Rolls-Royce Phantom. For the arrival that is the point.
A wedding, a premiere, an anniversary, a state occasion. The one car that makes the doorway the event. Arranged on request rather than kept on our own forecourt, so tell us the date early.
At a glance
What it carries
- PassengersTwo, or three at a squeezeThe rear is built for two people in great comfort. A third in the middle is possible and nobody enjoys it.
- LuggageAround 460 litresModest for a car of this size. Two large cases and hand luggage is a fair expectation, which is why an airport run for four people is not what it is for.
- BodyStandard or extended wheelbaseThe extended car is just under six metres long, with around 220 millimetres more rear legroom and the option of a glass privacy partition.
- AvailabilityArranged on requestNot among the cars we own and run daily in London and Manchester. Ask us about availability for your dates and we will confirm what can be arranged.
Why anyone books one
It is not transport. It is the entrance
Nobody charters a Phantom to save twenty minutes. They book it because a bride is arriving at a church, because a film is premiering and the photographers are twelve feet from the kerb, because a fiftieth birthday deserves something that will be remembered, or because a guest of honour is being collected and the car is part of the welcome. For those days the Phantom does something no other car does: it is quiet, enormous, unhurried, and everyone looks.
The rear doors are rear-hinged, which is the detail that matters on the day. A passenger steps out forwards, facing the people waiting, rather than swinging a leg over a sill. In a long dress, in black tie, with a photographer present, it is the difference between an arrival and a scramble. The chauffeur closes the door for you, which is also how the doors are designed to be closed.
Inside, the cabin is deliberately plain in the way very expensive things often are: two seats, real wool carpet, a fold-out picnic table apiece, and a headliner that can be specified with fibre-optic lights set into it. The extended wheelbase car adds rear legroom and, on cars ordered with it, a glass partition that frosts at the touch of a switch.
Good for
The days it earns its place
- Weddings, where the car appears in every photograph taken that morning
- Premieres, galas, awards evenings and any kerb with a rope line and a camera on it
- Milestone birthdays and anniversaries, where the journey is the gift
- Collecting a guest of honour, a patron or a principal whose arrival is part of the occasion
- Short, slow, ceremonial journeys where a chauffeur waits rather than shuttles
- Photography and campaign work where the car is on camera as well as in the call sheet
Said plainly
Where it is the wrong car
A Phantom is close to six metres long and the extended car is longer still. That is fine outside a hotel on Park Lane and awkward in a mews, a multi-storey car park with a height barrier, a narrow Cotswold lane or a school pick-up queue. Tell us the addresses, not just the postcodes, and we will say honestly whether the car will reach the door.
The boot is the other surprise. Around 460 litres is less than a long-wheelbase saloon of half the price, so a family of four with holiday luggage is a job for the V-Class or for a second vehicle following. For a day of meetings across London, an S-Class is quieter to work in, easier to park and far less conspicuous, and conspicuousness is the whole point of a Phantom.
Because a Phantom is arranged rather than kept on our own forecourt, the sensible lead time is longer than for our own cars. Wedding season Saturdays, the week of a major premiere and the run of summer parties are when the small number of chauffeur-driven examples in the country are all spoken for. Ask early and we will tell you what is actually available rather than what we would like to be.
Which car?
Phantom, Maybach or S-Class
| Phantom | Maybach S-Class | S-Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Ceremony, photographs, an arrival people watch | A long, quiet journey in the back of something exceptional | Working days, airports, evenings |
| Passengers | 2, or 3 at a squeeze | Up to 3, best with 2 | Up to 3 |
| Luggage | Around 460 litres | 2 large cases plus hand luggage | 2 large cases plus hand luggage |
| Discretion | None, by design | High, if you want it | High |
| Availability | Arranged on request | Ask us about availability | Owned and run by us in London and Manchester |
For anything more than a two hour hire, ask us both ways: what the day looks like in a Phantom, and what it looks like in a car you can park.
Where it turns up
Occasions we arrange it for
Request a quote
Tell us the date and the doorway
The date, the addresses at each end and how long the car is needed. If it is a wedding, tell us the ceremony time and whether the car is doing one journey or three. We will confirm what can be arranged, and say so plainly if the answer is that it cannot.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About the Phantom
Do you own a Phantom?
The cars we own and run with our own chauffeurs in London and Manchester are the S-Class and the V-Class. A Phantom is arranged on request through operators we know and work with, and we tell you before you commit whether one is available for your date.
How many people fit in the back?
Two, properly. A third can sit in the middle for a short journey. If there are four or more of you, we arrange a second vehicle to follow, which is what most wedding parties end up doing anyway.
Will it fit down our lane?
Send us the address rather than the postcode. The car is close to six metres long with a wide turning circle, and the honest answer on a narrow lane, a gated mews or a steep gravel drive is sometimes no. We would far rather tell you a fortnight beforehand than on the morning.
Can you dress the car for a wedding?
Ribbons and flowers are usually possible and are agreed with the operator in advance, because not every car is released for them. Tell us what the florist has in mind when you enquire.
Is it a Phantom or could it be another colour or model?
We confirm the exact car, its colour and its wheelbase before you commit. We will not describe a car as a Phantom and send something else, and if only a different car is available for your date we will say so rather than quietly substitute.
How far in advance should we ask?
As early as you can, particularly for a Saturday in summer. There are not many chauffeur-driven Phantoms in the country and they are booked out for the obvious dates well ahead.
