12 Most Expensive Rolls-Royce Cars Of All Time, Ranked
Few, if any, other luxury marques command such prestige among the world's richest as Rolls-Royce. The brand's cars are a global symbol of wealth, both old money and new money, often commanding price tags an order of magnitude above what the rest of us could ever justify spending on a car. They're built to accommodate the whims of the most demanding customers, and as a result, they're usually highly personalized to their original buyers.
When it comes to resale, this has a polarizing effect — lesser Rolls-Royce models often depreciate hugely in value since their eye-watering high running costs and custom finishes make them less attractive to used buyers. However, those considered to be the best examples of the brand's output often do the opposite, appreciating in value to figures way beyond what many people could ever expect to earn in their lifetimes.
In recent years, Rolls-Royce has made sure that its wealthiest buyers don't just have to spend their cash on classics either — the most loyal among them get access to the brand's VIP program and, therefore, the chance to commission a custom-made, coach-built car. Whether they're sought-after classics or modern bespoke creations, these 12 Rolls-Royces are among the most expensive ever sold.
Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Skiff – $1.12 million
With any vintage car, there are two key things that collectors always look for: originality and uniqueness. The skiff-bodied Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP sold at a Bonhams auction in 2015 delivered both of those things in spades, being in mostly unrestored condition despite being over 100 years old. This was partly because it spent a significant portion of its existence in Egypt, where the hot, dry climate kept it better preserved. Although it wasn't the company's first model, the 40/50 HP Silver Ghost is considered to be the car that cemented its automaker's reputation as one of the world's finest.
Over 7,800 examples of the 40/50 HP Silver Ghost were produced in total, but it's thought that very few, if any, examples survive with a wooden skiff body. It's not known exactly when the current body was fitted to the car — Bonhams states it's likely to have been somewhere between 1919 and 1923 — but the chassis was first delivered in 1914. After plenty of buyer interest, the car eventually crossed the block at auction for 7.475 million Danish Krone, or roughly $1.12 million.
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé Adaptation – $1.14 million
Rolls-Royces have long been the rides of choice for Hollywood's biggest names, but very few stars have appeared in movies alongside their beloved cars. The Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé Adaptation auctioned by RM Sotheby's in 2021 can count itself among that elite club, having featured alongside its owner Sophia Loren in 1963's "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." Bought new for Loren by her husband, the car served as her personal vehicle alongside its onscreen role and is one of just 25 left-hand drive examples made.
It was originally finished in Steel Blue but was subject to a restoration in 2004 and repainted the much darker shade that it presented with at auction. However, the engine remained original, and it still wore its original license plate. The auction, held in the tiny European principality of Liechtenstein, saw bidding reach 1,045,625 Swiss Francs, around $1.14 million at the time.
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster – $1.33 million
The Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster sold at Bonhams in 2022 was nearly destroyed so many times that its chassis was nicknamed "The Lucky Dog." The chassis was built in Rolls-Royce's American factory and its bodywork was completed by Merrimac. It was first delivered in 1926, but only a few years into its existence, it had its first set of misfortunes. In 1932, it was stolen in New York but later recovered. Then, the following year, it was involved in a traffic collision but escaped mostly unharmed.
It then remained in New York for several decades before ending up in a parts yard and nearly scrapped. It was saved by a noted Rolls-Royce collector, but its body was then transferred onto the chassis of a Phantom I, where it remained for another few decades. The original chassis and drivetrain were also kept by the collector, then bounced around owners for another few years after he passed in 2003. By 2015, a new owner had managed to buy both the bodywork and the original chassis back from separate owners and set to work reuniting them. The work took years, but finally, the car was put back together as it was originally built and then sold at auction. This most unlikely of survivors eventually fetched $1.325 million.
Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Berline – $1.76 million
The Phantom II was already a rare model, with only 1,767 examples built, but the Phantom II Continental Berline sold by Gooding & Company in 2016 is even rarer. In fact, it's believed to be completely unique, being the only Phantom II to be bodied by coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi. It was built in 1932 and appeared at the prestigious Deauville Concours d'Elegance seven years later, winning the first of its many concours awards.
It was originally commissioned by the Prince of Nepal, who had been exiled from his country at the time. Under its long hood was a 7.7L six-cylinder engine, making 120 horsepower, a highly impressive figure for its day. Although it's one of the most expensive Rolls-Royces ever sold, it didn't actually meet its auction estimate on the day. The hammer went down at $1.76 million, while it was estimated to fetch anywhere between $1.8 million and $2.2 million.
[Featured image by Rex Gray via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]
Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupé by Freestone & Webb – $2.42 million
The original owner of this 1933 one-off coupe, Sir John Leigh, was one of Rolls-Royce's most loyal customers of the era. Like most Rolls-Royces of its era, the chassis and drivetrain were built by the automaker itself, and then the car was sent off to a coachbuilder for bodywork. In this case, that coachbuilder was Freestone & Webb, of which Leigh was also a regular client.
After more than a decade of ownership, the car was sold off so Leigh could purchase a new Phantom III. Over the decades, it changed hands several times and was remarkably purchased twice by new owners who stopped the existing owner at the side of the road and simply asked to buy it there and then. After 80 years of careful owners keeping the car in pristine condition, it appeared at an RM Sotheby's auction in 2013, where it fetched $2.42 million.
Rolls-Royce Phantom IV Limousine Princess Margaret – $2.47 million
The Phantom IV is the rarest generation of Rolls-Royce's flagship line — only 18 examples were ever produced, all built for royalty or heads of state. The most valuable of those to appear at auction was the personal car of Princess Margaret of the British royal family, with the car fetching 2.255 million Swiss Francs (around $2.47 million) at RM Sotheby's in 2021. Its coachwork was completed by Rolls-Royce's in-house coachbuilder, H.J. Mulliner, and featured several unique modifications made at the request of the Princess.
Electrically operated fabric blinds were fitted for privacy, while a police siren and flagpole were fitted for royal duties. It remained in official service until 1967 when it was sold to a dealer in London. It's unknown exactly why it was sold — most British state cars are kept under royal ownership. Strangely enough, its new private owners hired it out to film shoots and weddings, all while unaware of its previous owner, as the selling dealer had been sworn to secrecy. It was eventually bought by a noted Rolls-Royce collector in 2003 and has been kept in private collections since then, although it's been occasionally shown in that time.
Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Pullman Limousine – $2.54 million
One of the most expensive examples of the 40/50 HP Silver Ghost ever sold at auction, the Pullman Limousine fetched $2.535 million through Gooding & Co. in 2021. Its high price was primarily down to its originality — its upholstery, despite being 111 years old at the time of sale, was all original and had never been restored.
Its bodywork was also original, as was, of course, the chassis and engine. The engine in question was a 7.5-liter six-cylinder making, as the car's name suggests, 50 horsepower. The value collectors place on originality can be clearly seen when comparing a similar car also offered by Gooding & Co. in 2023.
Despite being the same chassis, year, and overall condition, the latter car had been subject to a restoration and so wasn't original. As a result, it was estimated to fetch between $500,000 and $600,000. However, even at just a fifth the value of the all-original car, it failed to attract a high enough bid and didn't sell.
Rolls-Royce 10 HP – $7.04 million
There are few vintage Rolls-Royces more special than chassis 20154, a 10-horsepower model sold at Bonhams in 2007. It's the oldest known surviving Rolls-Royce and only the fourth ever made. It was displayed at shows in Paris and London to attract customers to the then-fledgling company before being eventually sold to private ownership. It remained in use until 1930 with various owners when it was parked and reportedly used as a movable barrier during wartime to prevent enemy forces from landing in a nearby field.
