Classic Type Car - Rolls-Royce Phantom V, ultra-exclusive four-door saloon

The Phantom V was a large, ultra-exclusive four-door saloon made by Rolls-Royce from 1959 to 1968. Based on the Silver Cloud II, it shared a V8 engine and General Motors Hydramatic automatic gearbox with its smaller sibling. Rolls-Royce assembled the cars' chassis and drivetrains with bodies made to standard designs by coachbuilders H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward, and James Young, former vendors absorbed by Rolls-Royce.

The engine was a 6,230 cc 90-degree V8 with twin SU carburetors, coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The car had massive drum brakes and a wheelbase of 3,683 mm. Four speed automatic transmission and power assisted steering were standard.

From 1963 onward the Silver Cloud III's 7% more powerful engine and new front wings incorporating the latter's quad headlamps were fitted.

A total of 516 Phantom V's were made. Famous owners included Queen Elizabeth II and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Those owned by Elizabeth II were official state cars, adapted for that purposed with a flag staff and illuminated heraldic shield above the windscreen. Having been retired from active service in 2002, both are now on public display: one in the royal motor museum at Sandringham, and the other in the special garage aboard HMY Britannia in Leith, Edinburgh.

The Governor of Hong Kong used a Rolls-Royce Phantom V for ceremonial occasions. It was removed from Hong Kong by the Royal Navy immediately following the handover to China on 1 July 1997.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the shah of Iran was another one of the famous people who owned this car. Since his exile, the car is being kept in his royal residence in Tehran and every once in a while it is shown to the public among the other luxurious cars owned by The Shah, including a unique Rolls-Royce Phantom VI.

King Olav V of Norway owned a 1962 limousine as a state car. Yugoslav president, Josip Broz Tito owned a private Rolls-Royce Phantom V.

Then Beatle John Lennon's psychedelic-painted Phantom V, a 1960s counter-culture icon, came from the factory finished in white, with Lennon commissioning the custom paint job atop it.

Classic Type Car - Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, British saloon automobile

The Silver Spirit is a British saloon automobile made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in England. It was launched in 1980.

The Silver Spur was a long wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit, produced at the same time. The Spirit was the first car to feature the retractable Spirit of Ecstasy. The spring loaded Mascot sank into the radiator shell if dislodged from its position.

The Silver Spirit, introduced by Rolls-Royce in 1980, was the first of a new generation of models for the company. It formed the basis for the Flying Spur, Silver Dawn, Touring Limousine, and Park Ward. The same chassis was also used by sister company, Bentley for their new Mulsanne/Eight series. The entire line was replaced with the BMW-powered Silver Seraph and the Bentley Arnage in 1998.

The new car was not entirely new — it shared the basic floor pan of the Silver Shadow as well as that car's 6.75 L (6750 cc/411 in³) V8 engine. The Spur continued with the high degree of ride quality and self-leveling suspension from the Shadow, this time using a Girling automatic hydraulic ride height control system and gas-charged shock absorbers.

The Silver Spirit II and Silver Spur II were introduced at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show. Again, the suspension was the main innovation, with a fully automatic system adjusting dampers at all four wheels in real time. Other main innovations were the adoption of ABS and fuel injection as standard for all models, and two additional bull's eyes ventilation outlets on the dashboard.

The Silver Spirit III and Silver Spur III, introduced in 1993, relied on improvements to the traditional V8 engine as their differentiator. A new intake manifold and cylinder heads upped power output, which was still stated simply as "adequate" in company literature. Dual airbags were another new feature, and the rear seats now adjusted independently.

Classic Type Car - Rolls-Royce Camargue, two-door coupé introduced by Rolls-Royce Motors in March 1975

The Rolls-Royce Camargue is a two-door coupé introduced by Rolls-Royce Motors in March 1975. The Camargue's body, built in London by their coachbuilding division Mulliner Park Ward, was designed by automotive designer Paolo Martin at Pininfarina — the Camargue was Rolls-Royce's first post-war production model not to be designed in-house.

When it was launched, the Camargue, which was the flagship of the Rolls-Royce lineup, was the most expensive production car in the world, eventually selling in North America for approximately US$147,000 ($588,000 in 2008 dollars). By the time of its official U.S. launch, the Carmargue had already been on sale in the UK for over a year. The New York Times made much of the fact that the U.S. price at this stage was approximately $15,000 higher than the UK price. In the 1970s, many European models retailed for significantly less in the U.S. than they did in Europe in order to compete with prices set aggressively by Detroit's Big Three and Japanese importers. The manufacturer rejected this approach with the Carmargue, referencing the high cost of safety and pollution engineering needed to adapt the few cars (approximately 30 per year) it expected to send to North America in 1976.

