Sold 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III 2146353013 Tweet

Filling the shoes of the outgoing Phantom II would be no easy task for Rolls-Royce. The PII had proven to be one of the marques more successful models firmly establishing it as the leader in the world luxury motorcar market. But as Rolls-Royce was enjoying their status as the maker of the worlds finest automobiles even they werent immune to pressure from the competition. With the introduction of the Phantom III in 1936 Rolls-Royce joined the multi-cylinder race that was spurred on by the likes of Cadillac Pierce-Arrow Hispano-Suiza and Packard. Replacing the venerable inline six that traced its roots to the Ghost was an all-new clean-sheet design V12 engine constructed of aluminum alloy and displacing 7.32 liters or 447 cubic inches. While the V12 layout was certainly a departure for the company in terms of road car power it was not at all unfamiliar territory given their vast experience with aero engines of the same configuration and many of the Phantom III engines features borrowed heavily from the firms aviation experience. The Phantom III was the final car to be designed under the auspices of Sir Henry Royce though sadly he would die before the car would reach its final stages of design and production.As typical Rolls Royce supplied running chassis to clients and dealers so cars were despatched to coachbuilders chosen by clients or dealers. Of the great traditional British coachbuilders Barker was one of the oldest and most revered. Founded in 1710 the firm employed top craftsmen who produced the finest most lavish carriages available many of which featuring ground-breaking designs. The founder of Barkers formerly an officer in Queen Annes Guard utilized his contacts within the Royal Family to secure many high-profile contracts producing numerous carriages for King George III and Queen Victoria. They made the natural transition to motor bodies at the turn of the 20th century going on to produce distinctly elegant bodies for a number of cars with a heavy emphasis on Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis.This 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III chassis 3BU2 was the very first B-series Phantom III delivered and wears distinct and beautiful one-off coachwork by Barker. The Two-Seat Sports Coupe body is a rather unusual style for the Phantom III as the flagship chassis was generally fitted with large multi-passenger bodies. A stunningly beautiful car it is one of four fixed-head coupes supplied by Barker on the PIII chassis and the only one to feature a Dickey seat and rear mounted spare wheel. This example was sold new in March of 1937 to a Mrs. Frances Bell wife of Dr. Dennistoun Mildeberger Bell of Amangansett New York. A photo of the car when new can be found in Lawrence Daltons book Rolls Royce: The Derby Phantoms (p. 375). It is not known how long the car was in the possession of the somewhat eccentric Bell family but it remained on the East Coast of the U.S. for much of its life. In more recent years it received a cosmetic restoration in England and then returned to the United States where it received a mechanical restoration by the highly regarded Phantom III experts at Dennison-Jayne Motors of West Chester Pennsylvania.Today this remarkable Rolls-Royce Phantom III presents in handsome condition its older restoration and paintwork having held up quite well though showing a few minor flaws upon closer inspection. The two-tone paintwork suits the handsome Barker coachwork very well with black wings and top surfaces accented with deep burgundy body sides and gold coach stripes to provide a visual break between the two. Paint quality and body fitment are very good. The coachwork is decidedly sporting particularly for a PIII with Lucas Tri-Bar headlamps a single center-mounted spot lamp kneeling Spirit of Ecstasy mascot black-wall Michelin tires and polished wheel discs. A single rear-mounted spare wheel enclosed in a painted metal cover keeps the body-sides adding a unique touch to the Barker design.The lush and luxurious cabin is trimmed in burgundy leather and wool carpet highlighted with gorgeous restored burl wood. The leather is in very good condition showing some age since the restoration but remaining handsome and quite presentable particularly against the beautifully restored wooden dash and door caps. It is fitted with an original Clayton heater as noted in the build sheet; a sensible upgrade given its original delivery to the North East of the USA. The cabin is comfortable and inviting with a welcoming patina and fine detailing.Mechanically this twelve-cylinder Rolls-Royce benefits from $150000 worth of extensive servicing by Dennison Motors. The mechanical restoration of the original engine (number V.98.F) included fitting of new pistons rings wrist pins and cylinder liners. The camshaft was re-profiled and the valvetrain converted to more reliable roller-type cam followers and the favored hydraulic tappets remain in place. All major ancillaries were rebuilt at the time such as the water pump oil pump flywheel distributor and carburetor. At the same time the clutch was rebuilt and relined all new mountings fitted and the body rewired. The Bijur lubrication system was also overhauled in conjunction with a front-end and brake system rebuild. In the time since this overhaul it has been sparingly used and continues to be an excellent driving example.Included in the sale are Rolls-Royce Owners Club documents that help define the history of this lovely motorcar. A copy of the original build sheet as supplied by the Rolls-Royce Foundation is also included verifying this as a numbers-matching and highly correct example. This handsome beautifully presented one-off Phantom III is a rare and highly desirable sporting model comprehensively serviced by marque experts in order to resolve typical PIII mechanical trouble areas and it remains in fine order ready for regular enjoyment on tours and driving events.