1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Open Tourer

The Phantom II had a redesigned chassis that allowed the vehicle to be lowered by nearly nine inches. By using a new suspension layout consisting of semi-elliptic springs that were underslung in the rear, this lowered setup was possible. Other mechanical changes occurred for the Phantom II such as the clutch and gearbox were made into a single unit and the implementation of a synchromesh transmission for the first time in Rolls-Royce history.

Chassis number 110 MY has a well-documented history that began on October 19th of 1932. It was ordered by A.A. Hutchinson of New York City who put down a sizable deposit. It was sent to Hooper & Company, Ltd. on December 4th of 1933, where it was clothed in the unusual open-tourer body featuring roll-up windows. The engine is a 7668cc six-cylinder unit that produces 120 horsepower.

For nearly two decades, the location of this Open Tourer was uncertain. At some point, it was ordered by Paul Lutey of New York, who sold it on August 18th of 1953 to Kraemer Luks of Mountain View, New Jersey. A year later, having regretted his decision to sell the car, Mr. Lutey attempted to negotiate a trade for the car. Mr. Luks declined. When Mr. Luks passed away, the car became the possession of his widow, Gertrude. She sold the car on October 27th of 1975 to her daughter, Cynthia Luks Martin. It was advertised for sale seven years later in the Flying Lady, and was purchased by Edward Ardis of Media, Pennsylvania.

Over the next 18 months, the car was meticulously restored. It was sold on December 20th of 1983 to Lawrence and Jane MacElree of Newton Square, Pennsylvania. The current owner acquired the car in 1990, trading a 1931 Cadillac V-12 convertible and a 1919 Kissel Goldbug for the Hooper-bodied tourer.

The car is currently finished in British Green with tan hides, has a tan top and wood dash and door cappings. There is a four-speed synchromesh gearbox with overdrive and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes. In both the front and rear are semi-elliptic springs providing the performance characteristics of a sporting Continental.

In 2009, this PII Open Tourer was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona where it was estimated to sell for $250,000 - $350,000. The lot failed to find a bidder willing to satisfy its reserve. It was left unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009