The recommended price of a new Camargue price at launch on the UK market in March 1975 was £29,250, including sales taxes. Rapid currency depreciation would greatly raise the price of the Camargue in the late 1970s, both the UK and in North America.

The car was sold in very limited numbers in European, American, Canadian, Australian and Asian markets. It was named after the southern French Camargue region.

When presenting their new car to the press in 1975, Rolls-Royce placed emphasis on the sophistication of the completely automatic split-level climate control system, the first of its kind in the world. It was developed, it was stated, during the eight years preceding the car's introduction, and according to Rolls-Royce, "superior to anything else in the field."

The Camargue shares a platform with the Rolls-Royce Corniche and Silver Shadow. It is powered by the same 6.75 L V8 engine as the Silver Shadow, though the Camargue is slightly more powerful. The transmission was also carried over — a General Motors Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic. The first 65 Camargues produced used SU carburettors, while the remaining 471 used Solex units. The Camargue was fitted with the Silver Shadow II's power rack and pinion steering rack in February 1977. In 1979, it received the rear independent suspension of the Silver Spirit.

The car, which is large for a coupé, sits on a 3048 mm (120 in) wheelbase. It was the first Rolls-Royce automobile to be designed to metric dimensions, and was the first Rolls-Royce to feature a slanted grille; the Camargue's grille slants at an inclined angle of seven degrees.

Production of the Rolls-Royce Camargue ended in 1986. During the car's 11-year production run, 530 Rolls-Royce Camargues were built, as well as one specially-ordered Bentley Camargue.

Classic Type Car - Rolls-Royce Corniche, convertible version of the Silver Shadow produced between 1971 and 1996

The Corniche was Rolls-Royce's coupé and convertible version of the Silver Shadow produced between 1971 and 1996. The Corniche was named "Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two door fixed head coupé " (alternatively - drop head coupé ) from 1966 until 1971 when the Corniche name was applied. The exterior design was by John Polwhele Blatchley. (The independent coachmaker James Young had already custom-made a two-door coupé variant of the Silver Shadow, but Young's model proved less popular and was soon discontinued).

The model was assembled and finished in London at Mulliner Park Ward as continuation of the 1965 Silver Shadow coupe and 1967 drophead, with the Corniche name applied in March 1971. The Corniche was also sold as a Bentley, though that model became known as the Continental in 1984. The first car to wear the Corniche name was a 1939 prototype based on the Bentley Mark V which was never produced because of the onset of World War II.

Although the 1971 Corniche was the first car of that name that the company sold, the "Corniche" name had been registered by Rolls-Royce in the 1930s. The original Corniche was a prototype based on the Bentley Mark V featuring coachwork by the Paris firm, van Vooren. The single car undertook 15,000 miles (24,000 km) of endurance testing in Continental Europe before being blown up by a bomb at Dieppe while waiting at the dockside to be shipped to England.

The Rolls-Royce Corniche was available both as a coupé and convertible, with the former discontinued in March 1981.

The car used the standard Rolls-Royce V8 engine. It had an aluminium-silicon alloy block and aluminium cylinder heads with cast iron wet cylinder liners. The bore was 4.1 in (104.1 mm) and the stroke was 3.9 in (99.1 mm) for a total of 6.75 L (6,750 cc/411 cuin). Twin SU carburettors were initially fitted, but were replaced with the "horribly complex" single Solex 4A1 four-barrel carburettor introduced in 1977. Desmogged export models retained the twin SU's until 1980, when Bosch fuel injection was added.

A three-speed automatic transmission (a Turbo Hydramatic 400 sourced from General Motors) was standard. A four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs was augmented with a hydraulic self-levelling system (using the same system as did Citroën, but without pneumatic springs, and with the hydraulic components built under licence by Rolls-Royce), at first on all four, but later on the rear wheels only. Four wheel disc brakes were specified, with ventilated discs added for 1972.

The car originally used a 119.75 in (3,042 mm) wheelbase. This was extended to 120 in (3,048 mm) in 1974 and 120.5 in (3,061 mm) in 1979. In total, 780 Saloons (Coupés) and 1,233 Convertibles were built, for a total of 2,013 Corniche I.

