Many name-brand luxury cars have a pretty deep-rooted history, and that isn’t any less true for Rolls-Royce. In fact, it was almost 100 years ago that the luxury icon for the brand was introduced. The Rolls-Royce Phantom 1, or the “New Phantom,” had some major changes from the brand’s popular Silver Ghost.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom 1

The Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 was a departure from its predecessor, the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, in several ways. On the most basic level, it had a larger engine, which many people liked, as you can imagine. The engine itself was also different, featuring overhead valves controlled by pushrods — a system not so uncommon in modern times.

It’s not actually the Phantom 1

When it came to names, Rolls-Royce enthusiasts know this car as the Phantom 1, but that was not the name given to it by the manufacturer themselves. Instead, the naming of the car was simply Phantom, as we know it now. The Phantom 1 was simple a nickname given by Rolls-Royce aficionados to identify the car more easily in conversation and description and separate it from the following generations, which, in later years, shared little with the original Phantom 1.

History of the car

The generation of the Phantom referred to as the Phantom 1, took the stage in 1925 and continued production until 1931. Over the short production run, less than 4000 of the vehicle were produced. The Phantom name has been iconic for the brand for a lot longer than most people even realize. There is some debate among enthusiasts over the nomenclature of the car as well as the Silver Ghost, but regardless of disagreements, the Phantom 1 is recognized as one of the most iconic cars in the brand’s history.

The Rolls-Royce name carries a lot of weight in itself. When we see a car balancing the beautiful Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood we recognize it as a symbol of wealth and status. Even almost 100 years ago we saw the beginning of one of the brand’s most iconic cars: the Phantom.