Imelda Marcos and Her Rolls-Royce Phantom V
ILLUSTRATION: MARIO ALVARO LIMOS
The Philippines’ former first lady Imelda Marcos truly had a taste for very expensive things that exuded grandeur and opulence. Under her helm as the czar for human settlements during the reign of her husband President Ferdinand Marcos, she poured millions of pesos into the construction of bold and extravagant structures such as the Coconut Palace, the CCP and the PICC, and the controversial Manila Film Center. These were colossal and extravagant projects at the time they were built, many of which were deemed white elephants—expensive endeavors that did not generate enough revenue but remained symbols of national pride, nonetheless.
But while public interest focused on her massive projects, Imelda had something coveted by the world’s rockstars and living legends: a Rolls-Royce Phantom V.
Rolls-Royce Phantom V Price
According to Supercars.net, only 832 Phantom Vs were produced, making it an exceedingly rare and highly covetable car. Today, even fewer Phantom Vs survive.
At the time it was produced, Rolls-Royce sold each unit of the Phantom V for $15,655, the equivalent of today's $160,740 or roughly P8.73 million.
The official car of former the former first lady rivaled the grandeur and stature of other presidential cars during its service. The Phantom V was a four-door sedan limousine that housed a 6.2-liter V-8 engine—easily delivering 200 horsepower that can cannonball its eight passengers to over 160 kilometers per hour. Weighing 2.7 tons, the Rolls-Royce Phantom V was one of the heaviest and sturdiest cars of its era.
Its plush interiors feature wood, leather, and wool, and even has a fridge for wine and champagne bottles. It also has its own set of four crystal champagne flutes and a built-in humidor for Cuban cigars.
Famous figures and heads of state also rode the Phantom 5, such as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, King Olav 5th of Norway, King of Pop Elvis Presley, and Beatles rhythm guitarist and singer John Lennon.
Imelda Marcos’s Rolls-Royce Phantom 5 saw service from 1965 to 1986, making it one of the longest-serving official cars of Malacanang.
You can visit Imelda Marcos’s car at the Presidential Car Museum in Quezon Memorial Circle. The museum is open on Tuesdays to Sundays at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
