Rolls-Royce Phantom III - It's V-12 Engine, Chassis and Coachwork

No one here has enough money to work on one…….buy one, yes. Make it go down the road? No way. Besides, 99 percent of them are as unattractive as AJ’s high school girlfriend!

I have driven and played with this one a bit…….last two owners were friends. It’s what we call in the hobby………”A big bitch!”

Ed: 

Please give us your unvarnished views of the V-12 engine and other aspects of the series.

Steve

Ed, you may be a car savant, but you are otherwise a nitwit.

My high school girlfriend was a knockout.

I’ll find some content out of this thread. There are some decent looking cars.

alsancleApr 26, 2022

Ed, you may be a car savant, but you are otherwise a nitwit.

My high school girlfriend was a knockout?

Your wife tells me she was such a dog she had a collar and leash. Why don’t you ask her opinion about the whole situation again!
 

By the way, you hit it out of the park with the Mrs., how she puts up with you is beyond me.

58L-Y8Apr 26, 2022

Ed: 

Please give us your unvarnished views of the V-12 engine and other aspects of the series.

Steve

They are just plain too much work. Add to it every half assed tractor mechanic has worked on them. They just shout “no joy”. They are quite the piece of engineering……..and five times the work of a PI. Large, underpowered, complicated,expensive, and no one wants to work on them…..even the experts.

I think of the PIII as a nuclear reactor without the simplicity.

Here is what AJ remembers in his mind……..………and an actual photo. AJ keeps telling me she wasn’t so baaaad! He insists she was the prettiest one in the herd.

You know me well enough to know I like both goats and blondes. 

Matt's comment on the nuclear reactor is the funnies thing he has ever said.

This one the RR class at Pebble in 2019.  It was very cool.

This one's for sale not too far from Ed. Nice for a sedan and decent pedigree....

The biggest issue with the P III engine is that everything is aluminum.  It's an old fashioned design with seperate heads, blocks, and crankcase - all in aluminum.  The heads are hard to get off (steel studs) and then the aluminum blocks have wet liner cylinders.  Remember in the 1930's aluminum castings weren't what they are today.  The carburator is similar to a Stromburg EE3, but the Rolls engineers made it twice as complicated with extra linkages and several extra drain/vent tubes all over the place.  The pot metal castings go bad & you can send your carb off to have your linkage installed on new catsings for around $3600.  That was the price 15 years ago.   The main timing gear is a fiber gear and they were reproduced @ $400 each 25 years ago.  The P III Technical Society (part of the Rolls Club) has all the tools needed to disassemble the engine which you can rent.  They have a jig you put on the heads to remove them.  I think they did a run of new cylinder heads 20 years ago and they sold out.  You need a special tool just to remove a brake drum on a P III.  In all they have something like 15-20 tools you can rent to work on the chassis.  The waterpump is aluminim.  How fun do think that is to take apart?   Bob Shaffner of Mechanicsburg, PA was a big time P III guy, and he passed away 10 years ago.   Wally Donaghue in MI could work on P IIIs, but he passed away a couple years ago as well.   He wrote an article on P IIIs for The Classic Car about 5 years ago.   L'Cars Automotive Specialties of Wisconsin works on P IIIs, but the website says since 1978, so he's getting older too.   The P III chassis makes a Packard Twelve or Lincoln K look like they're one step above a Model A Ford.  It truly is the engineering masterpiece of the 1930s.  The early ones had a complicated hydraulic value mechanism but most were updated to solid tappets.  The later ones had an overdrive transmission available.  They ran hot here in the US as they were built for the balmy English climate.  They all have a cast aluminum firewall.   The only post 1930 American car with that was a Duesenberg.  There is nothing cheap on a P III.  It's overbuilt.  They have built in hydraulic jacks at each corner of the car to jack it up to change a tire.  Front suspension is independent with coil springs.  Also, the engine was designed to run on a level surface, but when installed in the chassis the front is a little higher than the rear, and they had some oil drainage issues.   I believe there's a fix for that with blocking one of the oil drain holes at the rear of each head & drilling one hole in the front a little bigger.   As with all pre war Rolls cars, all of the coachwork is full custom.  There were a few styles by Barker, Hooper, Mulliner & the like done in series which may have been a little cheaper like Ed mentioned, but there's some pretty spectacular bodies out there too.  Yes, Hooper built some ugly limousines.  But not all P IIIs are ugly.  I'd say about 1/4 are ugly, 1/2 are average. and 1/4 are great looking.  They are all on a  142" wheelbase.  They are proportioned well & don't look as big as they are.  There's only a couple guys who have all the spare P III parts, & they aren't cheap.  If you have unlimited time, patience, skill, and money, you can handle a P III.  Unfortunately, most of us don't.  My best advice to anyone thinking of buying a P III would be to buy a Packard Twelve instead.       

