The eighth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom is set to appear in late July in England. And although a phantom by the traditional definition is a ghostly entity that is seen, heard, or sensed but has no physical reality, such has never characterized any of the Phantoms produced by Rolls-Royce over the last 92 years. Indeed, Rolls-Royce is doing everything it can to ensure that its newest Phantom not only will be seen, heard, and sensed once its physical reality is manifest, but that each of the previous seven generations is recognized. Hence, the company has embarked on a global dragnet operation aimed at conjuring one notable spirit to represent each of the Phantom?s preceding iterations as the world welcomes number eight.
By ?notable,? think Phantoms of particular fame and notoriety, such as John Lennon?s psychedelic Phantom V, the Phantom III that belonged to Field Marshal Bernard ?Monty? Montgomery, and a Phantom II that the company built for India?s maharaja. ?What we wanted to do was find seven Phantoms that represent the history of what Rolls-Royce has meant to society, not just the car world,? explains Gerry Spahn, head of communications for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in North America.

The first Phantom to be snatched by these most gallant of ghostbusters is, fittingly, a massive Phantom I once owned by Fred Astaire. It is currently in the care of the Margie and Robert E. Petersen collection that is housed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Built in 192...