Rolls-Royce Phantom IV

For a list of all Rolls-Royce Phantom generations, see Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Rolls-Royce Phantom IV
The first Rolls-Royce Phantom IV in 1952, carrying Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince Philip
Overview
Manufacturer	Rolls-Royce Limited
Production	1950–1956 18 vehicles
Assembly	United Kingdom
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	5.7 L I8 (gasoline) (first 15 vehicles) 6.5 L I8 (gasoline) (final 3 vehicles)
Transmission	4-speed manual gearbox (4-speed automatic gearbox standard from 1954)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	3,683 mm (145.0 in)
Length	5,765.8 mm (227.0 in)
Width	1,955.8 mm (77.0 in)
Height	1,879.6 mm (74.0 in) (Data corresponding to the first P. IV varies depending on each unit and/or type of coachwork)
Chronology
Predecessor	Phantom III
Successor	Phantom V

The Rolls-Royce Phantom IV is a British automobile produced by Rolls-Royce. ^[1] Only eighteen were made between 1950 and 1956, sold only to buyers whom Rolls-Royce considered worthy of the distinction: the British royal family and heads of state. Sixteen are known to still exist in museums as well as in public and private collections.

Characteristics

Kneeling Spirit of Ecstasy (1934–1939 and 1946–1956) mounted on most of the radiators, except chassis 4BP7 & 4CS4

Rolls-Royce broke with their earlier decision to cease production of the series of "big" Rolls-Royce Phantoms after the end of World War II. ^[2] The Phantom IV chassis differed from those of the shorter, production post-War models, the Silver Wraith and the Bentley Mark VI; apart from a larger size and an engine with increased capacity and power, they have an additional cross-member at the centre of the cruciform bracing and 10-stud road wheel mountings. ^[3]

The engine was a derivative of the 8-cylinder rationalized B range of petrol engines (formed by four, six and straight eight). Specifically it was a refined version of a B80, the last three of a B81, both used in military and commercial vehicles. ^[4] The IV is the only Rolls-Royce motorcar to be fitted with a straight-8 engine, which was powerful but could also run long distances at a very low speed, an important feature for ceremonial and parade cars.

All examples of this exclusive series were bodied by independent coachbuilders, ^[5] and most of their bonnets surmounted by the kneeling version of the Spirit of Ecstasy, which had been unveiled in 1934 and used in various other models.

History

Chassis 4AF18: Two big Lucas R-100 headlights flank the emblematic Parthenon-style radiator grille. Top and front surfaces look dead flat but are actually a few thousandths convex, so they will look flat, in accordance with the design principles used by the ancient Greeks in that temple.

In July 1938, Rolls-Royce had to publish in the motoring press an announcement denying that the Phantom III fabrication would be interrupted. The following was published on 19 July 1938 in the British magazine The Motor :

The company wish to deny the rumour that the Phantom III is to be discontinued and replaced with another model having an 8-cylinder or other engine. ^[7]

However, a project had been initiated in 1937 to rein in the manufacturing costs of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley (acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931) motor car chassis. This involved the development of a Rationalized Range of cars that shared as many common components of the chassis as possible. ^[8] As implementation of this rationalization plan, several prototypes were made. One of these, chassis 30-G-VII, was fitted with a large Park Ward seven-seater limousine body and was called Silver Wraith 80, then Silver Phantom, though it soon became known as Big Bertha. ^[9] This was the genesis of the Phantom IV. ^[8]

Likewise, in 1939 and before the starting of hostilities, another straight-eight powered experimental automobile tested during and after World War II was a special Bentley Mark V, chassis 11-B-V, ^[10] fitted with a bored-out 6.3 litre eight-cylinder engine. ^[11] Although the official Experimental Department name for this car was Comet, ^[12] its scorching performance earned it the fond epithet Scalded Cat. ^[13] This unit in particular would later play a key role in the decision of creating the Phantom IV. ^[13] Indeed, the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh heard about the Bentley nicknamed Scalded Cat in 1948 and asked if he might test it out. He enjoyed this experimental car immensely and drove it for considerable distances. When he returned it, he apparently murmured about how nice it would be to have a car with performance in the Royal Mews.