It was eventually bought and restored in 1950 by Oliver Langton, a well-known motorcycle racer, and remained in his ownership until 1978. From then on, it was kept by another owner until its appearance at the auction. It sold for £3,521,500 (roughly $7.04 million at the time), becoming the most expensive Rolls-Royce 10 HP to ever cross the block in the process.
Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Double Pullman Limousine The Corgi – $7.48 million
The Corgi earned its nickname as it was the car chosen by the makers of the Corgi diecast line to be the model on which its toy cars were based. A 1912 40/50HP Double Pullman Limousine, it was originally bought by a London-based client who already boasted another 40/50 HP in his collection. Its coachwork was completed by Barker, and it's thought to be the only surviving example featuring the coachbuilder's design.
Unlike many other cars of its era, the Corgi was never rebuilt with a different chassis or bodywork, staying in complete form since its inception. Even during a restoration carried out around the turn of the century, it was not disassembled, as its condition was so good that it didn't need to be. The car that shaped millions of toy vehicles commanded a suitably exceptional premium when it sold at Bonhams in 2012, fetching £4,705,500, or around $7.48 million.
Rolls-Royce Sweptail – $12.9 million
While there may well have been more expensive classic Rolls-Royces sold in private deals, the Corgi remains the most expensive to hit public auctions. However, it's not the most expensive Rolls-Royce ever sold — in fact, the automaker itself has created cars that cost considerably more. One of those cars is the one-off Sweptail, which was built to the wishes of a VIP client. It takes styling inspiration from the great Rolls-Royces of the '20s and '30s and became the first in a line of ultra-exclusive coachbuilt cars when it was finished in 2017.
Almost every element on the car is bespoke, even down to the "O8" license plate, which was milled from solid pieces of aluminum. Rolls-Royce never officially revealed how much the car cost, although reports at the time suggested a price tag of around £10 million (roughly $12.9 million). The brand's CEO refused to confirm this figure to Autocar but said, "You can easily write [that] this is probably the most expensive new car ever." Of course, that's no longer true, as Rolls-Royce has since unveiled more coachbuilt specials with even more eye-watering price tags.
Rolls-Royce Boat Tail – $28 million
In a 2021 announcement detailing the official revival of its coachbuilding division, Rolls-Royce also announced its most expensive car up to that point, the Boat Tail. Like the Sweptail before it, it was based on the platform of the Phantom but featured all-new bodywork, a canopy roof, and yacht-inspired design touches. All in all, 1,813 new parts were created for the Boat Tail, with many of those created for the "hosting suite" at the rear, complete with a parasol.
Just developing the rear suite reportedly took nine months, with the whole car taking years to go from idea to reality. Only three examples of the Boat Tail were made, each with heavy input from their respective owners. Alongside the car, owners also got a matching watch designed to compliment the colors and finish of each example. Unsurprisingly, Rolls-Royce didn't disclose a price tag for the car but reports peg its cost close to $30 million.
Rolls-Royce Droptail – $30 million
Unveiled earlier in 2023, the Droptail is Rolls-Royce's latest and greatest coach-built car, and if reports are anything to go by, the most expensive. Four examples of the car are set to be built, with each one different from the next. Developing it reportedly took four years, with Rolls-Royce working closely with its VIP clients to design a car exactly to their tastes. The first of the four to be revealed, La Rose Noire, sports a custom Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch valued at $200,000 and a custom mount in the dash in which to place it.
The exterior is finished in a shade called "True Love," which reportedly comprises 150 layers of paint. Unlike previous coachbuilt cars, the Droptail's performance has also been upgraded slightly over the standard Phantom. An extra 30 horsepower has been coaxed out of the twin-turbo V12 engine, although statistics as vulgar as 0–60 mph time or top speed have been left out of the brand's press release. Focusing on performance is missing the point of the car anyway — this is purely about creating something as opulent as possible and heralding a new golden era of Rolls-Royce coachbuilding in the process.