Rolls-Royce has introduced the anniversary Phantom Centenary Private Collection – a sedan that has become the most expensive in the world. Only 25 units were produced, each costing about 2.5 million pounds sterling or over 3.3 million dollars. And, as is often the case, they have all already found their owners.
This is not just a car, but a work of art created for the 100th anniversary of the Phantom model. Externally, it resembles the classic Phantom II Continental from 1930 – a combination of black and white colors, special wheel rims, and the signature “Spirit of Ecstasy” and logo are made of 24-carat gold. Inside – a real gallery: the panels feature paintings illustrating the stages of Rolls-Royce’s history, including works by the brand’s co-founder Sir Henry Royce. Even the ceiling is decorated with complex embroidery, and the dashboard – with fifty aluminum plates with quotes about the Phantom.
But if once in Kyiv the Rolls-Royce Phantom was a symbol of the “golden” times of Chernovetsky, when the mayor’s family owned, according to unofficial data, half of all Rolls-Royces in the country, now the situation has changed. The Phantom is gradually losing its position in Ukraine – not because potential buyers have become poorer, but because fashion has taken a different path.
Today, the electric Rolls-Royce Spectre has become the true indicator of status. There are already several dozen of them in Ukraine – from Kyiv to Odesa. And this is despite the war, despite the blackout covers on the windows and the air raid sirens behind them. The electric “Rolls” is now not just a symbol of wealth, but also a demonstration of modern thinking: silence instead of the roar of a V12, progress instead of pathos.
The Phantom Centenary Private Collection reminds us of the past, but also shows how far the world has moved away from the “gold standard” of luxury. And perhaps that is why this Phantom is not for show, but for memories.