Rolls-Royce Phantom: 100 Years of Celebrity Status and Conspicuous Consumption

In 2025, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the British ultra-luxury brand's most expensive and exclusive model, celebrates its 100th anniversary. For a century, the Phantom has been the ultimate celebrity status symbol, owned and customized by some of the biggest names in entertainment and politics.

The Phantom's association with fame and wealth dates back to the early days of Hollywood. In 1928, Fred Astaire bought a custom-bodied 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Town Car while performing in London, later shipping it back to the States. Similarly, when Marlene Dietrich arrived in Hollywood from Germany in 1930, Paramount executives greeted her with a green Phantom I convertible, which even appeared in her debut film, Morocco.

Over the decades, the Phantom has been a favorite of musicians, actors, and rulers alike. Big band leaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie traveled by Rolls-Royce, while Elvis Presley customized a 1963 Phantom V with a telephone and microphone. French singer Édith Piaf and soul legends Sam Cooke and Al Green were also Phantom fanatics. In the 1960s, John Lennon bought a Phantom V and had it painted in a psychedelic design, while Liberace covered one of his Phantoms in a disco ball of mirrors.

The Phantom's allure continued into the 21st century, with hip-hop artists like T-Pain, 2 Chainz, and Jay-Z adding the iconic car to their collections. As the Phantom IX is set to be electrified, the model's status as a symbol of wealth and celebrity is unlikely to diminish, as it will always be "equal parts elegant and intimidating."