Well done Jason!

K8096:

Thanks for your in-depth description of the problems inherent in dealing with a Phantom III.  I recall The Classic Car Phantom III article of some years ago.  My impression was they were excessively complicated, even for a Rolls-Royce.   Reading other sources, the V-12 was developed beginning during 1932 in response to the multi-cylinder trend then current and to include updates to the chassis to accommodate technological advancements.  Of the latter, independent front suspension, teamed with moving the engine and radiator forward of the front axle plane allowed more chassis space for passenger accommodating coachwork on an eight-inch shorter wheelbase versus the Phantom II.    The changed chassis proportions did diminish the aesthetic magnificence inherent in the Phantom II.  Carried over coachwork styles don't work as well with the blunt, tall frontal aspect and relatively short-appearing hood.  

Steve

I talked about this one in another thread somewhere.  It is a Franay bodied PIII that was the Paris Salon show car.    It was in a private collection for decades and recently sold.  I assume being restored for Pebble.  A fantastic car.

58L-Y8Apr 26, 2022

I noticed we didn't have a dedicated topic for the Phantom III.  

Steve,   I just had not gotten around to it.   It is interesting which ones of these threads have the most traction.   The American Rolls thread and the Stearns thread seem to be very active.

Maybe the most attractive PIII?   Brewster bodied Henley.   Only one to my knowledge.   I have a picture of it at Pebble a few years ago restored that I will try to find.

AJ:

That Franay sport sedan is one of the best ever mounted on a Phantom III chassis.  But I can't help but imagine how much better it would look on a Phantom II chassis.

BTW, do you recall a Phantom III sport sedan by Henri Binder for sale at Hershey some years ago?

Steve

58L-Y8Apr 27, 2022

AJ:

That Franay sport sedan is one of the best ever mounted on a Phantom III chassis.  But I can't help but imagine how much better it would look on a Phantom II chassis.

BTW, do you recall a Phantom III sport sedan by Henri Binder for sale at Hershey some years ago?

Steve

Steve,  agreed on the Franay.  I really liked it but alas, I'm not a Billionaire which is what I think you need to be to restore that car.

Is this the Binder bodied car you were thinking of?

alsancleApr 27, 2022

Steve,   I just had not gotten around to it.   It is interesting which ones of these threads have the most traction.   The American Rolls thread and the Stearns thread seem to be very active.

AJ:

I thought to start this thread after that '36 Phantom III in Texas turned up for sale.  The warning comments sent me to search for more perspective on the series.    Its true, certain threads engender more active participation than others.  The F.R.P-Porter thread is another fascinating topic, thanks for starting it.

Steve

This is actually a fantastic car that slipped through the cracks at Bonhams a few years ago.   It is a PII Special Newmarket body placed on the PIII chassis when new by Inskip.     It was bought at Bonhams by a smart guy who recognized it and is turning it back to its original configuration.     The roof was padded later to make it a 4 season car and ruined the roof line.    When finished it will be very cool.  I got to see it under restoration and was impressed.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23945/lot/91/

alsancleApr 27, 2022

Steve,  agreed on the Franay.  I really liked it but alas, I'm not a Billionaire which is what I think you need to be to restore that car.

Is this the Binder bodied car you were thinking of?

AJ:

That might be the Binder sport sedan, thanks!  I'll see if I can locate my photos from then.   The reason I recall it is I too don't think of most Phantom III's as very attractive but the Binder sport sedan was a surprise and delight.

Stev

58L-Y8Apr 27, 2022

AJ:

That might be the Binder sport sedan, thanks!  I'll see if I can locate my photos from then.   The reason I recall it is I too don't think of most Phantom III's as very attractive but the Binder sport sedan was a surprise and delight.

