1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II All Weather Drophead Coupe

There is competition even amongst the most luxurious automotive manufacturers. In some ways, there is perhaps even more competition than there is in mass-produced automobiles. At the time Rolls-Royce introduced its Phantom II, the Phantom I had only been introduced some four years earlier.

Competition in the luxury coachbuilt automotive market was tightening. Rolls-Royce had a lot of competition, and was facing even more from Buick and Sunbeam in the United States. On top of it all, the Rolls-Royce chassis upon which the Phantom I had been introduced hadn't undergone a change since 1912. It was now going into 1929.

The all-new car would be the first in seven years for Rolls-Royce. It would abandon the torque-tube drive and would feature the engine and gearbox constructed together. The model would have a higher horsepower rating. It would have a new water-heated induction system. Innovations in the car's ride and handling would come from the semi-elliptic springs instead of the cantilever springs. To prevent twisting of the chassis, and therefore, to increase rigidity, the chassis would come via the bodywork resting on a separate sub-frame.

As usual, only the chassis and mechanical aspects of the Rolls-Royce Phantom II would be actually made by Rolls-Royce. The building of the body would be left to one of a number of coachbuilders that worked with Rolls-Royce to put the icing on the cake.

Building on the foundation of the Phantom I, the Phantom II would become quite popular. Some of the more popular models of the Phantom IIs would be the Continentals. The 20MS and the 2SK would be the only two Continental Roadster ever built and would be considered the most important Phantom II chassis. However, there would be another model of the Phantom II Continental that would also be quite rare and very valuable. And one of those models would be up for sale at RM Auctions event in Monterey, California.

Allweather Motor Bodies, which was located in Kilburn, London would build only a select number of bodies for Rolls-Royce during its history. Jack Barclay would order chassis number 107TA and would have it sent to Allweather Motor Bodies with the instructions to build a Drophead Coupe body. What would result would be a Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupe that would have a body style reproduced one other time, but by H.J. Mulliner. Out of the 1,392 Phantom II chassis, only two would end up being TA series Drophead Coupes. But since this model is the only TA series Drophead Coupe designed and built by Allweather Motor Bodies, it actually deserves the 'one-off' title.

A mixture of exquisite engineering and design, this Drophead Coupe design practically stands alone in the ever-growing interest in Phantom II Continentals. The car would be featured in a seven-page article in Classic Car Club of America in which it would be declared, 'From any angle this is a beautiful masterpiece in metal.'

The low appearance was at the request of Barclay. In addition, Barclay would also request a longer wheelbase (150 inch), which would give the car a long and low appearance that was certainly very attractive and elegant. In its present state, the car actually represents the way in which the car had been delivered. Therefore, its black finish and chrome brightwork are very much authentic to its original configuration. The red leather interior and finely-finished wood appointments give some sense of the quality and comfort of the ride in a Phantom II Continental.

This precious Phantom II had formerly been part of the Robert Pass Collection. However, the car is now part of a private collection and had undergone restoration at great expense. This breathtaking Allweather Motor Bodies Drophead Coupe would head to auction with expectations being that it would earn $800,000 to $1,000,000. Certainly this Phantom II Continental is a very rare jewel for any collection. At auction, bidding reached $625,000 but was not enough to satisfy the reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

Sources:
'Featured Lots: Lot No. 216: 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupe by Allweather Motor Bodies', (http://www.rmauctions.com/featurecars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r265&fc=0). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/featurecars.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r265&fc=0. Retrieved 18 August 2011.

'1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental news, pictures and information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9153/Rolls-Royce-Phantom-II-Continental.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9153/Rolls-Royce-Phantom-II-Continental.aspx. Retrieved 18 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Rolls-Royce Phantom II', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 August 2011, 18:45 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rolls-Royce_Phantom_II&oldid=444308501 accessed 18 August 2011

By Jeremy McMullen