Rolls-Royce Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Ask ten Rolls-Royce owners what their car is and you’ll get ten different answers. One has a 1920s Silver Ghost with a touring body, another a Silver Cloud that was a wedding car for forty years, another a Corniche convertible bought for summers on the coast, and another a Cullinan that handles the ski commute to the White Mountains. Each one is insured on different terms, and the right answer depends on the car’s era, its paperwork and how often it’s on the road.

Our collector car insurance guide explains the basics of agreed value and use limits. This page covers what is particular to Rolls-Royce. For collector Rolls-Royces we compare programs from Hagerty, J.C. Taylor, Liberty Mutual, Cincinnati and American Modern. For a modern car that is driven regularly, Cincinnati and Chubb both write high-value auto policies. Either way, we’ll confirm eligibility for your vehicle before you rely on a policy.

Which Rolls-Royces are treated as collector cars?

The Silver Ghost and the vintage era (1906 to 1939)

The 40/50 hp chassis of 1906 made the company’s name, and enthusiasts call it the Silver Ghost after a famous 1907 demonstrator. It was followed by the New Phantom in 1925, now known as the Phantom I, the Phantom II in 1929 and the V12 Phantom III in 1936, alongside smaller cars such as the 20 hp, 20/25 and Wraith. Every one of these left the factory as a rolling chassis and was bodied by a coachbuilder, so no two are quite alike. Values depend on the body, the history and the quality of restoration, and many need a specialist appraisal.

Springfield cars: Rolls-Royces built in New England (1921 to 1931)

Rolls-Royce of America assembled cars in Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1921 until the Depression closed the works in 1931. According to the Springfield Museums, the plant produced nearly 3,000 cars: Silver Ghosts at first and, from 1926, the Springfield Phantom. Many wore American bodies by firms such as Brewster, which Rolls-Royce of America bought in 1926. These cars have their own following, and the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History displays a 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Post-war classics: Silver Wraith to Silver Cloud and Phantom V (1946 to 1968)

After the war, production moved to Crewe. The Silver Wraith and Silver Dawn led the way, and the Silver Cloud of 1955 became the definitive 1950s Rolls-Royce, gaining an aluminum V8 with the Silver Cloud II in 1959. The Phantom V, a long limousine often chosen for state and ceremonial duties, carried formal coachwork. Coachbuilt Clouds and Phantoms are serious collector cars, and a tidy standard saloon is collected too.

Silver Shadow, Corniche and Silver Spirit (1965 to 2002)

The Silver Shadow of 1965 was the first Rolls-Royce with a monocoque body and a high-pressure hydraulic system for its brakes and self-levelling suspension. The Corniche, Camargue, Silver Spirit, Silver Spur and Silver Seraph followed. Plenty of these are still driven, and plenty are now cherished collector cars kept for fine weather. Which policy fits depends far more on use and storage than on the model name.

Goodwood cars: Phantom to Cullinan and Spectre (2003 to today)

Under BMW ownership, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars began building at Goodwood in 2003 with the seventh-generation Phantom, handing over the first car just after midnight on January 1 of that year. The Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan and the all-electric Spectre followed, along with Black Badge versions and coachbuilt cars such as the Boat Tail. Most are driven, often year-round, so they’re usually written on a high-value auto policy rather than a collector policy. See exotic and high-value car insurance for how that choice is made.

Rolls-Royce eras at a glance

The table shows how insurers usually look at each period. It’s a starting point, not a rule: your use, storage and other cars decide the final answer.

