The Car That Saved Rolls-Royce Remains Amazing 13 Years Later

From Road & Track

The production of the seventh-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom has almost come to an end. BMW will replace it with a lighter, more aluminum-intensive car by 2018, discontinuing the coupé and the cabriolet in the process. Yet the current limousine feels just as special today as it did back in 2003.

When Rolls-Royce was put up for sale, Volkswagen wanted it all. But BMW had an engine deal running, and managed to play its cards so well that in the end, the Bavarians acquired the brand, building a shiny new factory in Goodwood solely for production of the all-new Phantom. VW kept the Bentley side of the company and every bolt they could find in Crewe.

The two have been fighting for the attention of billionaires ever since, with Bentley taking a sportier approach and Rolls-Royce offering the last word in bespoke coach-building. And 13 years on, the Phantom is still the one to arrive in.

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