Rolls-Royce Phantom IV
Rolls Royce | |
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Rolls-Royce Phantom IV (formerly 'Abd al-Ilah, Prince Regent of Iraq), chassis no. 4BP3 (1953)
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Phantom IV | |
Production period: | 1950-1956 |
Class : | Upper class |
Body versions : | Limousine , pickup , Pullman limousine , convertible , landaulet |
Engines: |
Otto engine : 5.7 liters (121 kW) |
Length: | 5766-5817 mm |
Width: | 1956 mm |
Height: | |
Wheelbase : | 3683 mm |
Empty weight : | Chassis: 1336 kg |
Previous model | Rolls-Royce Phantom III |
successor | Rolls-Royce Phantom V |
The Rolls-Royce Phantom IV was the most exclusive car Rolls-Royce ever made. Only 18 copies were made in the years 1950–1956 exclusively for crowned heads and presidents. 16 of them still exist today.
description
After the Second World War, Rolls-Royce did not actually want to revive the series of the “big” Phantom, but then decided to produce a few more vehicles for special customers.
The chassis was developed from that of the actual Phantom successor Silver Wraith , whereby it was significantly lengthened and strengthened. The wheelbase grew to 3.68 m, the vehicle length to 5.82 m. The Phantom IV was the only Rolls-Royce car to be equipped with an inline eight-cylinder engine.
The eight-cylinder in-line engine was particularly suitable for representation cars, as it could move the car for long distances at low speed. On the other hand, it was so strong that the car's acceleration could keep up with that of contemporary sports cars. It had a displacement of 5675 cm³ and developed an output of 164 bhp (121 kW). It was connected to a manual four-speed gearbox, from 1954 with a four-speed automatic. The top speed was 163 km / h.
All specimens of this particular model were bodyworked by independent wheelwrighters .
history
There are a number of theories about the origin of the Phantom IV, but most experts agree that the idea goes back to Prince Philip , who had a particular interest in owning a show car that was larger and heavier than the contemporary Silver Wraith.
In 1949, Rolls-Royce received an order from Princess Elisabeth and Prince Philip for a large limousine. Until then, the royal family preferred Daimler cars . A successor to the larger Phantom III had been postponed due to the poor economic climate after the World War, but was activated by the order. The production of the new car did not start at the company's headquarters in Crewe , but in the experimental “Clan Foundry” in Belper , where car production was located after the World War II.
The car was delivered in 1950 under the project name "Nahba". Initially painted in Valentine Green , it was later given a wine red / black paintwork.
The first Phantom IV, of the coronation of Princess Elizabeth the Queen in 1952 as the official state coach of the United Kingdom was still standing today in the royal garages and is sometimes used to members of the royal family and their friends to the royal races in Ascot to bring. This was the first of two Phantom IVs that Elizabeth II ordered. In 1954, another of these cars with a landaulet body was delivered to the royal vehicle fleet.
Other customers were the sister of Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and the former Spanish dictator General Franco , whose three Phantom IVs (two limousines and a convertible) were specially made for him as state coaches in the service of King Juan Carlos .
List of the 18 copies made
chassis | First owner | Wheelwright | Body type | Body number / construction | Original exterior color | pad | delivery date | useful information |
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4AF2 | Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh | HJ Mulliner | Sedan, 7 seats | 5034/7162 | First “Valentine Green” and then wine red / black | Front: blue leather, back: gray fabric | July 6, 1950 | Hood ornament: St. George with the dragon, designed by the artist Edward Seago , made of silver; can be placed on the radiators of various vehicles. Equipped with a special driver's seat in case the Duke of Edinburgh wanted to drive himself. In it the Queen drove to the inaugural session of Parliament in 1954. |
4AF4 | Rolls Royce | Park Ward | Pick up | ~ | Gray | ~ | October 1, 1950 | Test vehicle for the factory. It was dismantled in 1963. |
4AF6 | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Persia | HJ Mulliner | Cabriolet 2 doors | 5077/7205 | blue / silver | White | 3rd December 1951 | Scrapped in 1959. |
4AF8 | Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait | HJ Mulliner | Limousine 6 seats | 5153/7206 | beige / royal blue | biscuit colors | July 1951 | ~ |
4AF10 | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester | Hooper | limousine | 9663/8292 | black | fawn | September 1, 1951 | Can be seen in the film Arabesque (1966). |
4AF12 | Ernest Hives , Director of Rolls-Royce, then Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent | Hooper | Sedan 7 seats | 9719/8307 | blue | beige | July 1, 1951 | ~ |
4AF14 | General Francisco Franco, President of Spain | HJ Mulliner | Sedan 5 seats | 5035/7181 | black | beige | June 13, 1952 | Armored version (rear part) |
4AF16 | General Francisco Franco, President of Spain | HJ Mulliner | Sedan 7 seats | 5036/7181 | black | beige | 4th July 1952 | Armored version (rear part) |
4AF18 | General Francisco Franco, President of Spain | HJ Mulliner | Cabriolet 4 doors | 4945/7183 | black | green leather | March 28, 1952 | This car was officially used for the first time on July 18, 1952 for a victory parade. Armored version (rear part) |
4AF20 | Aga Khan III., Sultan Mohammed Shah | Hooper | Sedanca de Ville | 9750/8293 | dark green | red leather | May 1952 | The sales contract contained a clause prohibiting resale. After Aga Khan's death, however, his widow sold the car to the Mayfair Lennox Hotel in Missouri , where it was used to transport guests to and from the airport. Because of its insufficient trunk volume, it was resold in 1962. At times the car was painted red metallic, recently its current owner had it repainted in the original green color.