On 15 November 1948, ^[13] not long after Prince Philip had driven the aforementioned automobile, an order came through for a Rolls-Royce motor car for Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. They placed the order through The Car Mart, Ltd., RR official retailers. ^[14] Such a vehicle would have to meet their official needs, which meant it must be a limousine. It would also have to have good performance, since the Prince wished to drive it himself. The car would be the first Rolls-Royce in the stables. ^[15] It was originally planned to be the only Phantom IV, a strictly one-off piece. ^[16]

Rolls-Royce, aware that Daimler had held the royal warrant to provide motor cars since 1900, was very keen to ensure that the car was the best there had ever been, and a great deal of hand work was lavished on the construction of the chassis. The board members had earlier considered making a replacement for the pre-war Phantom III, but they were wary that such a large and expensive car might not have a market in the weak post-war economy. Production of the first two units of the new model was not at Crewe, but at the experimental Clan Foundry at Belper, which had been the home of the motor car branch during the Second World War. ^{[2] [17]} The experimental department still continued there until the closure of Clan Foundry in 1950, when it was finally transferred to Crewe.

Chassis 4AF2, the first car built, on display at the Royal Mews in London.

The chassis 4AF2 was built under the code-name Nabha, ^[18] and Mulliner was selected as the coachbuilder, so they prepared drawings for approval. The chassis was delivered to them on 20 July 1949 for erection of the body. ^[19] Prince Philip visited the workshops more than once while it was being built. When the automobile was completed in July 1950, its delivery was accompanied by a public announcement stating the Phantom IV had been "designed to the special order of Their Royal Highnesses, the Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh".

As the car was privately owned when delivered to the couple, it was painted Valentine green (deep green with a slight blue secondary hue) with red belt-line striping. The limousine became an official state car of the United Kingdom upon Princess Elizabeth's accession to the throne in 1952; as such, it was repainted in the sovereign's colour scheme of royal claret and black. ^{[17] [18]}

This car remains in the Royal Mews and is still used occasionally for royal and state events. For example, it was used at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 to carry Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, from Clarence House to Westminster Abbey. In 2018, it brought Meghan Markle to St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, for her wedding to Prince Harry. In 2022, it transported the new king, Charles III, and Queen Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall and RAF Northolt. ^[20]

The Spanish order

Chassis 4AF18, one of only three open bodies made.

On 18 October 1948, Crewe received an order from the Government of Spain for three armoured cars for the use of Generalissimo Francisco Franco: two with limousine bodies and an open all-weather body; this one intended to replace a 1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 with Carrosserie Vanvooren body. While the Phantom IV model was not specified in the order, or even known outside the company at that time, it was decided that the best way to cope with the huge additional weight would be to build the three cars as Phantom IVs, ^[21] rather than over-burden the Silver Wraith chassis. Especially since the Foreign Office suggested that Crewe could not turn down the order. ^[16]

The passengers were to be immune from a Mauser bullet fired at ten paces, so W. A. Robotham recommended a body from Mulliner’s of Chiswick, which "had many satisfied customers among the more unpopular rulers of the world". A mission to Mulliner’s of Army officers required glass one and three quarters of an inch thick and armour plate. The armour plate was to be almost half an inch thick, and the large floor area required would make the completed weight of the cars over three and a half tons, which would overstress the wheels and gearbox on Spain's main roads. Some years later when holidaying there, Robotham inspected the cars; the brigadier in charge of the garage praised them and said they were used frequently. The speedometers only showed less than 2,000 km but "they were taken by train and only driven for the actual inspections and processions". ^[22]

Without intending it, the Government of Spain's triple order (along with the later Duke's commission) probably helped to give a decisive impulse to the existence of this model, as suggested by Martin Bennett in his book Rolls-Royce & Bentley: The Crewe Years and the number 9 September 1990 of the British magazine Classic Cars. ^[23] All these three historical vehicles are property of the Spanish Army and are still in ceremonial use for the Spanish royal family.

The "Royalty and Heads of State only" policy

The back compartment of 4BP7 (Princess Margaret's car). Featuring a division, two tip-up seats and folding shelves, cabinet, timepiece, etc.

It is not known exactly when the "Royalty and Heads of State only" policy was decided, nor indeed whether in fact there was such an explicit company policy. It is known though, that a boardroom decision was reached that it would be impractical and disruptive to production of standard models to attempt to build more than three Phantom IVs per year. ^[24] It is also clear that no private customer other than royalty and heads of state ever took delivery of a Phantom IV. Nevertheless, a considerable number of coachbuilder's drawings exist of proposed Phantom IVs that never were built.

A number of these are proposals by coachbuilders for chassis which in the event were bodied by other coachbuilders. Others were proposed but not built at all. Most are linked to a specific customer's name, such as the King Farouk, the Maharajas of Baroda and Mysore, as well as the Americans Briggs Cunningham and James Melton. It is evident that certain customers outside of the Royalty and Heads of State category believed that a Phantom IV would be available for purchase. Just how, or if, the news was broken to those customers that the firm would not supply a chassis for their proposed cars, or why they opted for other models, is open to conjecture. ^[25]

By 1956, appropriate bodies for state use had been built on Silver Wraiths, making dedicated Phantom IV production no longer necessary. The model, which in spite of its luxury and exclusivity had not been very profitable, was discontinued, ^[26] its role of expanding the prestige of Rolls-Royce having been achieved.

Table of all 18 units

Chassis	Engine no.	Original owner / user	Coachwork	Current exterior	Current interior	Last known owner / location	Picture
4AF2	P1A	Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom	H. J. Mulliner Limousine, 7-seater No. 5034 Design 7162	Royal Claret and Black	Front: Blue Leather, later redone in dark blue cloth. Rear: Grey cloth	State Car, Royal Mews, London, 2022
	Ordered as a personal car for the then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Fitted with a specially modified driver's seat in case the Duke of Edinburgh wished to drive. 'Super silent' brake discs. As with other State and royal cars of the United Kingdom, the mascot displayed on the car depends on the occupant of the car and where the car is being used. Nicknamed Nabha, to maintain the privacy of the source of the order. The car has exclusively been used in the UK, save for one trip in 1977 to Germany. [27]
	Delivery took place on 6 July 1950. In 1952, it was adopted as a State and royal cars of the United Kingdom and repainted - from Valentine Green with a Red pinstripe - to the Royal livery of Royal Claret and Black, seen on Royal Daimlers to that point. On 10 April 1952, the Queen was driven in this car to her first royal engagement - the presentation of Maundy Money at Westminster Abbey. In 1955, the car was fitted with an automatic gearbox. The car has been used by many members of the British Royal Family for countless high profile events and State occasions. Since his accession in 2022, Charles III has used the car frequently. The car is reputed to have been a favoured car of Charles, with him intervening to stop its sale.
4AF4	P2A	Rolls-Royce	Park Ward Pick-Up Truck No. Unknown Design Unknown	Grey		Dismantled, United Kingdom, 1963
	Experimental truck used for the factory. It wore the vehicle registration plate MMA 562.
	The vehicle was delivered on 1 October 1950. In 1952 was fitted with the B81 engine and automatic gear box. It was scrapped in the early 1960s.
4AF6	P3A	Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran	H. J. Mulliner Cabriolet No. 5077 Design 7205	Blue Silver	White Leather	Unknown, Hong Kong? 2014
	It was the only Phantom IV to have built-in Silver Dawn type headlamps. [28]
	It was delivered on 8 March 1951. In the mid-1950s, the car was seen in Miami, FL, USA. The car was returned to Rolls-Royce Ltd in 1959, it is believed because it had proved insufficiently stiff, flexing severely on Iranian roads. The outcome was that the company scrapped it, though the body survives on a Phantom III chassis, which perhaps suggests that the fault lay with the chassis. [28] The car made its way to the United States in 1982, apparently from Switzerland, [29] still with its metallic blue paint. As of 2014, the car was reputed to reside in Hong Kong.
4AF8	P4A	Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Hakim of Kuwait	H. J. Mulliner Limousine, 6 light saloon No. 5153 Design 720	Orange Biscuit over Royal Midnight Blue	Biscuit Leather	Unknown, Italy, 2023
	It was not fitted with a division between the front and back seats.
	The car was delivered in July 1951. In 2018, the car turned up in England for sale as a restoration project. As of 2023, the car resides in Italy, in almost complete condition.
4AF10	P5A	Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester	Hooper Limousine No. 9663 Design 8292	Black	Fawn Leather	Unknown, Unknown, 1960s
	It wore Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester personal vehicle registration plate XH 8888 but reverted to 714 AYX on its sale. It features two side-mounted spare wheels.
	It was delivered on 1 September 1951. The car was sold in October 1960: According to Philip C. Brook's article "Phantoms in a Postwar World": "...the late HRH Prince William of Gloucester told me that the family sold the car because it was too big." However the truth for the sale might be somewhat different as the car was involved in a 'spectacular accident...whilst the entertainer Shirley Bassey was on board', this damage being repaired during the sale. [30] [31] The car was featured in the 1966 film Arabesque [32] and Fumo di Londra (Smoke over London). In 1967, John Schaler imported the car to the United States. [33] The car returned to the UK in 1969, and through to the early 1990s at least, it was owned by Lesley Smith, of Bury, United Kingdom. [34]
4AF12	P6A	Ernest Hives, the Managing Director and Chairman of Rolls-Royce Limited	Hooper Limousine, 7-seater No. 9719 Design 8307	Blue Repainted: Black	Beige	Ion Țiriac, Romania, 2022
	According to Martin Bennett's book Rolls-Royce & Bentley: The Crewe Years (3rd edition, 2011), Ernest Hives is said to have used the car only infrequently, preferring his Bentley R Type #B226WH. It wore the vehicle registration plate NTU 176.
