Rolls-Royce Dumped A $700,000 Phantom In A Swimming Pool, Because Rock 'n Roll

Because of course they didn't just drive a Phantom into a swimming pool. That would be the actual rock star thing to do.

To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the impossibly posh Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Rolls-Royce PR team parked (yes, parked) a Phantom in a swimming pool in Devon. They didn't drive the car straight in, though. In fact, they didn't drive it at all. That's probably for the best, especially since that original Moon incident may not have even involved a Rolls. In fact, it might not even have happened. But it's legend at this point, so we digress.

Counter-Culture Outlaws Have Become Marketing Tools
Rolls-Royce has always had serious cachet with rock stars. Yes, it's a luxury car, but models like the Phantom have always been brash and showy, often simply because of their size. The latest Phantom, for example, is more than an inch longer than a Chevy Suburban. It's also nearly as wide and tall, and the long-wheelbase Phantom is 10 inches longer again.

"From the Golden Age of Hollywood to the rise of hip-hop, over the last 100 years, music artists have used Phantom to project their identity and challenge convention. Their motor cars often became icons in their own right, with a lasting place in the history of modern music. This enduring connection reminds us that Rolls-Royce and the extraordinary people who are part of the marque’s story are united by one ambition: to make their presence felt."
-Chris Brownridge, Rolls-Royce chief executive

We're guessing Rolls PR didn't love it at the time, but today it wants you to associate it with those wild musicians. John Lennon, Elvis Presley. Liberace's mirrorball Phantom V, and yes, even that alleged Moon pool incident. Of course, the company has learned from that and become less stodgy over the years. Today it talks about Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, and Lil' Wayne. Using their government names, too, which does feel quite strange.

Time For A Dip In The Pool
Okay, back to the pool. Rolls-Royce decided that, instead of a Lennon-inspired paint job or more mirror fragments, putting on its bathing costume with a wet Phantom would be the best way to grab your attention. But it didn't have some hapless test driver don a wetsuit and hit the accelerator. Instead, the company went out and hired a barge.

Even the pool it picked was posh. The Tinside Lido is so fancy that 1) it has a name and 2) they call it a lido instead of just a swimming pool. The pool opened in 1935, and has loads of Art Deco style. It's on the ocean in the seaside town of Plymouth, in the less-fancy-sounding neighborhood of Plymouth Hoe.

Rolls had the Phantom brought in by barge and then craned onto a special platform in the pool. Sorry, in the lido. We'll give them some credit for it, though, because the water is pretty high up the doors, and well above the wheel centers. Did the water get inside, or does a Roller have door seals that are as fancy as you might expect?

One might say that this publicity stunt has the luxury brand looking at things behind blue eyes. But as far as pulling off rock-star car stunts go, we won't get fooled again.