The final Rolls-Royce Phantom VII has rolled off the production line
The last Rolls-Royce Phantom – or at least as we know it – will roll off the production ramps in Goodwood this week.
Officially decommissioned at the end of last year, Phantom VII's will be replaced by an eighth generation of the Rolls-Royce car by owner BMW.
Read more: Rolls-Royce car sales motor to new record
The "New Phantom" or Phantom I was launched in 1925. So secret was the design, lead engineer Ernest Hives scattered armoured plating around the factory to substantiate the project’s codename "Eastern Armoured Car".
The car ran through sixth generations, with only the Second World War halting production until 1991. The seventh version, the first iteration to be built under the stewardship of owner BMW, was launched in 2003.
To replace the Phantom VII, the company said the eighth version "will make way for the all-new aluminium architecture of luxury".
Read more: The five coolest supercars at the LA motor show
“From its introduction a little over 90 years ago, every motor car that has borne the title Phantom has reset the standard by which all other luxury goods are judged,” said Torsten Muller-Otvos, chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
As Phantom VII gracefully leaves the stage, having defined the first chapter in the renaissance of Rolls-Royce, we look forward to building on its remarkable success with the imminent arrival of its successor.
A bold, new statement built on an all-new architecture promises to light the future of the world’s most celebrated name in luxury.
Driverless future
In June last year Rolls-Royce unveiled its driverless car concept, a six-metre long monster which ditched the front seat for a sofa-style lounger, and featured a canopy-style roof allowing passengers to stand up before they get out of the car.
The Vision Next 100 also featured covered wheels and a curved rear end – although Rolls-Royce admitted it may be 25 years before it hits the road…