Classic Type Car - Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce model made from 1968-1991

The Phantom VI was an ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce model made from 1968-1991.

Based on the Phantom V, the Phantom VI had a re-styled facia and was powered by an engine derived from the current Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Most of the coachwork was created by Mulliner Park Ward, usually in limousines form, though a few landaulettes were made.

The Phantom VI was the last Rolls-Royce with separate chassis. It featured coil springs in front, leaf springs in rear, and drum brakes on all four wheels. The car was powered by a twin SU carburettors 6,230 cc (380 cu in) 90 degree V8 with a bore of 104 mm (4.1 in) and stroke of 91.5 mm (3.60 in), coupled to a 4-speed automatic gearbox. In a 1979 upgrade, engine capacity was increased to 6,750 cc (412 cu in), a 3-speed automatic gearbox with torque converter was substituted, and separate front and rear air conditioning units were provided. Inclusion of the engine from the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit in 1982 increased engine displacement once more, to 6,750 cc.

A total of 374 Phantom VIs were made. Design of a Phantom VII based on the Silver Shadow's body was discussed in the 1970s, but plans were scrapped.

Queen Elizabeth II's fleet of cars includes two Rolls-Royce Phantom VIs, the custom-built 'Silver Jubilee Car' presented by the British motor industry to celebrate her 25th anniversary on the throne in 1977, and a more conventional 1986 model. The Silver Jubilee Car, with its raised roof and enlarged glazed area, was the 'Number One State Car' until the introduction of the two Bentley State Limousines in 2002. Like the other state cars, the Phantom VIs have no registration plates and a special mount for a Royal Standard and coat of arms. When in use by the Queen, the Spirit of Ecstasy is replaced by a custom-made solid silver model of St George slaying the dragon. On the evening of 9 December 2010, the car was attacked by student protestors as it carried The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to the Royal Variety Performance in London. The couple were unhurt, but the car was spattered with paint and one of the side windows was smashed. Whilst the car's windows were toughened, it wasn't armoured. The car was used to carry Catherine Middleton to her wedding to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

On September 2010 a Phantom VI which belonged to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the late Shah of Iran was put on display in Niavaran Palace Complex in Tehran.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom VI dating to 1970 is the State Car of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. It is typically used only on rare occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament or the swearing-in of a new Governor-General.

Classic Type Car - Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, luxury car produced in Great Britain

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a luxury car that was produced in Great Britain in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis, a response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation.

To date, the Silver Shadow has the largest production volume of any Rolls-Royce.

Following in the manufacturer's tradition of building luxury vehicles, the standard wheelbase Silver Shadow measured 224 inches (5,700 mm) , 4,700 lb (2,100 kg) and had a book price of £6,557 in the first year of production.

The Silver Shadow was produced from 1965 to 1976, and the Silver Shadow II from 1977 to 1980.

Initially, the model was planned to be called "Silver Mist", a natural progression from its predecessor Silver Cloud. The name was changed to "Silver Shadow" after realizing that "mist" is the German word for manure, rubbish, or dirt.

The design was a major departure from its predecessor, the Silver Cloud. The John Polwhele Blatchley design was the firm's first single bow model. More than 50% of its predecessor had been sold on the domestic market where, by the standards of much of Europe and most of North America, roads were narrow and crowded. The original Shadow was 3½ inches (9 cm) narrower and 7 inches (18 cm) shorter than the car it replaced, but nevertheless managed to offer increased passenger and luggage space thanks to more efficient packaging made possible by unitary ("monocoque") construction.

Aside from a more modern appearance and construction, the Silver Shadow introduced many new features such as disc rather than drum brakes, and independent rear suspension, rather than the outdated live axle design of previous cars.

The Shadow featured a 172 hp (128 kW) 6.2 L V8 from 1965 to 1969, and a 189 hp (141 kW) 6.75 L V8 from 1970 to 1980. Both powerplants were coupled to a General Motors-sourced Turbo Hydramatic 400 transmission, except on pre-1970 right-hand-drive models, which used the same 4-speed automatic gearbox as the Silver Cloud (also sourced from GM).

The car's most innovative feature was a high-pressure hydraulic system licensed from Citroën, with dual-circuit braking and hydraulic self-levelling suspension. At first, both the front and rear of the car were controlled by the leveling system; the front levelling was deleted in 1969 as it had been determined that the rear levelling did almost all the work. Rolls-Royce achieved a high degree of ride quality with this arrangement.

