1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Drophead Sedanca Coupe

This phantom II Contientnal was fitted with a Carrosserie Vanvooren body in 1933. It came with Andre Harford adjustable shocks and special-ordered large face speedometer and tachometer. the first owner, Edouard Edmond Blanc, was involved in an accident and the Vanvooren was seriously damaged, so the body was replaced with a Drophead Sedanca Coupe body by Kellner. It functions as a three-position drophead coupe, similar to those built by J. Gurney Nutting and Barker, but it has skirted fenders and a more steeply raked trunk and spare arrangement set off by a lightweight, divided bumper. The car was restored in 1990, and it made its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours where it was named the Gwenn Graham Most Elegant Open Car. The owners commissioned Steve Littin and his team at Vintage & Auto rebuilds to do a complete frame-off restoration.

This car is a late-production Phantom II Continental that was tested in late November 1933 and was outfitted with André Hartford adjustable shock absorbers and a specially ordered large-face speedometer and tachometer. It was given coachwork by Carrosserie Vanvooren in Paris in early December. Its original owner was Edouard Edmond-Blanc, the son of a prominent French politician, who ordered a divided, short-coupled Sedanca de Ville body with an oversized trunk.

Early in the car's life, it was involved in an accident that prompted the order of a Drophead Sedanca Coupe body from Kellner of Paris. It was a three-position Sedanca, similar to those built by J. Gurney Nutting and Barker, but with skirted fenders and a more steeply raked trunk and spare arrangement set off by a lightweight, divided bumper.

In 1951 it was in the care of Ashley Havinden OBE, and within five years, the Rolls-Royce was acquired by Richard Loucks of California and imported to the US in 1959. Ownership changed again in 1981, when it entered the care of Mark J. Tuttle of Los Angeles. Mr. Tuttle sold the car to a friend named John Calley, who commissioned a full restoration of the one-off Drophead by Buess Restorations, with finish work by Hill & Vaughn.

The restoration work was completed in 1990 and upon completion made its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours where it received the Gwenn Graham special award for the most elegant open car. The Sedanca Coupe then passed to another owner, under whom the car earned a pair of Best of Show accolades in 1991. The current caretaker acquired the car in 1998.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2018