1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V

Rolls-Royce built a mere 18 Phantom IV chassis examples strictly for ruling heads of state before turning back to offering a Phantom for the 'wealthy masses' in 1959. They were tremendously expensive automobiles and produced solely to individual special order. Just like earlier Rolls-Royces, the tradition of bespoke custom coachwork continued, clothed by the world's most renowned coachbuilders and skinned in aluminum and finished in the owner's choice of paint colors and trim.

The new top-of-the-range Rolls-Royce Phantom V, introduced in the autumn of 1959, replaced both the Phantom IV and the Silver Wraith. It had a new 6,230 cc all-alloy V8 engine that was also used in the Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 saloons, and it was built on a modified and strengthened Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II 145-inch wheelbase chassis. Other features included a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission and servo-assisted braking. With suitably luxurious coachwork, the finished cars measured well over 20 feet in length. Despite its size, the Phantom V was still quite capable of exceeding 100 mph. Many of the first orders came from the royal families of Europe and other dignitaries, but the bulk of inquiries came from industry or private individuals. Over the course of its 9-year production run, 516 Phantom Vs were sold, and most were built in England.

Among the celebrities who owned the Phantom V included Liberace, John Lennon, Elton John, and Elvis Presley. Popular with royalty and politicians, the Phantom V was owned by Queen Elizabeth II, Charles III, Chris Patten, Josip Broz Tito, Imelda Marcos, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and Nicolae Ceausescu.