1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sport Touring Saloon

Chassis number 2MY is an original factory trials car fitted with many prototype features. The car was used as a trials car by the factory for a decade and it was the first Phantom II to be fitted and tested with many innovation features that would later make their way onto the entire Phantom II series. This was also the first Continental Phantom II with a high-lift camshaft, heavy-duty exhaust valves, a high ratio rear axle, a crankshaft with balance weights, and cast-iron brake drums. This was also the first Rolls-Royce to display the Rolls-Royce logo on the wheel hubs, and the first with 11-degree bonnet louvers. The car has a Rolls-Royce 20/25 radiator mascot along with Lucas horns and brackets.

The trials were completed on January 3rd of 1933, when the car was sent to Barker & Company to be fitted with a sport touring saloon body, number 6684. In the next six months, it was then used as a sales demonstrator and driven by Captain Len Cox. In June 1933, it was returned to the London Service Department for special pistons to be installed. After additional tuning, it was used for road testing over the next year by Sir Malcolm Campbell.

On August 4th of 1933, the car was road tested by Autocar who reported it as having a timed top speed of 92.31 mph.

The car was sold by the factory on November of 1934 to Major P. Gribble, who traded in his 8-Litre Bentley and received an £500 allowance on the Continental. Subsequent owners included William Klein Jr. of Elizabethtown, PA, and D.L. Masland, of Camp Hill, PA.

The car has been the recipient of recent cosmetic and mechanical freshening. It was repainted in rich mulberry with a claret coachline. There is a new stainless exhaust system, electric overdrive, a new cylinder head, a ring gear, and new engine mounts. The car was used in Australia in 2004 for a commemorative tour.

The car has its original offside touring spare, polished Ace wheel discs, a center 'anti-dazzle' lamp, and dual Lucas 'Mellotone' trumpet horns, as well as its original registration plate.

The overhead valve six-cylinder engine displaces 7688cc and offers 120 horsepower. There is a four-speed gearbox and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2014