Rolls-Royce Phantom Royale Pininfarina

Vehicle Overview

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Royale, also referred to as the Rolls-Royce Royale or Phantom VII Royale, was a limited-production limousine commissioned exclusively by the royal household of Brunei. Constructed between 1995 and 1997, the model was developed as a bespoke project outside the standard offerings of Rolls-Royce and remains one of the most obscure and highly individualized vehicles in the company’s modern history. The vehicle was designed by Pininfarina Studi e Ricerche (PFSR) of Turin, Italy, in response to a request to reinterpret the Rolls-Royce Phantom in a contemporary context. The resulting design incorporated proportions and styling cues that paid tribute to the Phantom VI, yet introduced a modernized body with distinct Italian influences. The Phantom Royale was built on a significantly stretched and widened variant of the Bentley Continental R platform, employing the mechanical foundations of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur III Touring Limousine. The initial production consisted of four vehicles constructed by Pininfarina in 1995. These were followed by a second series of two additional cars completed by Bertone, also located in Turin, in 1997. In total, six units were manufactured. All vehicles featured a seven-seat configuration and were fitted with a turbocharged V8 engine. The 1995 examples were powered by an engine equivalent to that of the Rolls-Royce Flying Spur of the same year, without catalytic converters. The two 1997 cars used a version of the turbocharged V8 found in the Bentley Turbo R, similarly uncatalyzed. Details concerning the specifications and interior appointments of the Phantom Royale have not been publicly disclosed. The model was classified as non-standard, with the fifth character in the chassis number designated “H” to denote its bespoke status for select clients. Serial numbering did not follow regular production sequences, further indicating the project’s exclusive nature. All known examples remain within private collections and are not known to have been offered for public sale. The Phantom Royale is recognized as one of the most technically elusive and stylistically distinctive one-off commissions associated with the Rolls-Royce marque.