A glimpse inside Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud's garage reveals a vehicular absurdity: Parked next to two Daewoo Matizs are two Rolls-Royce Phantoms.
For decades prior to the current-generation Phantom, Rolls-Royces were often perceived as being nothing more than beautiful old-school luxury barges with all the technological innovation and dynamic excitement of the Queen Mary. So to say there was some skepticism surrounding the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Phantom would be like saying reality TV occasionally resorts to fabrication when ratings are at stake.
When parent company BMW first announced in the late 1990s that it would be delivering a completely new Rolls-Royce to paying customers on January 1, 2003, most analysts wrote it off as the kind of posturing that typically accompanies a corporate takeover. After all, BMW didn't even own the Rolls-Royce brand yet. It would be four-and-a-half years before the German automaker acquired the rights to sell the storied brand, but the target was indeed met, and the first all-new Rolls-Royce in nearly 40 years left the all-new Rolls-Royce plant at Goodwood in West Sussex, England.
Unlike so many of its predecessors, this beautifully crafted and elegant ultraluxury sedan lives up to the lofty expectations of a vehicle adorned with the hood-mounted Spirit of Ecstasy. While a case could be made for one of its few rivals, no other automobile boasts the unique style, grandiose dimensions and sterling reputation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Current Rolls-Royce Phantom
