Rolls-Royce celebrated the centenary of its Phantom this year, among other things in the medieval Loizaga Tower. Near Bilbao in the Spanish Basque Country, this estate houses Europe’s most complete private collection of Rolls-Royces and the only collection with all Rolls-Royce models produced between circa 1910 and 1990.
Text by Anja Van Der Borght
Upon entering the Pabellón de los Phantom – the Phantom hall, so to speak – gleaming headlights and copper-colored fire extinguishers greet us. Further on, two snake figures flank the nose of the 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Limousine, once owned by the Maharaja of Jodhpur. It was the passion of entrepreneur and collector Miguel de la Vía that brought these cars together. Since his death, his niece Maria López-Tapia de la Vía and her son Patricio, along with the family, cherish his legacy to share it.
Patricio Careaga (PC) opens the door of a black 1961 Phantom V and retrieves a faceted crystal drink bottle from behind a blue leather flap in the side door. A wonderous world opens up before us. That of Miguel de la Vía, Patricio’s great-uncle, who did not arrive here by chance. “The Loizaga Tower, built in the 14th century by the Loizaga family, is located in the Galdames valley in the Encartaciones region, the birthplace of my grandparents on my mother’s side,” Patricio explains. “My great-uncle spent his youth here playing among the ruins of the tower. It was a place that meant a lot to him. When he amassed a fortune with his quarry, he seized the opportunity to buy the tower. From 1985, he began a thorough restoration in Romantic style to make the building habitable again. In the three decades that followed, he continued to expand the estate. My great-uncle also drew everything himself without an architect. You can feel his taste and his iron will in the magic of this structure. Today, we organize cultural and car events here, as well as weddings. The vehicle collections are housed in various sheds on the estate that serve as a museum.”
Does the Torre Loizaga museum comprise two collections?
PC: “The most important is the Rolls-Royce collection with 45 models produced over a period of more than 100 years. It is not the largest Rolls-Royce collection in Europe, but it is the most complete: we have, among others, examples from the Phantom I to the Phantom VI. The second collection includes about thirty prestigious oldtimers, classic cars, and sports cars from various brands. We even have an authentic English fire engine that once participated in the Historical Commercial Vehicle Run between London and Brighton. The oldest vehicle in our collection is an 1898 Allen Runabout, once owned by British racer Sir Stirling Moss.”
Was your great-uncle also artistically inclined?
PC: “My uncle learned to drive when he was actually still a child, and his first cars were sports cars from Jaguar and Ferrari. He also had a fondness for American brands like Cadillac and Buick. Besides being a great businessman, Miguel was also a painter, he drew a lot, and he loved playing the piano. Together with his wife Sofia, he spent hours painting. Today, their paintings still adorn the salons of the fort. My great-uncle was very energetic and had a great sense of humor. He could have continued expanding the Loizaga estate for years, but unfortunately passed away in 2009 at the age of 77.”
Do you know which Rolls-Royce your great-uncle bought first?
PC: “His first Rolls-Royce was a white 1970 Silver Shadow Coupe. With this model, Rolls-Royce broke with the classic body-on-frame construction for the first time and presented its first self-supporting monocoque chassis. This allowed the car to have a lower roof while offering more space at the same time. The car also brought innovations on the technical front, including a hydraulically sprung suspension and braking system, power steering, independent wheel suspension, and disc brakes. Although Rolls-Royce had positioned itself as the reference in luxury cars since 1907, its reluctance to modernize had played tricks on the brand. The Silver Shadow had to turn the tide. It was a contemporary car with sleeker, lower lines, without the pronounced fenders of its predecessor; something critics saw both as progress and as a loss of tradition. This Rolls was also intended to be driven by the owner himself rather than exclusively by a chauffeur. Over a period of fifteen years, a total of 30,000 were built, making the Silver Shadow the best-selling Rolls-Royce ever. When Miguel began restoring the fort in 1985, he bought a 1955 Silver Wraith (also a milestone in the brand’s history) that belonged to the British royal family, and then a Silver Cloud I. After that, his ambition grew, and he wanted at least one example of every Rolls-Royce model from the time the brand was still British in his collection. I say at least one, because we even have eleven Silver Ghosts. It was only after his rows were almost complete, from the Phantom we have I to VI, that he started buying more special models. The carefully assembled collection is arranged exactly as my great-uncle wanted it. It requires a lot of care and maintenance, but all the cars still function!”
The Phantom IV is the most important Rolls in your collection, right?
PC: “Absolutely, it was essential to include it in a collection that wants to be complete, but it was complicated because only seventeen still exist worldwide. Eighteen were originally built, but one was completely dismantled. The example we have here belonged to the Emir of Kuwait, who bought three in 1956. It is Rolls-Royce’s most exclusive model, manufactured in the 1950s for use by royal families and heads of state.”
What other fascinating stories stand out to you?
PC: “The Silver Ghost limousine is special because it was my uncle’s favorite. It was sent in 1912 from the factory in England to the mayor of Melbourne and has since traveled the world and won prizes at Concours d’Elegance. There are also other models with illustrious owners, like the 1913 Silver Ghost of the Duchess of Marlborough or the 1970 Phantom VI that belonged to Lawrence of Arabia producer Sam Spiegel.” We open the door of this Phantom VI, and the smell of musty leather and oil wafts toward us. On the side of the rear seat is a telephone. We ponder Sam Spiegel hanging on the line of this luxurious gadget during hundreds of rides. Enjoying a drink from crystal glasses straight from the walnut drinks cabinet at the height of the front seat backrests. Delicious!
