1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom – Fit for a Queen

Text: Gautam Sen                      Images: Makarand Baokar

When the Phantom V was introduced in 1959, it became the first Phantom model in two decades to be offered for general sale, as the Phantom IV had been built exclusively to special order. Derived from the Silver Cloud family, the Phantom V was powered by the same 6.2-litre V8 engine – mated to a General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission – as used in the Silver Cloud II and Bentley SII.

Naturally, the Phantom V was larger and heavier than its Silver Cloud counterparts. It was built on an extended chassis with a wheelbase of 3.68 metres, approximately 56 cm longer than the standard Silver Cloud chassis. To accommodate the additional weight, Rolls-Royce incorporated an extra box-section crossmember behind the central cruciform.

The increased wheelbase and interior space allowed for the option of two occasional rear seats, while the rear compartment could also be fitted with a cocktail cabinet. The dashboard and door fittings were finished in figured French walnut, and upholstery, either leather or fabric, was specified according to the buyer’s preferences.

Bespoke and exquisitely crafted, a total of 518 Phantom Vs was produced between 1959 and 1968, before being succeeded by the closely related Phantom VI. Of these, James Young was responsible for 196 bodies, while Hooper built just two. The remaining cars were bodied by Mulliner Park Ward, Park Ward, or H. J. Mulliner – firms that, by 1961, had been consolidated under Rolls-Royce ownership, following Rolls-Royce’s acquisition of Park Ward in 1939. The car featured here is bodied by Mulliner Park Ward.

Whereas the Phantom IV had been restricted to a small circle of heads of state, the clientele for the Phantom V was comparatively more ‘plebeian’. Nevertheless, it still included notable figures such as Queen Elizabeth II and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth II’s Phantom Vs served as official State cars and were modified accordingly.

King Olav V of Norway owned a 1962 Phantom V, while Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, commissioned two examples. One of the Shah’s Phantom Vs remains in Tehran and is occasionally displayed to the public alongside other luxury automobiles from his collection.

Incidentally, Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito also “possessed” a Phantom V for his “private use,” as did John Lennon, whose Phantom V was famously finished in a highly distinctive, custom paint scheme inspired by a gypsy caravan. Needless to say, this flamboyant livery was not a factory-applied finish.

The Phantom V was also highly regarded as a ceremonial vehicle. The Governor of Hong Kong, for example, was among several British officials to use one for official ceremonies. For similar reasons, the British High Commissioner (or possibly the Foreign Office) in Delhi ordered the very Phantom V featured here in 1965. Chassis #5VD65 served as a ceremonial and official car for the High Commissioner for several years.

The car was eventually sold through the State Trading Corporation, and a wealthy resident of Mumbai acquired it, using it regularly for a number of years. When this gentleman later put the car up for sale, Pranlal Bhogilal made it a point to add India’s only Phantom V to his collection. Today, it can be seen at the Dastan Autoworld Museum near Ahmedabad.