1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Four-Door Cabriolet

This 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Four-Door Cabriolet has coachwork by Vanden Plas. It was offered for sale at the 2006 Gooding & Company Auction in Pebble Beach, Ca where it was estimated to sell for $250,000-$325,000. It carries chassis number 3-BT-185 and is powered by a 7340-cc V12 engine that is capable of producing 180 horsepower.

This is a long-wheelbase vehicle that was ordered on April 7th of 1937. The body was ordered two months later. The car is finished in blue with a blue fabric top and upholstered in Connolly leather. It has dual side-mounts, a louvered hood with locks, a petrol gauge, and a speedometer in kilometers.

The first owner was Friedrich 'Fritz' Mandl. Mandl was an Austrian arms manufacturer who was well-known in political and social circles, including those of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Mandl took possession of the vehicle in 1937 with money he had earned helping to rebuild the German military.

In 1938, Mandl's Jewish heritage was discovered and his property was confiscated. Before this, he had this vehicle shipped to South America. He fled to Brazil and later settled in Argentina. In 1977, he passed away.

In 1971, the car was owned by Jose Santiago Mouhelle. It remained in south America until Don Gerard brought it to the United States many years later. During the early 1990s, the car was treated to a restoration that took nearly a decade. The car was stripped down to the nut and bolt. Most of the car was complete, however, it had lost its bumper during its lifetime. The restoration was completed in 2002 and shown at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded the Lucius Beebe Trophy. It won its class with a 99-point score in the Primary Division at the Classic Car Club of America's 2004 Summer Grand Classic and was awarded a CCCA Senior badge.

At the auction, the car's reserve was met and the car was sold. The winning bid was $253,000.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2007