The Final Rolls-Royce To Be Offered As A Rolling Chassis
Rolls-Royce is synonymous with the craft of creating bespoke and highly exclusive models. Beyond its many one-offs and limited edition models, the hallowed automaker's earliest works were developed explicitly as blank canvases that would be molded to each customer's taste.
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Rolls-Royce
One of the oldest and most respected ultra-luxury automakers, Rolls-Royce was established in 1904 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. The duo quickly made a name for themselves as excellent engineers, and later on developed aeroplan engines through the world wars. In the early 70s, the business was liquidated and some parts of it bought over by a government-owned company. It was sold to the public in 1987, and since 2003, has been a subsidiary of Rolls-Ryce Holdings plc. It is recognized as a leader in ultra-high-end coachbuilt cars that require a substantial outlay to acquire.
Rolls-Royce would end its practice of offering rolling chassis for custom coachbuilding before the turn of the millennium, and the final model to be offered in rolling chassis form was the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI.
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This article focuses on Rolls-Royce's history with coachbuilding, the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, and the limited-edition models of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI
Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine by Park Ward BW Front Angled View
Engine | 6.2L | 6.75L NA V8 |
|---|---|
Horsepower | 200 | 200 hp |
Torque | 347 | 398 lb-ft |
Transmission | 3 or 4-speed automatic |
Production years | 1968-1990 |
One of the most significant models in Rolls-Royce's history is the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI. It was born from many upgrades and enhancements to the Phantom V's offerings and was started by Sir Henry Royce. After many upgrades and changes, Rolls-Royce's engineers thought that this model was distinct enough compared to the Phantom V to necessitate an entirely new model designation.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom range was always seen as the most expensive model in Rolls-Royce's catalog, and the Phantom VI introduced in 1968 was a continuation of that trend. Beneath its coach-built exterior was a chassis supported by front coil springs, rear leaf springs, and a live rear axle, while stopping power came from drum brakes at each corner. At the core of the Phantom V's successor was a 6.2-liter V8 engine paired with a four-speed transmission inherited from the Phantom V.
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Similarly to every Rolls-Royce model, the Phantom VI underwent several changes throughout the model's lifetime. The most notable changes included adopting a three-speed automatic transmission that replaced the four-speed automatic transmission and a larger 6.75-liter V8 engine with more torque. It also received specially designed brakes that utilized the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow's high-pressure hydraulics to activate the rams connected to the twin master cylinders and worked alongside the drum brakes.
Ultimately, the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI's production ended in 1990 and was the last model offered as a rolling chassis that featured traditional coach-built bodywork, which represented the zenith of the coachbuilding tradition, and the swansong of an art that was a core characteristic of Rolls-Royce's offering since the company's founding. Only 374 examples of the Phantom VI were built - 50 units fewer than the Rolls-Royce Phantom V. The final client-commissioned example of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was delivered in 1991 and featured 177 bespoke design elements, marking the end of the automaker's history of producing rolling chassis.
Rolls-Royce Rolling Chassis History
1972 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward Black Front
Rolls-Royce was founded in 1906, just two years after the chance meeting between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. However, the first fully monocoque cars were only introduced in the 1960s. Odd, right? Well, not really. In the automotive industry's infancy, many manufacturers, especially high-end luxury manufacturers, would produce rolling chassis, which, for the uninitiated, are models that consist solely of the vehicle's frame and running gear, without a body. Before it began offering fully built models in the '60s, Rolls-Royce produced rolling chassis from the onset of its life as an automotive company.
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The famed British automaker produced rolling chassis because of the tradition of coachbuilding. Coachbuilding is the trade of producing custom bodies for vehicles tailored to specific clients' demands and tastes, on a supplied rolling chassis. This was why Rolls-Royce produced rolling chassis: customers could take these chassis to coachbuilders and have their vehicle bodies custom-made, which added to the level of personalization expected of a high-end luxury automaker like Rolls-Royce.
Coachbuilders were integral to Rolls-Royce's models, and Mulliner Park Ward is one of the most notable examples of a coachbuilder. This was a subdivision of the Rolls-Rocye that was created in 1961 by merging Park Ward of Willesden and H.J Mulliner & Co of Chiswick to form Mulliner Park Ward, which would become the automaker's in-house coachbuilder. In 1969, it was considered the only true coachbuilder left in Britain.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI's Legacy And Noteworthy Renditions
1972 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward Black Front Angle
Not only was the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI the last model that the automaker offered as a rolling chassis, but it was also the last coachbuilt Rolls-Royce to feature Sedanca de Ville and landaulette coachwork. The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was the swansong for the longstanding craft of coachbuilding, and in the three decades that the model was in production, several bespoke iterations debuted.
One of the best examples of creativity associated with the coachbuilding trade was seven special versions codenamed "Alpha" -especially noteworthy renditions of the Phantom VI. These models were visually indistinct from the standard Phantom VI but still featured defined exterior characteristics like the chrome-plated window trim and 16-inch wheels. What made them noteworthy compared to the standard Phantom VI was that they were fitted with 0.2-inch thick glass and 0.3-inch thick armor plating, making the Phantom VI's rear compartment bulletproof and bombproof. The poor chauffeur? Well, he was out of luck.
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Another noteworthy rendition of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was an example referred to as the "Oil Barrel." It belonged to Queen Elizabeth 2 and was distinguishable from other Phantom models by its raised roof (five inches higher than the standard Phantom VI) and Perspec rear cupola, which could be covered by a two-piece black-painted aluminum dome.
The last example of the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI featured landaulette coachwork. It was finished in a black-over-red color scheme accentuated by the red leather interior and red velvet in the rear compartment. Rolls-Royce initially intended to keep this final example, but pressure caused by the recession forced the automaker's hand and led to it parting ways with it in 1993. This Rolls-Royce Phantom VI is the final example of the automaker's traditional coach-built bodywork, which would be revived at Goodwood two decades later.