Era	Typical models	Usual policy fit	Records that support value
Vintage, 1906 to 1939	Silver Ghost, Phantom I, II and III, 20/25, Wraith	Collector policy at an agreed value, often with an appraisal	Build records, coachbuilder history, restoration file
Springfield, 1921 to 1931	Springfield Silver Ghost and Phantom	Collector policy at an agreed value	Chassis records, American coachwork documents
Post-war, 1946 to 1968	Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn, Silver Cloud, Phantom V	Collector policy at an agreed value	Build records, body plates, ownership history
Shadow and Spirit, 1965 to 2002	Silver Shadow, Corniche, Camargue, Silver Spirit, Silver Seraph	Collector policy if driven occasionally; regular auto if used daily	Service records, hydraulic system work
Goodwood, 2003 to today	Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan, Spectre	High-value auto policy if driven regularly; collector policy for rarely driven limited cars	Original order specification, Bespoke features, invoices

Chassis records, coachbuilders and provenance

On an older Rolls-Royce, the paperwork can matter as much as the paint. The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club in England supplies copies of the construction and test records compiled at the factory, Heritage Certificates, dating letters and, for some Shadow-era cars, service records donated by London dealers. In North America, the Rolls-Royce Foundation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, keeps a research library that owners use to trace individual chassis histories, including Springfield cars.

Coachwork can move the value a long way. A pre-war Phantom with a body by Barker, Hooper, Park Ward or Brewster is a different proposition from one rebodied later, and insurers will want to know which you have. Gather:

• The chassis and engine numbers, with photos of the plates
• Factory construction records and any Heritage Certificate
• Coachbuilder records, body numbers and period photographs
• Ownership history, concours results and restoration invoices
• A recent appraisal from someone who knows the marque and the coachbuilder

These documents also help if the car is ever sold or shipped. Our page on agreed value coverage explains how they turn into the number on your policy.

Repairs: hydraulics, coachwork and Bespoke finishes

Different eras need different specialists. A Silver Ghost or Phantom II may need a coachbuilder who works in ash framing and aluminum, plus an engine rebuilder who knows the marque. A Silver Shadow-era car’s hydraulic system is complex, and mixing the wrong fluid can cause serious damage, so repairs belong with a shop that knows these cars. On a Goodwood car, Bespoke paint, coachlines hand-painted at the factory, Starlight headliners and special leathers can be slow and costly to replace, and a Spectre’s high-voltage battery and electronics need a trained technician.

Before you need a repair, ask how the policy chooses a shop, whether original-specification materials are covered and how long parts may take. If your car is mid-restoration, see restoration and project car insurance.

Where Rolls-Royces are driven in New England

The Yankee Region of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club calls itself the home of the Springfield Rolls-Royce, and the national club, founded in 1951 and based in Pennsylvania, welcomes owners of every era of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. It celebrated its 75th anniversary with a weekend in Mechanicsburg from August 28 to 30, 2026. Closer to home, the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in Connecticut ran from May 29 to 31, 2026, and British Car Day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline was held June 28, 2026.

Club tours and concours are the kind of use collector policies are written for. Tell us about long tours, events abroad and hired drivers in advance, and see our guide to car shows and trailering if the car travels on a truck.

Garaging, transport and winter

A long-wheelbase Phantom needs a long, secure garage, and a pre-war car with a tall formal body may not fit a standard enclosed trailer, so plan transport with a carrier that handles large classics. Through the winter, keep classic cars dry, connected to a battery maintainer and away from salted roads, since damp is hard on woodwork, leather, wool carpets and older steel. Our winter storage guide and spring recommissioning checklist cover the season, and the nor’easter checklist is worth reading if your garage is near the shore. For a Spectre, follow Rolls-Royce’s guidance on charging and battery care while it’s parked.

What affects the cost of insuring a Rolls-Royce

We don’t publish premiums, because they vary a great deal by car and driver. The factors that move the price most are:

• The agreed or insured value, and how well it is documented
• Whether the car is on a collector policy with use limits or a high-value auto policy
• Where it is garaged, how the building is secured and whether there is an alarm or tracker
• Annual mileage and the kinds of events you attend
• Your driving record, and the other cars you drive day to day
• The liability limits you choose and how they coordinate with your umbrella

One garage, several policies

Rolls-Royce owners rarely stop at one car. A common pattern is a Silver Cloud on a collector policy, a Cullinan on a high-value auto policy, and a house with significant art and jewelry. We arrange those so the auto liability limits sit under the umbrella without a gap. Many Rolls-Royce owners also have a Bentley, and the two marques shared a factory at Crewe for decades. Our guides to insuring a car collection and high net worth insurance cover the bigger picture, and we also have pages for the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG and G-Class.

