RREC Central Southern Section
HomeNewsDiaryEventsOfficers
News
PHANTOM TAKES TO THE WORLD STAGE
8 September 2003
Following its launch in January 2003 the new Rolls-Royce Phantom is now being seen all over the world. From Belgium to Beijing and from San Francisco to Sydney, the Phantom is appearing in all corners of the globe. A network of dealers is in place, with Phantoms on display in many of the world's major cities.

As promised, the first owner of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom took delivery of his motor car just after midnight on 1 January 2003. The enthusiastic owner decided to immediately take his new motor car on a marathon journey. His Phantom was flown to Australia and then driven from Perth to Sydney - a total journey of 4,564 miles right across the continent. The trip was completed using some of the most remote roads in the world - without a single hitch - and, at one stage, returned a remarkable 23.7 miles per gallon over 580 miles at an average speed of 75 mph.

   RR Phantom in San Francisco
Rolls-Royce Phantom - Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.
Photo: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.

At the same time the Phantom has been appearing at the world's leading motoring and social events. For example it was present at Concours d'Elegance events at Villa d'Este in Italy, and Greenwich, Cranbrook, Amelia Island and Pebble Beach, all in the USA. It also appeared on the exclusive Cartier Lawn at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and at Royal Ascot this summer.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' dealer network is almost complete in locations around the world. Special opening and launch events have been held across the USA, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region - most recently in China where there are four dealerships, including Hong Kong.

For transportation to the dealers, rather than use a conventional wax coating, Rolls-Royce has developed a special system. Before dispatch each Phantom is encased in a specially designed, shrink-wrapped protective cover known as a 'transpack'. Zipped openings allow the car to be driven so that it can be loaded onto a specifically designed transporter, for delivery to the nearby seaports to be dispatched worldwide. Phantoms destined for Europe are transported by road using the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone.