What is this Rolls-Royce doing in a pool?
This page is translated from the original post "Que fait cette Rolls-Royce dans une piscine ?" in French.
- 22/08/2025 17:49
Why is a Rolls-Royce Phantom, an icon of British luxury, submerged in an Art Deco pool by the sea?
No, this is not the whim of a billionaire disappointed with their Rolls-Royce, but a strong tribute to one of the most enduring myths of rock’n’roll. The story that claims Keith Moon, the drummer of The Who, celebrated his 21st birthday by sending his Rolls into the pool of a Holiday Inn in Michigan. The story varies depending on witnesses, with Moon himself swearing it was actually a Lincoln. It doesn’t matter: in the collective imagination, only a Rolls could end up that way.
To mark the centenary of the Phantom, Rolls-Royce chose to plunge a Phantom shell, destined for recycling, into the pool of the Tinside Lido in Plymouth. A symbolic gesture, a nod to a legend and a reminder that no other automobile has marked the history of music as much. Because while the Phantom will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025, its link with artists goes back much further than the rock era. Duke Ellington, Edith Piaf, and Sam Cooke made it their car of choice, aware that a Rolls was more than just a means of transportation: it was a manifesto.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is an authentic rock star
Over the decades, the Phantom has transformed into a true blank canvas for musicians in search of expression. Marlene Dietrich received a Phantom I upon her arrival in Hollywood, Elvis Presley treated himself to a Phantom V equipped with a microphone to sing onboard, and John Lennon caused a scandal by transforming his into a psychedelic mural, provoking the anger of London purists. Later, Liberace covered his Phantom with thousands of mirrors to make his entrance on stage, while Elton John went through customized models, even gifting a Phantom to his percussionist due to a lack of cash.
With the advent of hip-hop, the Phantom found new life. From Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” video to Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter II” album, not to mention 50 Cent and the countless references to the famous “stars in the roof,” the Rolls remains the ultimate symbol of success and excess.
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So, what is a Rolls-Royce doing in a pool? It reminds us that, for a century, the Phantom has not just been the car of the powerful. It is the car of artists who dare to reinvent the rules and transform an automobile into a living legend.
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