Stev

Maybe we are too harsh and Jason's formula of 25/50/25 is closer to reality?

I know they pushed the engine forward on the PIII,  but the hood looks at least 6" shorter than the PII besides the radiator position.

A nice link on the coupe I pictured at Pebble earlier in the thread.   A picture of it pre-restoration too.

https://www.conceptcarz.com/profile/14058,10155/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii.aspx

This one brought a ton of money when it sold.

https://blackhawkcollection.com/project/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-pillarless-saloon/

Chassis No. 3CP144

Engine No. T48J

 1938 Brussels Show Car

This Phantom III chassis was delivered on September 1^st, 1937 to the Brussels dealer; Andre Pisart, S.A. for Mr. Jean Francqui. After being bodied by Vesters & Neirinck of Brussels, the car was delivered to Mr. Francqui on May 7^th, 1938. The car was used by Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery in Brussels in the fall of 1944. It was then acquired by the British Army of the Rhine in 1945, and used by Lt. General Sir Charles F. Keightley. It is the only known Phantom III to be equipped at the factory with a tachometer. A ground up restoration was completed on the car in the mid 1990’s.

https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?w=2400&ssl=1 2400w, https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?resize=300%2C201&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?resize=768%2C514&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?resize=1024%2C686&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?resize=1080%2C723&ssl=1 1080w, https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?w=2160&ssl=1 2160w" title="" width="1080" src="https://i0.wp.com/blackhawkcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1937-Rolls-Royce-III-Pillarless-Saloon03.jpg?resize=1080%2C723&ssl=1" />

At World Wide in Scottsdale last year:

https://worldwideauctioneers.com/listings/scottsdale21/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-saloon/

alsancleApr 27, 2022

Maybe we are too harsh and Jason's formula of 25/50/25 is closer to reality?

I know they pushed the engine forward on the PIII,  but the hood looks at least 6" shorter than the PII besides the radiator position.

AJ:

The aesthetic trap of the Classic Era proportions is that our eyes read the main body mass, in where it begins and ends relative to the axle planes.  Those that appeal the most the radiator is parallel with the front axle plane and the rear body ends at or very near the rear axle plane.  Move either mass forward or extend it beyond the rear, the aesthetic appeal diminishes. 

"Jason's formula of 25/50/25"

Would you please enlarge on this?   

Steve

K8096Apr 27, 2022

So, off the top of my head I'm not sure any of these got built?   There are around 10 on the PII chassis and they are very desirable.

58L-Y8Apr 27, 2022

AJ:

The aesthetic trap of the Classic Era proportions is that our eyes read the main body mass, in where it begins and ends relative to the axle planes.  Those that appeal the most the radiator is parallel with the front axle plane and the rear body ends at or very near the rear axle plane.  Move either mass forward or extend it beyond the rear, the aesthetic appeal diminishes. 

"Jason's formula of 25/50/25"

Would you please enlarge on this?   

Steve

Jason said in a previous post that 25% of the PIII were ugly,  50% fair and 25% attractive.    Feels a bit generous but probably about right.  I think with the PII the ratios are more like 20% ugly, 30% fair,  50% attractive.

Yes, there’s one of those.   It’s pictured in the Automotive Quarterly edition  on P IIIs.   It was green & black.   

alsancleApr 27, 2022

This is actually a fantastic car that slipped through the cracks at Bonhams a few years ago.   It is a PII Special Newmarket body placed on the PIII chassis when new by Inskip.     It was bought at Bonhams by a smart guy who recognized it and is turning it back to its original configuration.     The roof was padded later to make it a 4 season car and ruined the roof line.    When finished it will be very cool.  I got to see it under restoration and was impressed.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23945/lot/91/

It is perhaps not surprising that it was built for an extremely wealthy client, the famed 'Asbestos heir' Tommy Manville Jr. Manville was the type of socialite that novelists such as Evelyn Waugh and F. Scott Fitzgerald were so minded to encapsulate in their famous Roaring Twenties characters, decadent in the extreme... There were no fewer than 11 Mrs. Manvilles over the course of his 73 year lifespan!