	The car was delivered on 1 July 1951. By the end of 1952, the had been converted to an automatic - from a manual - transmission. In 1954, the car was sold to Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent and wore her vehicle registration plate YR 11. By 1993, it was privately owned in Pennsylvania. [35] The car was displayed at 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it won the Lucius Beebe Trophy. In 2017, the car had been thoroughly restored. [36]
4AF14	P7A	Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain	H. J. Mulliner Limousine, 5-seater No. 5035 Design 7181	Black	West of England Beige	Cuartel El Rey de la Guardia Real, El Rey, Madrid, Spain	The vehicle on the left
	Armoured by the English Steel Corporation. Centre armrest. This is the one normally used by heads of states during state visits to Spain Wears the number plate ET-42927-O. [37]
	It was delivered on 23 June 1952. Used in numerous official and State occasions.
4AF16	P8A	Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain	H. J. Mulliner Limousine, 7-seater No. 5036 Design 7181	Black	West of England Beige	Cuartel El Rey de la Guardia Real, El Rey, Madrid, Spain	The vehicle on the right
	Armoured by the English Steel Corporation. Centre armrest. Usually used by the Spanish Head of State for certain occasions, such as the parade of the National Day of Spain. It wears the number plate ET-42926-O. [37]
	It was delievered on 11 July 1952. Used in numerous official and State occasions.
4AF18	P9A	Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain	H. J. Mulliner Cabriolet No. 4945 Design 7183	Black	Green Leather	Cuartel El Rey de la Guardia Real, El Rey, Madrid, Spain
	Armoured. Centre armrest. The only Phantom IV to have all four doors hinged on their leading edges. It wears the number plate ET-42928-O. [37]
	The car was delivered on 28 March 1952. Used in numerous official and State occasions.
4AF20	P10A	Aga Khan III	Hooper Limousine, Sedanca de Ville No. 9750 Design 8293	Dark Green (Light Green pinstripe) Repainted: Red Repainted: Dark Green (Light Green pinstripe) (2015)	Red Leather	Ion Țiriac / Romania / 2022
	The only Phantom IV built in the Sedanca de Ville style.
	It was delivered on 6 April 1952. When Rolls Royce sold this car to Aga Khan they included a clause which said he could not sell the car. However, after his death his widow sold it to the Mayfair-Lennox hotel (Missouri, US), where it was used to pick up guests at the airport, but due to the short boot capacity it was resold in 1962. The car was later repainted red, potentially during the ownership of Aga Khan III. Owned by Bob Shaffer. Owned by Axel Wars in the 1980s. In August 2011, it was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, California. [38] It was estimated to sell for $850,000-1,100,000. Bidding failed to satisfy the vehicle's reserve and it left the auction unsold. The car was displayed at 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it won 'Best of Class, Rolls-Royce & Bentley Postwar' award. It is now under ownership of Ion Tiriac and in the museum Țiriac Collection and has been restored to its original two-tone green colour scheme in 2015. [39]
4AF22	P11A	The Prince Talal of Saudi Arabia	Franay Cabriolet No. Unknown Design 7183	Cream and Green Repainted: Black	Green Leather	Unknown
	The only Phantom IV with a French-made coachwork. This one was listed in their works description as a sedanca de ville, but a four-door cabriolet with divider window was erected on the chassis instead. [40] It has two covered spare wheels and at least two of the interior seats rotate at a sufficient angle to allow easier ingress and egress.
	The car was delievered in June 1952.
4BP1	P1B	King Faisal II of Iraq	Hooper Limousine No. 9890 Design 8361	Black	Red Leather	Bagdhad, Iraq
	The first of four series B cars, which differed in having wider eight-inch wheel rims. Made for King Faisal II of Iraq's coronation.
	It was delivered on 31 March 1953. In August 1959 - after King Faisal's death - the car was auctioned as "unused", alongside his Staines estate. It was purchased by a car dealer, Raymond Way. [41] The car survived the Iraq War hidden in the basement carpark of the mayoralty of Baghdad along with many other prestigious cars. During this period it was stripped of its Rolls-Royce badging and Spirit of Ecstasy.
4BP3	P2B	'Abd al-Ilah, Prince Regent of Iraq	Hooper Touring Limousine, 7-seater No. 9891 Design 8370	Black Repainted: Black over White, Black Fenders, [42] Repainted: Black over Dark Blue	French Blue Leather	Royal Automobile Museum, Jordan
	Built for the coronation of his nephew, King Faisal II.
	The car was delivered on 31 March 1953. In the 1958 coup d'état, all the royal family members were assassinated. At the time of the uprising, the car was at Hooper's in London for servicing, and it was eventually sold in the US. By 1967, the car was owned in the East of the United States by a Rolls-Royce collector. [43] In summer 1996, Robert Shaffner purchased 4BP3 and the car then resided in Pennsylvania. [31] Displayed at The Royal Automobile Museum, Amman, Jordan.
4BP5	P3B	Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom	Hooper Landaulette No. 9941 Design 8399	Royal Claret and Black	Front: Blue Leather Rear: Grey West of England Cloth	Private Collection, Missouri, USA
	This car was built in the company's Golden Jubilee year and was initially retained by Rolls-Royce, and kept at their London showroom. The car was deliberately specified and maintained to be ready for the Royal Household for use by the Royal Family. [44] [31] This car is credited as the turning point for State Cars in the United Kingdom, ending Daimler's 55 year period of dominance in favour of Rolls-Royce. [44] It wore the vehicle registration plate STU 763 before being changed to OXR 2, one of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's plates.
