1962 Rolls-Royce Phantom V

“ This is one of only seven Harrods Phantoms used for VIP customers which they re-modelled in 1997 to extremely high specification at a staggering cost of £89,240 plus VAT. ”
Being offered as part of our curated auction in conjunction with the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Annual Rally at Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire on the 26th – 28th June’26.

Background
The Phantom V represented a slight change of direction for Rolls-Royce, eschewing the well-proven six-cylinder engine in favour of a 6,230cc all-alloy V8.

History shows this was a wise move but, at the time monocles dropped and pipes went unlit as its customer base asked each other what on earth the world was coming to.

It was still reassuringly imposing but then it had to be as it replaced both the heads-of-state-only Phantom IV and the Silver Wraith, and its 145-inch wheelbase provided coachbuilders with the real estate with which to indulge any fancy, no matter how expensive.

Park Ward, Rolls-Royce's in-house coachbuilders, produced the ‘standard; seven-seat limousine you see here, which accounted for 133 of the 518 examples built between 1959 and 1968.

The driver might have had to make do with leather upholstery but those in the rear could choose from a bewildering range of materials, including West of England cloth. Most left the factory with a cocktail cabinet fitted too, allowing its occupants to partake of a swift bracer whenever life became a bit too much. Electric windows were also offered as an option, as was air-conditioning.

A lower final-drive ratio allowed the new model to pick up its skirt and run when it needed too, and the top speed remained a reassuring three-figures.

A slight redesign in 1952 allowed the incorporation of four headlamps and a revised upper body, and the model stayed in production into the 1990s as the Phantom VI.

Overview
Converted in 1997 at a cost of £89,240 plus VAT each, the seven Harrods’ Phantoms were used to ferry high-net-worth and valued customers around the capital and beyond: All were painted Harrods’ Green and finished with gold basket weave-effect side panels, a tan roof, and faux pram irons – and, of course, the interiors were every bit as luxurious as you imagine.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

In March 1962 Lord James Hanson bought it as a standard Phantom. Painted black, he hung onto it until September 1996, at which point it had racked up fewer than 32,000 miles.

Its refurbishment included a change of colour to Harrods Green with lavish appointments that included special-order Connolly leather and cloth trim, a period TV, video player, and fax machine, three mobile telephones, a cut-glass decanter and glasses, an electric privacy screen between the driver and passenger compartments with an intercom, air-conditioning, lamb’s wool rugs, and much, much more.

It stayed with the world’s most famous shop until June 2013 when it moved into the hands of its third and current owner, a classic car enthusiast with a small collection. Sadly, he died last year and the Phantom was sold to our seller.

It had been stored under a cover in a somewhat ramshackle garage, a combination we understand caused the paintwork to ‘sweat’, ruining its finish. However, recognising the car’s importance and underlying condition, our seller had it recommissioned, including having it resprayed in its original Harrods’ Green.

As you can imagine, it comes with a huge history file, and it runs so well he had no qualms about driving it from London to our base in Oxfordshire, a journey that revealed it drives “like a three-year-old car!”

Estimate: £50,000 - £60,000

View the current bid price here:  https://www.themarket.co.uk/listings/rolls-royce/phantom-v/55836575-8d93-4f36-8034-2a8a19f7a23f