1963 Rolls-Royce Phantom V

The Rolls-Royce Phantom V was introduced in 1959 and drew upon the company's legacy for inspiration, as it was tailored for the transportation of heads of state, dignitaries, and royalty. The new Phantom V replaced both the Silver Wraith and the Phantom IV and its long chassis was perfectly suited for coachbuilders to provide adequate trunk space in a comfortable seven-seater automobile. The chassis and drivetrains were assembled by Rolls-Royce with bodies made to a standard designed by coachbuilders James Young and Park Ward. (Park Ward of Willesden, London was a subsidiary since 1939 and H.J. Mulliner & Co. of Chiswick was a Rolls-Royce subsidiary since 1959. In 1961, the merger of these two subsidiaries resulted in the formation of Mulliner Park Ward.) Between 1959 and 1968, Rolls-Royce produced 832 examples of the Phantom V. 607 of those were by Park Ward and 217 by James Young. Eight Phantom Vs were made by H.J. Mulliner prior to the merger.

The new 6,230cc all-alloy V8 engine with twin SU carburetors powering the Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 sedans was installed in the Phantom V. The engine was backed by a four-speed automatic transmission and a lower final drive ratio ensured that top speed remained in excess of 100mph. A shallow gear allowed the Phantom V to travel at walking speeds which made it suitable for ceremonies. The front suspension was independent by unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, a torsional anti-roll bar, and opposed piston hydraulic dampers. In the back was an asymmetric semi-elliptic setup with electrically controlled piston-type dampers and a single radius rod. Stopping power was courtesy of servo-assisted hydraulic front brakes and combined hydraulic and mechanical rear brakes.

The Phantom V was continuously evolved and improved over its production lifespan, with the Silver Cloud III's more powerful engine and new front wings fitted from 1963 onward.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2021