Rolls-Royce · 1959–present

Rolls-Royce Phantom V

The Rolls-Royce Phantom V is a large four-door limousine produced by Rolls-Royce Limited from 1959 to 1968. Based on the Silver Cloud II, it shares a V8 engine and Rolls-Royce Hydramatic automatic gearbox (manufactured under licence from General Motors by Rolls-Royce) with that model. Rolls-Royce built the cars' chassis and drivetrains, with bodies mainly made to standard designs by coachbuilders Park Ward, Mulliner Park Ward and James Young, former vendors absorbed by Rolls-Royce. Other coachbuilders, including Hooper, Henri Chapron and Woodall Nicholson, built one or two bodies each on Phantom V chassis. The engine is a 6,230 cc 90-degree V8 with twin SU carburettors, coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The car has massive drum brakes and a wheelbase of 3,683 mm. Power assisted steering was standard. A low final drive ratio allowed a walking speed which was suitable for ceremonies. From 1963 onward, the Silver Cloud III's 7% more powerful engine and new front wings (incorporating the latter's quad headlamps) were fitted.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Rolls-Royce Phantom IV · Successor: Rolls-Royce Phantom VI

All Rolls-Royce Phantom V data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Coachbuilders

Of the 518 total Phantom Vs built from 1959 to 1968, coachbuilder Park Ward, owned by Rolls-Royce, made 133 bodies; James Young built 197 bodies, and H. J. Mulliner & Co. bodied 9, before their 1959 acquisition by Rolls-Royce, who merged them into Park Ward in 1961, forming Mulliner Park Ward. The combined firm of Mulliner Park Ward built 174 bodies.

Famous owners

=== John Lennon === Beatle John Lennon bought a 1964 Mulliner Park Ward Phantom V, finished in Valentines Black. Everything was black except for the radiator, even the wheels. Lennon asked for the radiator to be black as well, but Rolls-Royce refused. Originally the car was customised from Park Ward with black leather upholstery, cocktail cabinet with fine-wood trim, writing table, reading lamps, a seven-piece his-and-hers black-hide luggage set, and a Perdio portable television. A refrigeration system was put in the boot, and it was one of the first cars in England to have tinted windows. He probably paid £11,000 (nearly £210,000 in today's general inflation value). Lennon didn't know how to drive and didn't get his driving licence until 1965, at twenty-four years of age. He sometimes hired a 6'4" Welsh guardsman named Les Anthony as a chauffeur. In December 1965, Lennon made a seven-page list of changes that cost more than £1900: the back seat could change into a double bed, a Philips Auto-Mignon AG2101 floating record player that prevented the needle from jumping, a Radio Telephone and a cassette tape deck were added, while speakers were mounted in the front wheel wells so that occupants could talk outside via microphone. The car needed repainting after Lennon used it in 1960s Spain during his filming in Richard Lester's How I Won the War. Lennon commissioned coachmakers J.P. Fallon Ltd. to do so in the style of a Romany gypsy wagon (not "psychedelic" as often referenced). Artist Steve Weaver produced red, orange, green and blue swirls, floral side panels and a Libra on the roof. Lennon was in a 60s mood and wanted to make a statement to the English establishment. He loved telling a story about an elderly woman who hit the car with her umbrella. To match his later W

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Rolls-Royce Phantom V
Manufacturer: Rolls-Royce Ltd
Production: 1959–1968, 518 produced
Designer: John Polwhele Blatchley of Park Ward for design #980 and Mulliner Park Ward design #2003 et al, A. F. McNeil of James Young for designs #PV10, PV15, PV16, PV22 et al.
Predecessor: Phantom IV
Body style: 4-door saloon
Successor: Phantom VI
Engine: 6,230 cc Rolls-Royce V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Length: 238 in
Layout: FR layout
Assembly: United Kingdom: Crewe, England, (engine and chassis)
Width: 79 in
Height: 69 in
Kerb weight: 5600 lb
Wheelbase: 145 in
Related: Silver Cloud II
sp: uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2164363CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Phantom_VCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373508870 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RR_Phantom_V_James_Young_Sedanca_de_Ville.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: Rex Gray from Southern California · retrieved 2026-10-01
Manufacturer website (link only) — http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.comLink only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.