French title

Chassis No 236AJS Engine No B95M

- Prestigious model, particularly original bodywork

- Extensive history

- Owned by a famous writer in the 1960s

- High quality restoration, original engine

 

According to past documents we have access to, the chassis of this Rolls Royce Phantom II was built in England and then shipped on the 9th May 1931 to Rolls Royce of America in Springfield, who paid the £1,285 invoice on the 21st May of that year.

In addition to its 7,668 cc engine and as stated on its manufacturing sheet, this long-wheelbase chassis was equipped with a radiator which included automatic shutters, AT instruments and a spoked Dunlop spare wheel. It was then entrusted to the Brewster coachbuilders who created a particularly original “Croydon” coupe bodywork. With a bonnet cut-out extending from the windshield, it featured a very bright interior with two lateral windows and a rather geometric design which almost foreshadowed the “razor edge” style that was to be developed particularly on Rolls Royce cars from the 1950s. The sharp-edged rear boot lid was perfectly consistent with this unusual style.

Once completed, this gorgeous Phantom II was delivered on the 14th September 1931 to C. Leroy King, director of the southern division of the J.R. Watkins Company. After being owned by several proprietors listed in the factory’s record, the elegant coupe was sold on 10th November 1963 by the specialist Vintage Car Store in Broadway (New York) to William Pene du Bois for $3,300. Interestingly, the sale came with a magazine subscription of Automobile Quarterly… William Pene du Bois was a renowned writer, known for his novel “The Twenty-One Balloons” published in 1947 and followed by twenty other books, the last of which came out in 1978. He used to live in Nice with his family when he was between 8 and 14 years old; he went back a while later and imported his precious Rolls-Royce there in 1974. To register it, he presented it to the Marseille authorities; the official report was consequently issued on the 19th April 1974 and a registration document was then issued in his name, under the number 7827 SH 06.

These initiatives enabled William Pene du Bois to enjoy his car, notably by entering it in the Monte-Carlo Rally for classic cars in 1974. The following year, he entrusted his Phantom II twice to the specialist Riviera Motors (based in Menton) in order to get it serviced, as evidenced by invoices.

On 6 October 1993 and following the writer’s sudden death in February of that year, the car was auctioned by Palloc, Courchet & Fede in Nice. The successful bidder was none other than the current owner, who knew the car since he’s seen it being driven around the hinterland of Nice; he also previously tried to purchase it, with no success. He was therefore ecstatic when he finally managed to acquire it. He then had a complete restoration carried out on the car, with no regards for cost. In 2014, the bodywork was entrusted to the Marcadier brothers, specialists in woodwork and bodywork restoration based in Fleac-sur Charente. Around the same period, the engine was rebuilt in England by a specialist of this model. The paint and the upholstery look superb and every detail has been meticulously cared for. The result is simply incredible.

 

Accompanied by extensive historical documentation and tools located in the special compartment above the boot, this Rolls-Royce Phantom II represents today a beautiful tribute to the prestige of this model and the make’s high-end model in the 1930s. With its large headlights framing the renowned grille, its modern bodywork, its beautiful midnight blue and black paint with discreet red stripes, its flexible and powerful 6-cylinder engine, its high-quality red leather upholstery and its wooden dashboard, it is an impressive car that will be highly regarded at the most prominent concours d’elegance events, as well as touring rallies where it would be enthusiastically welcomed. 

Photos © Loïc Kernen