But, if there was one thing that he appears to have been loyal to, it was Rolls-Royce, from whom 5 successive cars were acquired. The best known of those was the iconic Windblown Coupe that he acquired of the New York Auto Show Stand in 1930, that was followed with two left hand drive Phantom IIs, A Croydon and a Henley Roadster.

Underpinned by the mechanical zenith that the Phantom III undoubtedly is the car was clothed with a design by the company that Cole Porter was so moved to right 'You're the Top, You're a Brewster body'... Its extremely attractive coachwork heralds from slightly earlier in the decade, being supplied originally on one of the late American built left hand drive Phantom IIs, 216 AMS which was delivered to wealthy industrialist Frederick F. Brewster of New Haven Connecticut. Like Manville, Brewster was a serial Rolls buyer, and it appears that when he took delivery of his new Phantom III in April 1937, he had the Sporting Sedan moved over to the V12 chassis.

Manville would have owned the Phantom III between the divorce with Marcelle Edwards and before his 3 month marriage to Bonita Edwards in November 1941. Rolls-Royce/Inskip remained clever negotiators of cars between their clientele. When charged with finding a new home for the Phantom III in March 1941, they wisely moved the elegant coachwork on to it and lightly modernized it with their trademark sweeping fender treatment. In 1970 it moved into the long term custody of Clarence Curtiss from whom it would only emerge in recent times.

Viewed today, this is a fascinating statement, it has the wonderful styling cues of the Brewster bodies of the time with the sweep down from the windshield line arcing towards the front wheels as it descends the body, arguably echoing famed French carrossier Jacques Saoutchik and of course reminiscent of the Windblown coupe.

Aesthetically, this is a remarkably original car, its interior remains to its original style and the tasteful two tone paint scheme of 'coffee and cream' accents the lines of the car well.

Having lived on the East Coast for much of the last 50 years, this imposing V12 Rolls-Royce would no doubt be welcomed at events up and down the Pacific coast.

 

Tommy owned a bunch of great junk........most of it was Rolls, but he also had a handful of other interesting cars. I currently maintain the best car he ever owned in my humble opinion. It's also an auto show car. 

alsancleApr 27, 2022

Maybe the most attractive PIII?   Brewster bodied Henley.   Only one to my knowledge.   I have a picture of it at Pebble a few years ago restored that I will try to find.

Now owned by a friend with a top five car collection in the Western Hemisphere. It's simply fantastic..........but it's stablemates are more impressive............it sits in a line of cars that would make your young hit the floor at first glance. It has been painted since this photo if I am not mistaken. 

Not to follow the preceding posts/pictures with a sacrilegious question...but, As I believe all or most all PIIIs were RHD is it known if anyone has converted to LHD in the past and/or is that even possible?

prewarnutApr 27, 2022

Not to follow the preceding posts/pictures with a sacrilegious question...but, As I believe all or most all PIIIs were RHD is it known if anyone has converted to LHD in the past and/or is that even possible?

I’m guessing impossible.

prewarnutApr 27, 2022

Not to follow the preceding posts/pictures with a sacrilegious question...but, As I believe all or most all PIIIs were RHD is it known if anyone has converted to LHD in the past and/or is that even possible?

There was one P III built to left hand drive specification by the factory, and it was a disaster.    P IIIs don't have a center gear shifter, the shifter is on the far right side of the cockpit.   The emergency brake handle is on that side as well.   

Here's a nice photo of the engine.   

And here's the transmission.   The round part is the brake servo.   

This is the one that was pictured in the Automobile Quarterly article.   

K8096Apr 28, 2022

This is the one that was pictured in the Automobile Quarterly article.   

Now that is a good looking  car!

K8096Apr 28, 2022

Here's a nice photo of the engine.   

That pic does give me some angina.....

prewarnutApr 28, 2022

That pic does give me some angina.....

Take it apart and you will need a transplant!

A Hooper on BAT now. Comments there seem to be spot on. One said they took one up to 70-75 mph and got 4 mpg!

prewarnutApr 29, 2022

A Hooper on BAT now. Comments there seem to be spot on. One said they took one up to 70-75 mph and got 4 mpg!

I thought no reserve for one of these on BAT was actually pretty ballsy.   34k with 5 hours to go.  Current seller bought it less than a year ago on BAT.   Does it say it runs?  I couldn't find it.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-by-hooper/

K8096Apr 28, 2022

And here's the transmission.   The round part is the brake servo.   

