For 100 years, one car has stood above all others as the definitive symbol of making it to the top. It’s been the ride of choice for rock gods, rap moguls, and pop icons, a rolling canvas for their personalities and a statement that they’ve truly arrived. That car is the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and as it celebrates its centenary in 2025, the marque is looking back at its incredible, star-studded history in the world of music. From the jazz age to the rise of hip-hop, the Phantom has been the common thread, linking artists as diverse as John Lennon, Sir Elton John, and 50 Cent. As Rolls-Royce CEO Chris Brownridge puts it, “music artists have used Phantom to project their identity and challenge convention. Their motor cars often became icons in their own right, with a lasting place in the history of modern music.”
Hollywood Royalty and The King
The love affair began early. When actress and singer Marlene Dietrich arrived in Hollywood in 1930, she was greeted with a gift: a stunning green Rolls-Royce Phantom I. It wasn’t just her personal transport; it became a co-star, appearing in the closing scenes of her Oscar-nominated film, Morocco. Decades later, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, acquired a Midnight Blue Phantom V at the height of his fame in 1963.This was no standard car; it was kitted out with Bespoke features including a microphone for in-car karaoke sessions, a writing pad for moments of inspiration, and a mirror to ensure he was always camera-ready. In a wonderfully human story, the car had to be repainted a lighter Silver Blue after Elvis’s mother’s chickens kept pecking at their own reflections in the flawless original paintwork.
The Psychedelic Statement
Perhaps no Phantom is more famous than John Lennon’s. In 1964, he commissioned an all-black Phantom V, complete with blacked-out windows, a cocktail cabinet, and a TV. But in 1967, just before the release of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, he transformed it into one of the most recognisable cars on the planet. The Phantom was resprayed yellow and then hand-painted with vibrant, psychedelic swirls, floral patterns, and Lennon’s Libra star sign. It perfectly captured the “Summer of Love,” but scandalised the establishment. One London woman was so incensed she reportedly hit the car with her umbrella, shouting, “How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!” When it sold at auction in 1985 for nearly $2.3 million, it became the most expensive piece of rock memorabilia ever sold at the time. Lennon later owned another Phantom V, this time painted stark white inside and out to match his minimalist aesthetic during the White Album era with Yoko Ono.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Excess
The Phantom became the go-to for rock’s most flamboyant characters. Liberace, “Mr Showmanship” himself, drove a 1961 Phantom V covered in tiny mirror pieces on stage during his Las Vegas residency. Sir Elton John owned several, once spotting a newer model in a showroom window while on his way to a gig, promptly buying it, and continuing his journey in the new car.He later commissioned a pink-and-white Phantom which he eventually gave to his percussionist, Ray Cooper, as payment. In a beautiful twist of fate, Cooper would use that same car to pick up a young Damon Albarn from school, who would later collaborate with Sir Elton as the frontman of Gorillaz. Of course, you can’t talk rock mythology without mentioning Keith Moon. The legend of The Who’s drummer driving a Rolls-Royce into a hotel swimming pool on his 21st birthday is one of music’s most enduring tales. While accounts of what really happened vary (Moon himself claimed it was a Lincoln Continental), the myth is so powerful that the car could only ever be imagined as a Rolls-Royce. To honour this place in folklore, the company recently submerged a retired Phantom shell in a swimming pool for its centenary celebrations.
The Hip-Hop Heirs
When Rolls-Royce was reborn at Goodwood in 2003, a new generation of music royalty was ready to embrace the Phantom. The launch of the Phantom VII coincided with the explosion of hip-hop into the cultural mainstream. In 2004, Pharrell Williams and Snoop Dogg featured one in the video for Drop It Like It’s Hot, cementing its status as the ultimate modern status symbol. From 50 Cent to Lil Wayne, the Phantom became a fixture on album covers and in music videos. It even influenced the language of the genre, with the phrase “stars in the roof”—a reference to the iconic Starlight Headliner—becoming lyrical shorthand for achieving the pinnacle of success. For 100 years, the Phantom has been more than a car; it has been a constant, evolving presence in the story of modern music, a symbol of success and imagination that continues to inspire.
