It's hard to believe that the luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom VII is nearly 15 years old. First launched in 2003, it's the ultimate status symbol and the last word in luxury motoring. It's served the rich and the privileged well over years, but now the prestigious Phantom VII is finally being retired. So, to mark the occasion, Rolls-Royce has given it an appropriately swanky send-off. The last ever Phantom VII model has been specially built for a "renowned contemporary Rolls-Royce collector," with an extended wheelbase. And that's just the start.

Rolls-Royce is renowned for its lavish interiors, and this last example of the Phantom VII is no exception. The painstaking attention to detail is extraordinary: Rolls-Royce has themed the car around "the golden age of travel." Just look at the fancy marquetry decorating the wood trim: only in a Rolls-Royce could you find the design of a 1930s-ocean liner engraved into the trim, in honor of the buyer's "fascination with the design and iconography of this grand era." Complementing the theme is the interior clock, with a design that mimics old-style radio clocks in grand ocean liners. It displays 24 time zones, just in case you fancy taking your Phantom on a cross-continental tour.

The elegant carpets feature "a hand-cut wake effect elegantly created by the marque's master craftspeople," and the exterior has been coated in Blue Velvet designed to replicate the color of the ocean. While we wave goodbye to the Phantom VII, Rolls-Royce is already planning its VIII successor, which will be "underpinned by an all-new aluminum architecture of luxury." It will be a tough act to follow, but it's been long overdue an upgrade.