 

That picture makes me a dizzy mechanical engineer just looking at it, a lot going on there.

I find it interesting how few (For a RR) bolts there are holding everything together.  I worked on a 1920s RR which had bolt heads almost touching each other to hold things together.

Great discussion on a marque I’ve never had any desire to own, probably a blessing, since I couldn’t afford the maintenance, let alone the car!

edinmassApr 28, 2022

Take it apart and you will need a transplant!

Ed:

So, does each distributor fire only the spark plugs on that bank of cylinders its nearest?

Steve   

58L-Y8Apr 29, 2022

Ed:

So, does each distributor fire only the spark plugs on that bank of cylinders its nearest?

Steve   

I think it has two plugs per cylinder.

Yes, there’s 24 spark plugs.   There’s a second set down in the valley under the intake manifold.   And both distributors each have 2 sets of points.   Lots of fun!  

K8096Apr 29, 2022

Yes, there’s 24 spark plugs.   There’s a second set down in the valley under the intake manifold.   And both distributors each have 2 sets of points.   Lots of fun!  

Then, how are those points synchronized to fire simultaneously on their respective cylinder since they are otherwise separate distributor set-ups?

I believe each distributor only feeds one bank of cylinders.   On the instrument panel there’s a switch for running on only bank A or bank B, or both.  I believe theoretically you could run the engine on 6 cylinders.   But that switch would mainly be used to help diagnose and pinpoint ignition problems.  

This seems like a good deal:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-by-hooper/

It’s not a good deal. Fixing a single bad head gasket would cost more. The most expensive car in the world is a cheap PIII.

Cadillac FanApr 30, 2022

This seems like a good deal:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-by-hooper/

Sold for $42,500 on 4/29/22

Much like the proverbial stopped clock,  Ed is right this time.   Bad deal unless the plan is garage art.  Running and driving that is a 100k.  How many years and money are needed to make that happen?

58L-Y8Apr 29, 2022

Ed:

So, does each distributor fire only the spark plugs on that bank of cylinders its nearest?

Steve   

One is battery, other is probably mag.

P1 & P2 are that way. 

edinmassApr 30, 2022

One is battery, other is probably mag.

P1 & P2 are that way. 

I was wondering that myself.

The P1 and P2 can run off of either or both.

Since we are on the PIII, I'll tell my one and only PIII story.

I was offered one years ago, when I was in my 20s. The price was $3000 and it was freely admitted this was because it had a bad connecting rod.

I passed but my boss, the late Ted Leonard (who knew almost nothing about mechanical work) bought it which meant that I got the job of fixing it.

It's a little vague now (it was close to 45 years ago) but I believe my colleague Don Dugal and I figured out a way to get the piston and rod out from the bottom. (Actually, 2 rods and 2 pistons...they are forked rods.) In any case, we got it out...and Ted asked me if I knew someone who could rebabbit it. (There was no way he would spring for a real engine job...on anything much less a PIII.) I took it to the guy I had in mind who actually was able to do a very nice job of it...he charged $150. Ted thought that was too much and refused to pay, which left me in the middle as the deadbeat because I'd brought it in. I think I paid for it and then beat Ted up to reimburse me...

Somehow, we put the engine back together. It ran...how well I can't say because I've never experience a good one but it ran as well as it needed to to get Ted from his home to his Volvo dealership (which was only about 3 or 4 miles). The one time I had to drive it further, it overheated (that's another story). I'm not particularly  proud of my part in this but I was an employee and obliged to do as I was told. There is, however a further part to this...

The original owner had been a WWI flyer. He had significant political connections in Britain in the 1930s and was able to get a special license plate for his car...it read "FLY 111". As you probably know, in the UK the number goes with the car, not the driver. They can be transferred but, as far as I know, this also requires "connections." Ted sold the license plate to a British Airways pilot who paid him slightly more for it than Ted had paid for the car!

K8096Apr 27, 2022

A £50 upcharge would have been a hell of a bargain for a Landaulet conversion, even adjusted today for inflation.  

