2007 Rolls-Royce Phantom VII Extended Wheelbase

This Collection is offered by the family of the late J. Anthony Edwards whose passion for Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars spanned decades. With business success in his thirties, Tony as he was universally known, bought a Bentley S1 that started his enthusiasm that led to owning virtually every subsequent model of Rolls and Bentley since. Tony even passed his advanced driving test in a 1996 Bentley Brooklands at the age of 75! At the age of 80 his passion was still undiminished when he exchanged a Phantom Coupé for a new Wraith. The cars that Tony loved to drive remained in the collection, some retained by the family, and these four cars are a testament to his diligent maintenance, each on the button, for the next custodian to enjoy as he did.

Produced at a new factory near Goodwood in Sussex, the Phantom revived a great name from Rolls-Royce's past that had always been synonymous with unrestrained luxury. In keeping with the tradition established by previous Phantoms, the newcomer was a very large motor car, outstretching the old Silver Seraph, the last Crewe-built Rolls-Royce, by 18ins. Priced at around £260,000 at time of launch, it was also 40% more expensive. An historic model in the continuing history of the Rolls-Royce marque, the 6.7-litre V12-powered Phantom was the first all-new design to be introduced by the company following its takeover by BMW and saw the Rolls-Royce brand firmly back where it belonged, as the pinnacle of the very best,

Whilst the aluminium body structure represented the ultimate in automotive technology, its accoutrements remained entirely traditional in choice of materials, consisting of the finest hide trim, genuine woollen carpets and carefully selected wood veneers. Certain dashboard features recalled those of earlier models, while there was a choice of five-seater 'Lounge' or four-seater ‘Theatre' accommodation. In March 2005, an Extended Wheelbase Phantom was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show and was 9.8inches longer than the standard car. The Phantom EWB was, without a doubt, the new benchmark in terms of luxury and road presence, literally overshadowing the rather dull looking Maybach and making the long wheel-base variants of the S-Class, BMW’s 7-series and Audi A8 look like glorified taxis.

First registered on the 5th July 2007, this Phantom EWB was delivered with the two-tone colour scheme that has served big Rolls-Royces well for decades, silver over dark blue. The car was clearly used as intended from new and, by Tony’s purchase in 2012, it car had covered some 70,000 miles, diligently maintained, then as now. A favourite of Tony’s son, the car stayed within the family when he bought it from his father on 2nd April 2014. It's presented to auction with an odometer reading of 97,073 miles, the book pack including the service book, umbrellas neatly stowed in the rear doors, reams of receipts and an advisory free MOT valid until 22nd April 2023.