	It was delivered on 1 May 1954. In January 1959, it was purchased by the Queen for use as an official state car. Being suitable for use in hot climates, the landaulette was used on several overseas tours. [45] Amongst many other duties, it served to convey bridesmaids and page boys to the Royal Weddings of 1981 and 1986. The car was retired from the working fleet not long afterwards, [46] but remained in the Royal Mews until 2002; it was then returned to the factory (this apparently being a condition of the original sale). [31] Subsequently it formed part of the 'historic Rolls-Royce heritage fleet' held by Bentley Motors Ltd and was displayed at Hunt House by the Sir Henry Royce Foundation. In 2018, Bentley Motors Ltd sold the car off by auction for £800,000. [47]
4BP7	P4B	Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon	H. J. Mulliner Limousine, 7-seater No. 5686 Design 7368	Black	Beige Cloth	Unknown, Sold in 2021
	Known by Rolls-Royce as 'The Baron Montaigne'. It was fitted with an adjustable seat in case the Princess wished to drive herself. It wore Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon's personal vehicle registration plate PM 6450 until it was retired from service in 1967, after 13 years.
	The car was delivered to Clarence House on 16 July 1954 [48] at an estimated cost of £8,500 [49] (equivalent to £247,600in 2021). [50] In 1967, when acquired by A.W.D. Adams, of Essex, United Kingdom, the plate changed to 302 HYP. [51] Over the next 30 years, the Adams family hired out the car as part of their limousine service. [51] In 1969, the car made an appearance in the James Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film), still wearing the number, 302 HYP. In 2003, it moved into the hands of a collector in Pennsylvania, Robert Shaffner, who has owned three of the 18 cars over the years. [51] In 2008, the car, still in its original black colour and featuring its Pegasus hood ornament, was sold by The Real Car Company of Bethesda, Gwynedd, North Wales to St. Moritz Automobile Club member Dr. Norbert Seeger (DE). [52] No selling price was published, but the company stated that it sold for "somewhere around $750,000". Dr. Seeger displayed the car at several prominent car shows in Europe, including the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como, Italy. [53] [54] In 2021, it was sold by RM Sotheby's for CHF2,255,000, in a sale that included 24 other cars from Dr. Seeger's collection. [51]
4CS2	P1C	Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Hakim of Kuwait	H. J. Mulliner Limousine, 6 Light Saloon No. 5724 Design 7376	Two-Tone Green	Olive Green Leather	Nethercutt Collection, California, USA
	The first of three series C cars, which have wider front brake drums, the 33/4 in. bore, 6,515 cc version of the straight-eight engine, automatic transmission as standard and the same eight-inch wheel rims like the series B.
	The car was delivered in November 1955. In 1967, it was sold out of Kuwait, along with #4CS4, to Edgar Jurist, New Jersey, USA, who sold it within the state almost immediately. [55] The car stayed at the Ellenville Motor Museum as part of the Resnick Collection. In 1983, it formed part of the Merle Norman Classic Beauty Collection, Sylmar, California, where it displayed only 5,000 miles. [56] From at least 2010, the car has been on display at the Nethercutt Collection, Sylmar, California. J.B. Nethercutt being the nephew of Merle Norman. According to a plaque in the museum, the car cost $25,000 when purchased new.
4CS4	P2C	Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Hakim of Kuwait	H. J. Mulliner Limousine No. 5725 Design 7376	Golden Copper and Silver	Beige Leather	Miguel de la Vía, Torre Loizaga, Biscay, Spain 2022
	It features an automatic gearbox and air conditioning. It had additional features for the Emir: a red beacon and electrically-operated privacy curtains.
	It was delivered in January 1956. It was sold out of Kuwait in 1967 along with #4CS2 to Edgar Jurist, New Jersey, USA, who sold it within the state almost immediately. [57] From there, it moved through the hands of a number of North American collectors - the Resnick Motor Museum collection, amongst them. In 1986 it was owned by Ken Smith in San Diego. In 1987, it now resided with Richard P. Kughn. In 1995, it was for sale in the US, having driven only 3,318 miles. 1997 saw its sale through Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizon. In 1998, it was owned by Dennis P. Nicotra of Connecticut, where it was Teal over Gold and displayed 5,000 miles. In 1999, it was acquired by its current owner, Miguel de la Vía, in 1999 who displays it at Torre Loizaga, Biscay, Spain. [58]
4CS6	P3C	Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran	Hooper Limousine No. 10177 Design 8425	Black Repainted: Bordeaux	Grey Leather	National Car Museum of Iran
	The figurine is standing, not kneeling. Incidentally, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passengered in this car, while visiting the Shah.
	It was delivered on 11 December 1956. In 1977 the car was in London for "major repairs and refurbishing". In 1980, after three years and a reported $25,000 worth of repairs, the car was still in the UK. There was a dispute over who owned the car; the ousted Shah or representatives of the Iranian Embassy who said it belonged to their country. [59] In 1988, the exiled Pahlavi family lost their claim to ownership in the British courts and it was subsequently returned to Iran. Displayed at the National Car Museum of Iran.