Craig

Now this is interesting.   Typical of Bohman and Schwartz coachwork.   I believe this is pictured in Rolls Royce in America.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/rolls-royce/phantom-i-springfield/2569209.html

1931 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I with Bohman & Schwartz coachwork, chassis S443MR.  Until recently in the 50+ years ownership of Bob LeCoque, the car has now been recommissioned and is running and driving.  Distinctive bodywork by a prominent Pasadena coachbuilder that now needs a full restoration. Lots of images and video available.
 

Glyn Morris +1 847 274 5874
 

US$39,500.

My eyes! My eyes! ?

edinmassMay 11, 2022

My eyes! My eyes! ?

I don't hate it.  No up to Bo Jangles standards but it is interesting.

alsancleMay 11, 2022

Now this is interesting.   Typical of Bohman and Schwartz coachwork.   I believe this is pictured in Rolls Royce in America.

As the thread is getting off topic. 

Rolls-buick Rolls_Royce_21_Silver_Ghost_Buick_Black. In South Africa.  Looks to be a Buick 1939 series 40/60 body shell

1939_BuickMay 11, 2022

As the thread is getting off topic. 

Rolls-buick Rolls_Royce_21_Silver_Ghost_Buick_Black. In South Africa.  Looks to be a Buick 1939 series 40/60 body shell

I moved the B&S stuff over to the Rolls Royce thread.   Maybe the Buick bodied car can go there too?

Another PIII story...

I was down in Exeter, RI with my friend E.A. Mowbray and his son, Drew, to look at a model A Drew was interested in. While we were there someone told us there was a RR for sale a few streets over. When we were done, we went to take a look. It was parked in a driveway with the hood up. The first thing I noticed was that it had a big, 6-cylinder engine it it! The seller wasn't much help...he called it a "Phantom one-eleven" so it was clear he was out of the loop as far as knowing anything. The body was one of those awkward  English sedans with the roof over the driver cut off to make it into a "town car". We stayed just long enough to be polite.

Years later I read an obit in a British car magazine praising the fellow who came up with the idea of putting a Bedford truck engine in a PIII. According to the magazine, this had saved many of them from a trip to the breakers yard since it was pretty generally assumed that a PIII engine was scrap if it had any problem at all. All this was long before the time of "investment" cars. Old car enthusiasts were just that...and usually didn't have piles of disposable cash so the writer may have had a point but I'd never heard of it save that one example I'd seen.

alsancleApr 27, 2022

I talked about this one in another thread somewhere.  It is a Franay bodied PIII that was the Paris Salon show car.    It was in a private collection for decades and recently sold.  I assume being restored for Pebble.  A fantastic car.

We bought the car in 2018.

This picture was taken at the RREC Annual Rally in England when we just finished working on the car last year.

Anton van LuijkAug 25, 2024

We bought the car in 2018.

This picture was taken at the RREC Annual Rally in England when we just finished working on the car last year.

Gorgeous, I’d love to hear more about it if you would be willing to share more about the restoration process and your thoughts on the car now. 
 

One of the best looking PIII bodies.

John BloomAug 25, 2024

Gorgeous, I’d love to hear more about it if you would be willing to share more about the restoration process and your thoughts on the car now. 
 

Here's our car with its proud owner, John Paxton (actor/director) in the late 1950's.

Thanks for sharing.  Very Elegant with a powerful presence!

Anton van LuijkAug 25, 2024

We bought the car in 2018.

This picture was taken at the RREC Annual Rally in England when we just finished working on the car last year.

Interesting and good looking car (and very well photographed) Who made the body? Carlton?  Same era/year as the chassis?

Thanks for bringing us up to date, I'd wondered how that wonderful Phantom III Franay sport sedan had fared after its sale.  So please to see it again roadworthy and displaying its marvelous design for all to enjoy.

1939_BuickAug 25, 2024

Interesting and good looking car (and very well photographed) Who made the body? Carlton?  Same era/year as the chassis?

Coachbuilder is Franay, both chassis and body are 1937.

Anton van LuijkAug 27, 2024

Coachbuilder is Franay, both chassis and body are 1937.

Thanks. Same car?

https://lbilimited.com/offerings/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-by-franay/

1939_BuickAug 27, 2024

Thanks. Same car?

https://lbilimited.com/offerings/1937-rolls-royce-phantom-iii-by-franay/

Yes, the only one made