The run up to the Great Eight Phantoms event continues as Rolls-Royce unveils yet another special car in the nameplate’s colorful history. This one may be of interest to many, especially music fans, as the Phantom V belonged to no less than Beatle John Lennon.
The John Lennon Phantom V will be brought home to London and placed alongside other iconic Phantoms that will be displayed during the Great Eight Phantoms exhibit, which will take place on 29 July to 2 August, 2017 at Bonhams on Bond Street. It is the brand’s special way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom V was delivered to Lennon on June 3, 1965—the very same day that American astronaut Edward H. White walked in outer space. Done in Valentine Black ,the Rolls had a few niceties that are befitting of its owner’s rockstar status. These include a double bed in place of the rear seat, a refrigerator, telephone, and television ,as well as a floating record player and a sound system with its own external speaker.
As if these weren’t cool enough, the car underwent a drastic and dramatic transformation in April of 1967. This was just about the same time when the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was being finished. Designed by Surry coachbuilders JP Fallon, the uniquely designed Phantom reflected the look and overall concept of the album.
The color, for instance, was a bright yellow that echoed the hue of the album cover. Then there are Romany scrolls—the same cues used on gypsy caravans and barges, along with a zodiac symbol set on the car’s roof.
While it may look like a show car, the Phantom V was used regularly by Lennon from 1965 to 1969. He even rode in it in 1969 to return his MBE to the Palace as a sign of protest against the Vietnam War. After this, he, along with his beloved Rolls-Royce moved to the USA in 1970. Here, it went into service to ferry such rock icons as The Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues, and Bob Dylan.
It was later donated by billionaire Jim Pattison to the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 1977. The entity owns the car to this day.
Get to see the John Lennon Phantom V and other great Phantoms at the Great Eight Phantoms exhibit this July.
