India's 1st Rolls Royce To be Used As A 'Mobile Advertisement Board': This Is IT!
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is easily one of the most recognized ultra-luxury cars in the whole world. Now, generally, when we think of a Phantom, we think of an ultra-wealthy business tycoon getting chauffeured around a metropolitan city, who is on the phone constantly talking business. However, what if we tell you that there once was a Rolls-Royce Phantom which was actually used as an advertisement vehicle for the now-forgotten “The Mobile Store”? Well, if you are unaware of this Phantom, then here are its details.
India’s first Rolls-Royce Phantom VII advertisement car
These images showing the first Rolls-Royce Phantom VII being used as an advertisement vehicle have been shared on Instagram by Mr. Jain on their page. In these retro images from May 2007, we can note this particular Rolls-Royce Phantom was wrapped in a distinct wrap. The top half of this vehicle was wrapped in white color; meanwhile, the lower half of this vehicle had a bright red-colored wrap.
What set this particular Phantom VII apart were the “Airtel” decals on the D-pillar and the massive “The Mobile Store” decal with the company logo on the side profile. Additionally, this particular vehicle also had the cute Mobile Store logo on the rear quarter panel, and it had the decal stating “Powered by Essar and Virgin.”
Moving to the rear, the decklid had the same Mobile Store decal, and on the rear bumper was the website to this now-forgotten Mobile Store brand. The same logo was on the bonnet of this vehicle as well, and the lower portion of the vehicle was wrapped in white color, adding to the unique red and white color scheme which was given to make this vehicle stand out.
History of this particular Rolls-Royce Phantom
For those who may not be aware, this particular Rolls-Royce Phantom VII was acquired by the Essar Group, owned by the Ruia family, back in 2007. It was then wrapped in this unique wrap to promote the company's launch of The Mobile Store brand with Virgin Mobile India and Airtel. This vehicle was then used to increase brand awareness across many major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore.
However, what happened next was unfortunate. As per the sources, it was unwrapped and then repainted in its original white color. Following this, it was then sold to a new owner. The vehicle then somehow came under the possession of actress Leena Maria Paul, who was involved in a massive and high-profile financial scam in 2013.
Following this, the vehicle was then seized by law enforcement agencies, and it has now been deregistered. This seventh-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom came powered by a 6.8-liter V12 turbocharged petrol engine that produces a maximum power of 460 bhp and peak torque of 720 Nm.
Boby Chemmanur’s Rs 10 crore Phantom taxi
The above Rolls-Royce Phantom VII was the first Phantom in India which was used as a promotional vehicle. However, currently, the new talk of the town is Kerala-based businessman Boby Chemmanur’s Phantom VII. The brilliant businessman uses his Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB as a taxi for the guests visiting his hotels. This has been done by him to help get more attention to his business.
Boby Chemmanur owns Oxygen Resorts in Kerala and other parts of the country. So, if you want to ride this Rolls-Royce Phantom VII taxi, you'll have to stay at Boby Chemmanur’s hotel and choose the specific package. Under this package, guests can get around 300 km free ride in the Rolls-Royce with their 2–3 days’ stay.