Goldfinger on Lake Como: The Rolls Royce Phantom and its legacy

Open gallery

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Rolls-Royce Phantom celebrates its 100th birthday and presents the Phantom Goldfinger, the original car from James Bond’s Goldfinger, to the public for the first time at the Villa d’Este as part of the Concorso d’Eleganza.

Surrounded by award-winning classic cars and modern concept vehicles, the traditional British brand set the stage for a chapter of automotive history that has long since become film history: the world premiere of the Phantom Goldfinger.

“Presenting these exquisite Phantoms and original artworks created by our designers in tribute to the nameplate in its centenary year is a fitting celebration of our flagship model.“ – Chris Brownridge, CEO Rolls-Royce

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The two sides of the Phantom

In addition to the historic film prop, a modern version of the iconic car was also on show. The one-off model – a Phantom Extended, made for an anonymous customer – is a reference to the films of the British double agent. First, as a tribute to the 1964 Bond adventure Goldfinger and, second, as a reference to the iconic Phantom III Sedanca de Ville from 1937, which the villain Auric Goldfinger drove in various scenes in Ian Fleming’s film adaptation. Both models were presented side by side on the shores of Lake Como – past and present, black and egg yolk yellow in two different forms.

A model with attitude

The new Phantom tells the story of the film in 18 and 24 carat gold: from the exhaust pipe to the coachline details, almost every component references characters, locations and motifs from the film, creating a mobile storyboard made of metal, leather and legend.

Evolution of the Phantom

The presentation was complemented by an exhibition of eight original works of art in which designers from Goodwood visualised the evolution of the Phantom – each generation in the visual language of its time, from the interwar period to the digital world of today. A restored Phantom V was also on display at the parade – a model that was once built for heads of state, pop icons and royalty and has lost little of its impact to this day.

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An ironic twist

The fact that a movie villain was chosen as the namesake for Rolls-Royce’s top-of-the-range model is more than just an ironic twist. The Phantom has always been a symbol of the biggest stage – and Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke department now delivers this at a cinematic level.