Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and John Lennon — whose car, famously, sported a custom psychedelic finish.
The Phantom V was the biggest Rolls-Royce ever when it launched in 1959 alongside the Silver Cloud II/Bentley S2, sharing the same 6230cc aluminium V8 engine and General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission. The chassis clearly followed the Silver Cloud’s layout, but was lengthened considerably and strengthened with colossal reinforcements, complete with a wider front and rear track.
An extremely low final drive gear permitted understated progress at a speed only slightly above walking pace, which was used primarily for ceremonial occasions. Mind you, braking is often described as clumsy at best as the brake servo was coupled to the transmission.
At that time most Rollers carried Mulliner Park Ward coachwork. Rolls-Royce purchased Park Ward before the war, and bought HJ Mulliner later in 1959, amalgamating them in 1962, then later changing the name to just Mulliner Park Ward. Park Ward produced 156 bodies and HJ Mulliner Park Ward clocked up 152 bodies until the merger of both companies, representing the larger share of coachwork for this formal car.
James Young, a successful independent company, manufactured a total of 195 bodies, all based on exceptionally graceful designs by AF McNeill, some of which were finished as Sedanca de Villes.
The Phantom was perfectly suited to the coachbuilders’ art — mainly due to its vast wheelbase of 3.68 metres and exceptionally rigid chassis. The earlier production cars have single headlamps before they were changed to the later Cloud III-style twin items. The options list included cocktail cabinets, a TV, separate front and rear air conditioning and early telephone systems. Most Phantoms have an electric glass partition and fold-out occasional seats.
Now, if you’re thinking that this fine lady has escaped David’s subtle touches, then I’m afraid not. Following along in the same fashion as the later Phantom, David has very carefully included the ‘ROCKN ROLLS’ badges onto the side of the car — if you don’t look too closely you won’t even see them.
1967 Rolls Royce Phantom V
Engine Rolls-Royce V8
Capacity 6.2-litre
Bore/stroke 104.1mm x 91.4mm
Valves Two per cylinder, ohv
C/R 9.0:1
Max power 147kW
Max torque Not quoted by RR
Fuel system Two SU carburettors
Transmission GM400 four-speed automatic
Suspension F/R Independent coils springs/ beam axle, half semi-eliptic leaf springs
Steering Worm and roller
Brakes Servo assisted drum
Dimensions:
Overall length 6045mm
Width 2007mm
Height 1753mm
Wheelbase 3683mm
Kerb weight 2540kg
Performance:
Max speed 162kph
0-100kph 13.8 seconds
2004 Rolls Royce Phantom
Engine Rolls-Royce V12
Capacity 6.75-litre
Bore/stroke 92mm x 84.6mm
Valves four per cylinder
C/R 11.0:1
Max power 338kW
Max torque 720Nm
Fuel system Direct injection
Transmission Six speed Automatic
Suspension F/R Wishbone front suspension with stabilizer bar and air springs, multi-link rear suspension with stabiliser bar and air springs. Automatic front and rear suspension levelling
Steering Rack and pinion, speed sensitive power-assisted
Brakes Ventilated disc
Dimensions:
O/all length 5834mm
Width 1988mm
Height 1633mm
Wheelbase 3571mm
Kerb weight 2529kg
Performance:
Max speed 240kph
0-100kph 5.7 seconds
Words: Ashley Webb Photos: Dan Wakelin
