After crafting a mere 18 Phantom IV chassis strictly for ruling heads of state, Rolls-Royce turned to offering the Phantom to the merely very wealthy for 1959. The Phantom V was based on an all-new chassis design and included a new V-8 engine, the same as in the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II; a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission; and servo-assisted brakes. It was tremendously expensive and produced solely to individual order. As on earlier Rolls-Royces, the tradition of bespoke custom coachwork continued with the world’s few remaining coachbuilders, the most desirable of which were produced by James Young Ltd. From 1959 to 1968, Rolls-Royce would build just 832 examples of the Phantom V, of which just 217 featured James Young coachwork.

This 1964 Phantom V James Young touring limousine was later sold by Harrah’s Club in Reno, Nevada to Roy Linwood Clark of Tulsa, Oklahoma on 16 February 1977 for a healthy $19,500. Roy Clark is best known for having been a host on the popular country variety show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1992. A well-known country music artist, he became a member of the Grand Old Opry in 1987 and would later be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Mr. Clark would own this beautiful Rolls-Royce until has passing in November 2018. His Rolls-Royce was then sold in the Spring of 2019 to a noted private collection in Texas.

The limousine is finished in a lovely shade of dark red and accented by a gold pinstripe running the length of the car. The initials “RC” are prominently featured on the driver’s side passenger door. The interior is trimmed in tan leather and is accented by beautiful woodwork throughout. The driver compartment features Smiths instrumentation, an AM/FM radio, and an altimeter in the passenger glove box door. Furthermore, the car is equipped with electric windows and air conditioning which is vented into both the driver and passenger compartments. A division window separates the driver from the passengers. The rear compartment is the epitome of 1960s luxury and features dual footrests, fold-out jump seats, pillar-mounted flower vases, reading lights, and a Smiths clock while fold-out picnic tables flank a small cocktail bar with crystal decanters and glassware.

More recently, the Rolls-Royce has benefitted from routine servicing in 2019 and 2020 by Luxury Auto Works in Austin, Texas. This Phantom V ranks among the last of the custom, one-of-a-kind Rolls-Royces, and marks the end of an era for automobiles that were a true reflection of their owner’s opulent taste and style.