After a loss

If a Rolls-Royce is damaged, take photographs of the bodywork, the interior and any trim before the car is moved, and keep damaged parts, since a coachbuilt panel or a piece of original veneer may be repairable. Tell the adjuster early that the car needs a marque specialist and, for an older car, original-specification materials. Your chassis records and photos show what the car was like before the loss. On an agreed value policy, a total loss is settled at the agreed amount, less any deductible.

Why an independent agency suits Rolls-Royce owners

A 1926 Springfield Phantom and a new Spectre ask completely different things of an insurer. Because we’re independent, we can place each car with a program that suits it and then line those policies up with your auto, home and umbrella coverage, rather than forcing everything onto one company’s forms.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency, founded in 2005, that works with 40+ carriers. We serve clients from our Portsmouth, New Hampshire office and a Connecticut office. Clients have made us New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials, and we don’t charge any fees.

State registration rules differ, so see our collector car guides for New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine.

Frequently asked questions

Should my Rolls-Royce go on a collector policy or a high-value auto policy?

It comes down to age, use and storage. A pre-war car, a Silver Cloud or a well-kept Corniche that leaves the garage on fine weekends usually suits a collector policy with an agreed value. A Ghost, Cullinan or Spectre that you drive through the week normally belongs on a high-value auto policy. We’ll confirm eligibility for your vehicle.

How do I document a pre-war or coachbuilt Rolls-Royce for an agreed value?

Start with the chassis number. Factory build records and a Heritage Certificate from the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, coachbuilder paperwork, restoration invoices and an appraisal from someone who knows the marque give an insurer a clear picture. Photos of the body plate, engine number and interior help too.

Is a Silver Shadow or Silver Spirit a collector car?

Often, yes. Collector insurers care less about the badge’s age than about how the car is used, where it lives and whether you have another car for daily driving. A documented Silver Shadow, Corniche or Silver Spirit driven occasionally commonly fits a collector program. Service history, especially hydraulic system work, helps support the value.

Are Springfield-built Rolls-Royces insured differently from British-built cars?

The policy works the same way, but the valuation needs care. Springfield Silver Ghosts and Phantoms carry American coachwork and their own production history, so an appraiser familiar with Springfield cars, plus the chassis records, should support the agreed value rather than prices for British-built cars of the same year.

How are Bespoke features on a modern Rolls-Royce valued?

Bespoke paint, Starlight headliners, special leathers and coachbuilt details can add a great deal to what a car cost new. Keep the original order specification and invoice, and make sure the insured value reflects them. If the car is on a high-value auto policy, ask how repairs to Bespoke finishes are handled.

What our clients say

From our client surveys. Comments are lightly edited for typos only.

“

Jon is super helpful and amazingly communicative. He responds fast with well thought out answers making the process of getting insurance for my home and car super simple.

“

Very informative, responsive, and helpful with answering any questions we had. Helped us get the best deal and coverage, explained the differences between coverage options, and let us choose what worked best for us. Highly recommend!

“

Excellent guidance on insurance options and fantastic quoting and onboarding experience. We trust their recommendations and feel that we have best coverage for peace of mind at best possible cost.

Read more client testimonials

Sources

• Springfield Museums: Rolls-Royce in America
• Rolls-Royce Foundation: museum and research library
• Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club: archive services
• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: 20 cars for 20 years, 2003 to 2023
• Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club
• RROC Yankee Region
• Greenwich Concours d’Elegance: schedule
• Larz Anderson Auto Museum: British Car Day 2026