• Presents in excellent condition for its 52 years

 • Low ownership / Low mileage

 • Coachwork by Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd

Study its grace, its elegance, its style.

For almost a century the Rolls-Royce Phantom has held claim to being the most luxurious car in the world. The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was the last to be created while the company was still British-owned. It was also the longest-lived, reigning for 22 years and serving across two different companies: Rolls-Royce Ltd and Rolls-Royce Motors.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Seven-Passenger Limousine, coachwork by Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd – like the fine example offered here – was introduced at the 1968 London Motor Show and presented as the world's most expensive car, the mighty Phantom VI was an exclusive cost-no-object car for a limited and discriminating clientele.

 • Original Bill of Sale dated 19th March, 1970.

 • Just three former keepers since new.

 • Matching engine/chassis numbers.

The first owner of this attractive Roll-Royce Phantom VI Mulliner, Park Ward Limousine was Eric Lombard Knight, who acquired it from H.R. Owen of London in March, 1970 for the princely sum of £10,050 (excluding accessories). An image of the original Bill of Sale dated 19th March, 1970 is included in the accompanying gallery.

Incidentally, in 1947 Eric Knight purchased a small finance company that – with his wife Peggy and two others – was to become Lombard Banking which was subsequently acquired by NatWest Bank in 1969.

The Bill of Sales stipulates the addition of a second Motorola radio in the rear compartment (£67.00), a spring-loaded silk screen behind the interior glass partition (£73.69), two adjustable reading lamps for the rear compartment (£18.50) and rubber mats for the front cabin (£15.50).

The current keeper acquired the Rolls-Royce in October, 2012 for his business. While the car has been put to gentle use during his tenure, it now needs to make way for the imminent arrival of a newer member of the fleet.

Accompanying the car will be a V5 Certificate registered in the current keeper’s name, an expansive box file of service and maintenance invoices, documentation pertaining to its heritage, the original Bill of Sale, two original keys and an official ‘Handbook for the Roll-Royce Phantom VI’.

 • Fully original throughout.

 • Elegant beige leather up front and beige cloth to the rear.

 • Presents in truly exceptional condition.

The bespoke, hand-crafted interior is in exceptional condition and belies the car’s 52 years. As originally specified by its first owner, the forward compartment is presented in beige leather with double armrests fitted for chauffer and front passenger.

The furniture of the commodious rear compartment was ordered in beige cloth, with claret long-pile carpeting over conventional carpets. A pair of additional seats folds up and away against the compartment bulkhead. 

The full-width Circassian walnut veneered dashboard is in excellent condition as are all four veneered wood door cappings. The sun visors, door cards, headlining, rear foot rests and other soft furnishings present in remarkably good condition. Furthermore, the custodian reports that all the instruments, switchgear and backlights work as originally intended.

The tidy, smart and carpeted boot houses a full-sized spare wheel under the boot floor and the engine bay is clean and exceptionally well presented. The undersides of the boot lid and split bonnet are in excellent condition.

 • Elegantly presented in high-gloss claret and black.

 • Exterior is in very good condition.

 • Brightwork shines like the day it was fitted back in 1970.

Elegantly turned out in dual-tone claret below the coachline and black elsewhere, the bespoke coachwork of this 1970 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI was hand-crafted by Mulliner Park Ward Ltd of London – at the time a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Ltd. Its overall condition is indicative of the love and care afforded to it by all of the car’s four keepers over the past 52 years. 

The brightwork around the car shines as brightly as the day it was fitted over 50 years ago. None of the chrome work exhibits the remotest hint of pitting – a phenomenon usually associated with a car of this age.

The chromed wheel covers are in excellent order and the wheels are shod with a healthy set of Avon TurboSpeed tyres all round which are engineered specifically for luxury classic vehicles to ensure a comfortable ride and reduced cabin noise.

At the front, the headlight lenses are crystal clear and the indicator/reflector lenses show no hint of fogging often associated with a car of this age. The same may be said for the rear light clusters. A cursory glance down each flank shows no evidence of collision damage and all apertures open and close as smoothly and quietly as intended.

There are a small number of minor blemishes around the vehicle, the most notable of which are areas of bubbling beneath the boot lid just above the rear bumper. Detailed images of these are shown in the accompanying gallery. To be fair, all are minor but their repair would elevate this fine Rolls-Royce to a higher standard. Any professional body shop would make short shrift of them – and likely not for silly money, either.

 • Fitted upgrades for modern driving conditions.

 • Presents in exceptional mechanical condition.

 • Regularly serviced and maintained.

While at the photo location, this low-mileage Rolls-Royce was frequently repositioned to obtain the best of what was challenging light. The 6.2-litre V8 roared into life each and every time of asking and settled into a barely audible idle. The automatic gearbox connected smoothly, including Reverse and Drive engaged with no drama, requiring just a light feathering of the accelerator to get underway.

The custodian reports the car to be in exceptional mechanical condition with steering, brakes, engine, drivetrain and running gear performing as well as their respective British engineers intended over 50 years ago. The car has been regularly and fastidiously maintained by Rolls-Royce specialist Hillier Hill, near Bedford. In the boot are replacement drive belts for the coolant, power steering and air-conditioning…just in case the Rolls-Royce ‘fails to proceed’.

Like the immediately visible parts of this car, the lower sills present in excellent order and the underside exhibits almost zero natural oxidation that may reasonably be expected on a car of this vintage.

In production from 1968 to 1990, a total of just 374 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI’s were built. Most of the hand-crafted coachwork was created by Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd, usually in limousine form, although a few landaulets were made.

Rolls-Royce had an established reputation for comfortable and reliable luxury saloons well before the Phantom VI made its first appearance in 1968. The brand's virtues were strengthened by the Phantom’s ingrained quality, drivability and mechanical durability.

With an abundance of road gravitas, this Phantom VI Limousine is one of the easiest to own classics available today. Robust engineering, high quality materials, attention to detail and clinical build quality go a long way to making the Phantom VI a good choice for those who like to travel in retro style.

Membership to the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club founded in 1957, is open to everyone with historic, current and future interest in this prestige marque and its members are as knowledgeable, helpful and enthusiastic as they come.