---
title: "Midwest Couple Pays $780,000 for a Rolls-Royce Phantom and Some Bottles of Wine"
description: "The prized 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII was the first standard wheelbase model to be produced."
date: "2018-02-06"
modified: "2019-07-02"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/18182/midwest-couple-pays-780000-for-a-rolls-royce-phantom-and-some-bottles-of-wine"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Rolls-Royce News"
tags:
  - "Car Auction"
  - "luxury"
  - "luxury car"
  - "Naples"
  - "phantom"
  - "Rolls-Royce"
  - "sedan"
---

# Midwest Couple Pays $780,000 for a Rolls-Royce Phantom and Some Bottles of Wine

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/02/first-usa-phantom-1-1024x765.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The Naples Winter Wine Festival is the kind of place where wealthy senior citizens go to flee cold temperatures and their annoying grandkids, but most importantly, buy some darn good wine. And if the opportunity presents itself, a [Rolls-Royce](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/15457/rolls-royce-could-use-3d-printing-to-build-future-car-bodies-ceo-says>), too. You know, for bingo/date night.

The popular wine festival recently auctioned off the first standard wheelbase Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII ever to be produced, along with some extra goodies like a six-liter "RR" wine bottle, a 12-month membership to Alpha Omega’s ERA Elite [Wine Club](<https://www.wineaccess.com/wineclub/join/>), a private library cellar tasting experience, and some 25 or so more [bottles of wine](<https://www.wineaccess.com/store/>).

![message-editor%2F1517882236820-rr-new-phantom-ewb-front-2-1024x683.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1517882236820-rr-new-phantom-ewb-front-2-1024x683.jpg>)
*Naples Winter Wine Festival*

![message-editor%2F1517882266571-rr-new-phantom-ewb-front-16-1024x683.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1517882266571-rr-new-phantom-ewb-front-16-1024x683.jpg>)
*Naples Winter Wine Festival*

Festival-goers Jon and Bonnie Mason from Dover, Ohio were in the mood and must've said, "Why the heck not?" so they threw down the ridiculous amount of $780,000 for the Rolls and the wine. According to the [auction rules](<https://www.napleswinefestival.com/auction_lots/let-good-times-rolls/>), the winning amount would pay [Rolls-Royce](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/14030/rolls-royce-is-the-most-mentioned-brand-in-pop-music>) Motorcars of Naple*s* for the (undisclosed) price of the Phantom, and the remainder would be donated to the Naples Children & Education Foundation.

The first-off Phantom VIII is finished in a stunning Belladonna Purple exterior with a contrasting Arctic White interior. Under the hood, it features a twin-turbo 6.8-liter V12 engine that produces 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, which propels the 5,840-pound Rolls (and all the wine in the trunk) from zero to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds. The massive sedan starts at around $450,000 to $500,000, which means the Masons paid a hefty premium for the extra goodies.

![message-editor%2F1517882301378-img\_0048-1.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1517882301378-img_0048-1.jpg>)
*Naples Winter Wine Festival*

![message-editor%2F1517882307781-1st\_alpha-omega-group-1024x569.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1517882307781-1st_alpha-omega-group-1024x569.jpg>)
*Naples Winter Wine Festival*

The all-new Rolls-Royce [Phantom](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/7252/rolls-royces-final-phantom-is-a-one-off-road-going-ocean-liner>) represents the eighth iteration of the opulent sedan, which through the decades has transported some of the most famous (and hated) men and women. Whether Hollywood stars or dictators, chances are they've done their fair share of commuting in the back of a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)