To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Elkhart Collection event, 23 - 24 October 2020.
Estimate:
$120,000 - $160,000
- Formerly owned by W. F. Player and Lord Doune, Earl of
Moray
- Early, era-correct, and beautifully built shooting-brake
coachwork
- Documented by the Rolls-Royce Foundation
- Equipped with its original engine
This elegant Phantom II was originally delivered to S. C. Harrison
of Birmingham, England, with a Weymann fabric saloon body. Shortly
thereafter it passed to cigarette magnate W. F. Player of
Nottingham. At some point in the 1930s, it was reborn in the
present style, a luxurious station wagon or "shooting brake," with
beautifully constructed wooden bodywork. The coachbuilder
responsible for the conversion has sadly had their name lost to
history, though the work was certainly performed to a professional
standard and the proportions are excellent.
In 1962 the Rolls-Royce passed into the renowned collection of Lord
Doune, the Earl of Moray. A descendant of King James V of Scotland,
he was an avid automobile enthusiast whose museum this car shared
with the Le Mans Alfa Romeo 2.9 aerodynamic coupe, Count
Zborowski's Hispano-Suiza, and other highly significant machines.
Twenty years later it was sold from the Doune Motor Museum to
Charles Bickley, owner of Florida's Woodie World museum, who had it
restored in the present dark green finish and exhibited it for some
years.
Today the shooting brake presents very nicely, with the woodwork
still in beautiful condition and many fine details, including the
brilliantly crafted wooden headliner and original instrument panel,
still present. Bespoke period accessories include a tinted
windscreen visor, a passenger-side Raydyot spotlight, a single
side-mounted spare tire, laced wheels, original Lucas headlamps, a
single Trippe driving lamp, and front wing-marker lamps. Former
owners exhibited the car in Rolls-Royce Owners Club and CCCA
events, and it would certainly be welcome to future gatherings.
Few Phantom IIs have this car's abundant charm; it fairly calls to
be piled with family, golden retriever in tow, and driven into the
woods on a Saturday afternoon.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/el20.