Instead of the usual hood ornament, this car had a Lalique crystal figure in the shape of a bird of prey. |
4AF22 | Prince Talal of Saudi Arabia | Franay (France) | Cabriolet 4 doors | - / 7183 | cream white / green | green leather | June 1952 | The only Phantom IV with a French body. This car was listed as Sedanca de Ville in the job description, but ultimately a 4-door convertible was built. |
4BP1 | King Faisal II of Iraq | Hooper | limousine | 9890/8361 | black | red leather | March 26, 1953 | Specially made for the coronation ceremony. |
4BP3 | 'Abd al-Ilah, Prince Regent of Iraq | Hooper | Touring sedan 7 seats | 9891/8370 | black | light blue leather | March 26, 1953 | Specially made for the coronation ceremony of the nephew, King Faisal II. Years later, all members of the Royal Family were killed during the 1958 coup. At the time, the car was due for an inspection at Hooper in London and was preserved. |
4BP5 | Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain | Hooper | Landaulet | 9941/8399 | black / brown | Front: blue leather, back: gray fabric | May 1, 1954 | Rolls-Royce kept this car especially for the British Queen. She finally bought it in 1959 and it was used by the Royal Family until the late 1980s. |
4BP7 | Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon | HJ Mulliner | Sedan 7 seats | 5686/7368 | black | beige fabric | July 16, 1954 | The carriage was bought by Princess Margaret and she chose the Pegasus, designed by Edward Seago and manufactured by Louis Lejeune Ltd. was made in London as a hood ornament. The car was supplied with an adjustable driver's seat in case the princess wanted to drive herself. |
4CS2 | Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait | HJ Mulliner | Sedan 6 seats | 5724/7376 | Two-tone paint, green | olive green leather | February 1, 1955 | ~ |
4CS4 | Abdullah III. Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait | HJ Mulliner | limousine | 5725/7376 | golden copper and silver | beige | August 1955 | ~ |
4CS6 | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Persia | Hooper | limousine | 10177/8425 | black, later repainted in burgundy | gray leather | October 1956 | In 1977 the car was in London for “major repairs and new fittings”. After three years and repairs allegedly worth US $ 25,000, the car still remained in England. There were discussions about who the car ultimately belonged to, the deposed Shah or representatives of the Iranian embassy, who said the car belonged to their country. Eventually the exiled Pahlavi family lost ownership of the property in a UK court. The car is currently on display in the National Car Museum of Iran . |
literature
- David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975. Veloce Publishing plc., Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 .
Web links
- Models of all Rolls-Royce Phantom IV (French, only accessible via web archive)
- Article about the car with the chassis no. 4BP3 (1953), Rolls-Royce and Bentley, Photos, Reports and Books from the archives of K. J Roßfeldt (English)
- Internet Movie Cars Database: Rolls-Royce Phantom IV in movies and TV series (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Rolls Royce Phantom IV , Rolls-Royce and Bentley, photos, reports and books from the archives of KJ Roßfeldt (English)
- ↑ a b c Darkforce: Rolls Royce Phantom IV (English)
- ↑ Bigott, Peter. Royal Transport: An Inside Look at the History of Royal Travel (English)
- ↑ Buckley, Martin: Cars of the Super Rich (English) ( Memento of the original from February 12, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Internet Movie Cars Database: 1951 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV Limousine Hooper (4AF10) (English)
- ^ Rolls-Royce Phantom IV , New York Magazine, March 17, 1980