Rolls-Royce Marks 60 Years Of Goldfinger Phantom Used By Film’s Villain To Smuggle Gold Across Europe

Rolls-Royce marks the 60th anniversary of Phantom’s most memorable big-screen debut in the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger.

1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville used by film’s villain, Auric Goldfinger, to smuggle gold across Europe.

Goldfinger’s 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III wears the numberplate ‘AU 1’, a reference to the chemical symbol for Gold.

British luxury marque, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, on September 17th 2024 marked the 60th anniversary of Phantom’s most memorable big-screen debut in the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger.

Originally commissioned for American-born Huttleston Rogers Broughton, the Goldfinger’s 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville wears the numberplate ‘AU 1’, a reference to the chemical symbol for Gold on the periodic table of elements.

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On the anniversary of the film’s premiere, Rolls-Royce explored how the film’s villain, Auric Goldfinger, driven by his henchman, Oddjob, used the 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III to smuggle hold across Europe.

“The coachwork of this imperious motor car holds a secret – it is made from two tonnes of solid 18-carat gold, which Goldfinger is smuggling from England, across the continent and over the challenging Furka Pass into Switzerland.

“Once safely installed in Auric Enterprises, he uses his alpine smelting plant to disassemble his Rolls-Royce, melting down the body panels into gold bars. With the original coachwork replaced, he returns his motor car to England and repeats this nefarious crossing.”

“Goldfinger’s choice of a Phantom III for smuggling gold is as brilliant as the precious metal that compels him. Its generous proportions allow for a significant amount of contraband to be concealed, and the gold’s ‘divine weight’ would do little to hinder this potent motor car’s performance, even on the demanding alpine roads.”

In addition to being the first V12-powered Rolls-Royce in history, the Phantom III model was the final motor car personally developed by Rolls-Royce’s visionary founder, Sir Henry Royce, prior to his death in 1933.

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