Introduced alongside the Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 in the Autumn of 1959, Rolls-Royce's new limousine model, the long-wheelbase Phantom V, effectively replaced both the royalty/heads-of-state-only Phantom IV and the Silver Wraith.

The latter's relatively short wheelbase (for a limousine) had made it all but impossible for coachbuilders to provide adequate boot space in a comfortable seven-seater automobile, a shortcoming addressed by the Phantom V.

Rolls-Royce's in-house coachbuilder Park Ward Limited (later Mulliner Park Ward) produced what was, in effect, the 'standard' seven-passenger limousine coachwork for the Phantom V.

This timeless design would survive until 1990, being built in near identical Phantom VI form from 1968, when separate air conditioning for front and rear compartments was standardised together with the Silver Shadow specification 6230cc V8 engine.

The usual upholstery for the front compartment was leather, which was also included in the list of alternativ...