The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, produced between 1968 and 1993, marked the final chapter of the brand’s long tradition of fully coachbuilt motor cars.
As the last Rolls-Royce offered as a rolling chassis, it represented the pinnacle of craftsmanship before the practice was revived in the modern Goodwood era.
Built by H. J. Mulliner Park Ward, then an in-house Rolls-Royce coachbuilder, only 374 Phantom VIs were ever produced.
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Though introduced in 1968, its true heyday came in the 1980s, with only six units completed after 1990. The model became an enduring symbol of prestige, with several examples commissioned for the British Royal Family—two of which remain in service today.
Based on its predecessor, Phantom V, the Phantom VI evolved with a more powerful 6.75-litre V8 engine, a three-speed automatic gearbox, and an advanced braking system. Its safety features were also updated, with front-hinged doors, burst-proof locks, and a collapsible steering column.
Phantom VI was the last Rolls-Royce to offer both Sedanca de Ville and landaulette coachwork, the latter favored by HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Special armored limousines, codenamed Alpha, featured bulletproof glass and armor plating—though notably, the chauffeur’s compartment remained unprotected.
The final Phantom VI, completed in 1993, was a striking black-over-red landaulette with red leather and velvet interiors. Though Rolls-Royce intended to keep the car, economic pressures led to its sale.
With the Phantom VI, Rolls-Royce bid farewell to an era of bespoke coachbuilding, a craft that would not return until the 2017 unveiling of Sweptail, followed by the establishment of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild. Today, this heritage continues with models like Boat Tail and Droptail, reaffirming the marque’s commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and exclusivity.
Source: Models of the Marque: The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI of the 1980s
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