Vehicle Description
Filling the shoes of the outgoing Phantom II would be no easy task
for Rolls-Royce. The PII had proven to be one of the marques more
successful models, firmly establishing it as the leader in the
world luxury motorcar market. But as Rolls-Royce was enjoying their
status as the maker of the world's finest automobiles, even they
weren't immune to pressure from the competition. With the
introduction of the Phantom III in 1936, Rolls-Royce joined the
multi-cylinder race that was spurred on by the likes of Cadillac,
Pierce-Arrow, Hispano-Suiza and Packard. Replacing the venerable
inline six that traced its roots to the Ghost was an all-new,
clean-sheet design V12 engine constructed of aluminum alloy and
displacing 7.32 liters, or 447 cubic inches. While the V12 layout
was certainly a departure for the company in terms of road car
power, it was not at all unfamiliar territory given their vast
experience with aero engines of the same configuration, and many of
the Phantom III engine's features borrowed heavily from the firm's
aviation experience. The Phantom III was the final car to be
designed under the auspices of Sir Henry Royce, though sadly he
would die before the car would reach its final stages of design and
production. As typical, Rolls Royce supplied running chassis to
clients and dealers, so cars were despatched to coachbuilders
chosen by clients or dealers. Of the great traditional British
coachbuilders, Barker was one of the oldest and most revered.
Founded in 1710, the firm employed top craftsmen who produced the
finest, most lavish carriages available, many of which featuring
ground-breaking designs. The founder of Barkers, formerly an
officer in Queen Anne's Guard, utilized his contacts within the
Royal Family to secure many high-profile contracts, producing
numerous carriages for King George III and Queen Victoria. They
made the natural transition to motor bodies at the turn of the 20th
century, going on to produce distinctly elegant bodies for a number
of cars, with a heavy emphasis on Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis.
This 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III, chassis 3BU2 was the very first
B-series Phantom III delivered and wears distinct and beautiful
one-off coachwork by Barker. The Two-Seat Sports Coupe body is a
rather unusual style for the Phantom III, as the flagship chassis
was generally fitted with large multi-passenger bodies. A
stunningly beautiful car, it is one of four fixed-head coupes
supplied by Barker on the PIII chassis, and the only one to feature
a Dickey seat and rear mounted spare wheel. This example was sold
new in March of 1937 to a Mrs. Frances Bell, wife of Dr. Dennistoun
Mildeberger Bell of Amangansett, New York. A photo of the car when
new can be found in Lawrence Dalton's book, Rolls Royce: The Derby
Phantoms (p. 375). It is not known how long the car was in the
possession of the somewhat eccentric Bell family, but it remained
on the East Coast of the U.S. for much of its life. In more recent
years, it received a cosmetic restoration in England, and then
returned to the United States where it received a mechanical
restoration by the highly regarded Phantom III experts at
Dennison-Jayne Motors of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Today, this
remarkable Rolls-Royce Phantom III presents in handsome condition,
its older restoration and paintwork having held up quite well,
though showing a few minor flaws upon closer inspection. The
two-tone paintwork suits the handsome Barker coachwork very well,
with black wings and top surfaces accented with deep burgundy body
sides and gold coach stripes to provide a visual break between the
two. Paint quality and body fitment are very good. The coachwork is
decidedly sporting, particularly for a PIII, with Lucas Tri-Bar
headlamps, a single center-mounted spot lamp, kneeling Spirit of
Ecstasy mascot, black-wall Michelin tires, and polished wheel
discs. A single, rear-mounted spare wheel enclosed in a painted
metal cover keeps the body-sides, adding a unique touch to the
Barker design. The lush and luxurious cabin is trimmed in burgundy
leather and wool carpet, highlighted with gorgeous, restored burl
wood. The leather is in very good condition, showing some age since
the restoration but remaining handsome and quite presentable,
particularly against the beautifully restored wooden dash and door
caps. It is fitted with an original Clayton heater, as noted in the
build sheet; a sensible upgrade given its original delivery to the
North East of the USA. The cabin is comfortable and inviting, with
a welcoming patina and fine detailing. Mechanically, this
twelve-cylinder Rolls-Royce benefits from $150,000 worth of
extensive servicing by Dennison Motors. The mechanical restoration
of the original engine (number V.98.F) included fitting of new
pistons, rings, wrist pins, and cylinder liners. The camshaft was
re-profiled and the valvetrain converted to more reliable
roller-type cam followers, and the favored hydraulic tappets remain
in place. All major ancillaries were rebuilt at the time, such as
the water pump, oil pump, flywheel, distributor and carburetor. At
the same time, the clutch was rebuilt and relined, all new
mountings fitted and the body rewired. The Bijur lubrication system
was also overhauled in conjunction with a front-end and brake
system rebuild. In the time since this overhaul, it has been
sparingly used and continues to be an excellent driving example.
Included in the sale are Rolls-Royce Owner's Club documents that
help define the history of this lovely motorcar. A copy of the
original build sheet as supplied by the Rolls-Royce Foundation is
also included, verifying this as a numbers-matching and highly
correct example. This handsome, beautifully presented one-off
Phantom III is a rare and highly desirable sporting model,
comprehensively serviced by marque experts in order to resolve
typical PIII mechanical trouble areas, and it remains in fine
order, ready for regular enjoyment on tours and driving events.
