Rolls-Royce Phantom

There’s a 90-minute wait at the Vinsetta Garage, a classic, Deco-era service station newly transformed into Detroit’s hottest new eatery. But the line of hungry diners snaking out the front door parts like the Red Sea as we pull up in the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, with the young hostess dashing out for a look before letting us know there’s a table waiting.

- Paul A. Eisenstein

For those wondering what the 1 percent of the 1-percenters drive, this is it. And it doesn’t take long to realize a Rolls is as much about the power of brand perception as it is about owning the ultimate in elegantly bespoke automobiles. Whether pulling up to the Lodge at Pebble Beach or a night club in New York, heads swivel and doors open.

The Phantom boasts the massive presence one would expect of a Rolls-Royce flagship, adopting an only slightly less ostentatious grille than the original (1925) version of the saloon car, topped by the classic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament that has adorned the brand’s products for nearly a century. The size of a full-size pickup, it is not a vehicle that disappears into the crowd.