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Ohio Couple Pays $780,000 For The First 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII

Estimated to start from between $450,000 and $500,000, the all-new Phantom is anything but cheap. But what did you expect from the world’s most luxurious sedan? The thing is, a couple from Ohio paid $780,000 at the Naples Winter Wine Auction to get their hands on the first example of the Phantom VIII, which is a considerable premium when you think about it for a second.
Jon and Bonnie Mason 8 photos
Photo: Rolls-Royce
First Phantom VIIIFirst Phantom VIIIFirst Phantom VIIIFirst Phantom VIIIFirst Phantom VIIIFirst Phantom VIIIJon and Bonnie Mason
Proceeds from the sale of the first Phantom VIII to roll off the assembly line will benefit the Naples Children & Education Foundation. Over the past 15 years, Rolls-Royce gave the foundation more than $5.8 million, money that helped more than 60 nonprofit organizations and 200,000 children.

“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is honored to leverage our position as the world’s leading luxury brand to support the children who benefit from the proceeds of this event,” declared Pedro Mota, president of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America. The eye-watering sum of $780k is a small price to pay for the well-being of children, so kudos to Jon and Bonnie Mason for the winning bid.

In addition to the Belladonna Purple-painted and Arctic White leather-wrapped Phantom, the couple has also received a selection of wines from the Alpha Omega winery in Napa Valley. The car is further tailored with purple accents, but the pièce de résistance is a beautiful plaque that reads “The First Phantom – Reserved for Naples Winter Wine Festival 2018.”

Equipped with 22-inch wheels and laser headlights that cast light up to 600 meters in front of the car, the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII is indulgence personified. The British automaker calls it “the best car in the world,” the most fitting title for the production vehicle that flaunts the world’s largest single piece of hand-polished stainless steel in the industry.

Underpinned by an aluminum-intensive platform called “Architecture of Luxury,” the Phantom takes its mojo from 6.75 liters of V12 excellence. The twin-turbo engine is rated at 563 hp and 663 lb-ft, and drive is sent to the rear axle by an eight-speed transmission that boasts GPS technology.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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