References

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19. Bennett (2008), p. 23.
20. King Charles, his late mother and the Phantom they both loved
21. Bennett (2008), p. 32.
22. Robotham, William Arthur (1970). Silver Ghosts and Silver Dawn. London, UK: Constable. pp. 233–235. ISBN   978-0-09456-690-3.
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25. Bennett (2008), pp. 48–51.
26. The International Club for Rolls-Royce and Bentley Owners Desk Diary. Faircount Media Group. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015 – via Issuu.
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29. Trenk, Dick (6 April 2010). Bergsma, Joris; Booy, Rutger (eds.). "Comes with an armed guard". Post War Classic. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Pre-War Post-War Publishing. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2013. One chassis was rebodied with a six seat convertible body for the Shah and because it had been at the Mulliner Park Ward body works during the overthrow, it survived. It was smuggled into Switzerland and kept hidden.
30. Royal Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. 1991. p. 183.
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Bibliography

• Bennett, Martin (2008). Rolls-Royce: The Postwar Phantoms IV, V, VI. Dalton Watson. ISBN   978-1-85443-220-9.

External links

• "Article and vintage photos of each P. IV". Flickr.
• "Pictures of the 18 P. IV made". Pinterest.
• "Phantom IV". Rolls-Royce Foundation Image Collection. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017.
• "Phantom IV". Flickr. 2 January 2010.
• "Article on the 4BP3 (1953)". Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
• "Impressions of a P. IV". Rolls-Royce Owners' Club of Australia.
• "The model in Movies and TV series". Internet Movie Cars Database.
• "Vintage photos". Flickr.

Videos

• "Rolls-Royce Phantom IV playlist". YouTube.