BMW 3 Series (E90), the fifth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars

The BMW E90 series is the fifth generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars. The car is also available as a touring (designated as E91), coupé (E92) and coupé cabriolet (E93). A high performance BMW M3 version of the E90, E92, and E93 is also available. It is the successor to the E46 model, and was launched in March 2005. The E90 is slated to be replaced in 2012 when a new 3 Series body is introduced. [1]

In 2002,Norbert Reithofer and Development Chief Burkhard Goeschel started an initiative to halve the time it took to reach full production of the next generation 3-series from six months to three. First marketed in March 2005, the car quickly became BMW Group's best selling automobile worldwide, and by the end of the year 229,900 vehicles had been delivered. It is by far the best-selling entry-level luxury car in Canada and the United States.

In 2009, the saloon underwent an extensive mid-cycle facelift. In 2011, the coupe and convertible were facelifed as well. Facelifted 3-series are commonly referred to as "LCI" (Lifecycle Impulse) models.

The E90 saloon is 49 mm (1.9 in) longer, 78 mm (3.1 in) wider and 9 mm (0.4 in) taller than its predecessor (E46). The wheelbase is longer by 35 mm (1.4 in). In previous 3 Series models, space for passengers and luggage were common criticisms; however, BMW made significant improvements to the poor leg and headroom in those previous models. BMW's brochure even highlights, 'Now long legs can be enjoyed even by the people who have them'. Large amounts of aluminium were used in the body work and suspension in an attempt to keep the weight close to previous models; however, the E90 weighs between 50 lb (23 kg) and 300 lb (140 kg) more than comparable older models. The N54B30 engine is all aluminium with cast iron liners, while the N51 and N52 engines largely consist of magnesium with an outer shell of aluminium and even aluminium bolts to prevent corrosion from dissimilar metals. The piston sleeves in each are steel and have copper coating.

The E90 also introduced run-flat tires to the 3 Series range. Consequently, cars with run-flats are not equipped with a spare tire. While these theoretically improve performance and handling, run-flats sometimes cost more to replace and can give a harsher ride.

BMW 1 Series (E81), an entry level sports car produced by the German automaker BMW since 2004

The BMW 1 Series (E81/E87 and E82/E88 models) is an entry level sports car produced by the German automaker BMW since 2004. The 1 Series is unusual in its class as it features rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight balance, a longitudinally-mounted engine and an advanced aluminum multilink suspension. It is currently BMW's second best-selling automobile worldwide, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total sales in 2008.

The 1 Series was launched globally in Autumn 2004 and shares many structural, chassis, powertrain, hardware and electronic elements with the larger 3 Series. The model was started to provide a lower point of entry into the BMW range as the 3 Series moved gradually up-market. Initially launched as a 5-door hatchback, a 3-door version was also launched in July 2007. The 1 Series is priced between the MINI and the current E90 3 Series. Because the coupe is the only rear wheel drive vehicle in its class, it is often considered the successor to the BMW 2002.

The 1 Series coupe (E82) and convertible (E88) went on sale in the United States and Canada in model year 2008 (30 June 2007)[3] as the 128i and the 135i. Other countries received the 120i and 125i in both platforms. The convertible, unlike the 3 Series convertible, uses a soft-top instead of a folding hardtop. This is lighter, cheaper to manufacture and preserves more trunk space than the folding hardtop would allow.

The North American introduction of the coupe and cabriolet was during the second quarter of 2008, which was credited for helping BMW overtake Lexus as the top luxury brand.

In 1996, BMW owned the Rover Group, and was preparing a new car that would replace their Rover 200 and 400 ranges, called Project R30, developed jointly with Project R50 and R40, that would become, respectively, the New Mini and the Rover 75. The new model, which would have been badged as the Rover 55, was planned to be built in the Longbridge plant alongside the New Mini, and BMW were granted a £152 million subsidy by the British government to refurbish the plant.

In 2000, development was close to completion, but after BMW sold the Rover Group, the project's rights were taken by BMW, which stopped the project and kept the only working prototype in their headquarters of Munich. Although BMW tried to sell the project's rights, first to MG Rover and later to a number of Chinese car manufacturers, the model never entered production. They come with HID headlamps

It has been rumoured that the Rover R30 was finished by BMW and transformed into the BMW 1-Series. However, BMW have stated that the 1-Series is unrelated to the R30, and was developed alongside the E90 3-Series.