It was on this day in 1959 that, even by its own impeccable standards, Rolls-Royce pushed its boundaries by launching one of the largest and most extravagant cars in its history - the iconic Phantom V.

Assembled at the company’s spiritual headquarters of Crewe, the Phantom V featured a revolutionary 6.3-litre V8 engine and was a suitably enormous vehicle, easily capable of accommodating seven people whilst weighing in at almost 3000kg.

The Limousine-styled Phantom was very much admired by royalty, dignitaries and the super-rich. Not only did Queen Elizabeth II adopt two vehicles as official state cars but other notable owners included the Shah of Iran, King Olav of Norway, Yugoslav dictator Josip Tito and music megastars Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

In all, a total of 516 Phantom V’s were produced before it was phased out in 1968 to be replaced by the Phantom VI which was virtually the same car but with a few modifications.

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