"Bertha" is a spectacular and rare 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche 2-Door
Saloon (FHC) that was coachbuilt by H.J. Mulliner-Park Ward. This
had been owned from 1974 until 2021 by a well-known collector car
family that are dear friends of ours. The owner for 47 years was
Bertha Lutfy; thus, we are naming this Rolls "Bertha". This car has
been well maintained and cared for through its life. Interesting
Fact: The MPW 2-Door Saloon is one of the rarest models,
representing a mere 1.9f Rolls-Royces already meager production.
These hand-built beauties have numerous custom features only
available on the coupes and convertibles. Over the eleven-year
production period, Rolls built about 100 coupes per year for the
global market. Ms. Bertha Lutfy was the mother of world-renowned
Mercedes-Benz collector Phil Lutfy, MD, who is a good friend of
Classic Promenade. This Rolls was acquired for Bertha from Reedman
Chevrolet in Pennsylvania in December of 1974, when the car was
nearly new. It was then transported to Phoenix, Arizona, where it
spent the rest of its life. The car was used as Ms. Lutfys daily
driver, residing in the same garage of their family estate for most
of its life. The Rolls has been well maintained and serviced and
comes complete with 50 years of service history, registrations,
etc. The livery is nearly perfect in its original Golden Sand (ICIM
151-3293) with its Dark Brown (5567 DH) Everflex top. In 1985, the
Rolls benefited from a bare metal repaint in its original color.
The paint today looks absolutely showroom new. Dr. Lutfy had the
same painter care for his mother's Rolls as he used for his
first-place winning car at the Pebble Beach Concours, and it shows.
The paint is devoid of any scratches, dents, chips, etc. The
windshield and the rubber seals were all replaced at that time and
then again more recently and are in excellent condition. This car
cosmetically is about as close to new as youll find for a
51-year-old car that is substantially original (except the repaint
and Everflex top replaced). The original Dark Brown (658) leather
interior is nearly all original and in beautiful condition. Ms.
Lutfy had immediately installed sheepskin seat covers to protect
the leather and for added comfort. The sheepskin covers were
regularly replaced, and the car comes complete with a set of dark
brown covers (not shown). The leather was periodically conditioned
and is beautiful today. There are no cracks or splits, and the
leather has never been dyed. There are very fine little scratches
from normal use (fingernails, etc) which are shown well in the
photo gallery. Because of Ms. Lutfys very petite stature, the seat
supports are tight and full, belying the age and mileage of the
Rolls. The present owner had the driver's seat cushion
reupholstered and it looks perfect complement with the rest of the
interior. The original Wilton wool carpeting is beautiful and
as-new as well. The mouton sheepskin overlays have been regularly
replaced and also look nearly new today. The beautiful burl walnut
wood veneer is all original and completely without any cracks or
fading, a result of a life spent inside a garage. It is quite rare
to find wood in this condition. Equally remarkable, the white
lettering used for the labels for switches and buttons are all in
excellent condition without any noticeable wear, yet another sign
that this motorcar has been pampered its entire life. The Rolls
comes complete with all its books and records dating back to 1974.
The records show that this motorcar has received regular service,
mostly at Rolls-Royce dealers or independent specialists. There is
a wonderful file of faithful oil changes and normal maintenance and
repairs. Covering 109,000 miles since new, this Roll has led a
charmed life. The present owner has invested about $18,000 to
rebuild the suspension and leveling systems and various other
services. These services were also performed by Rolls-Royce
specialists and the invoices are available for review. The air
conditioner works great, and the car runs and drives beautifully.
We have had the pleasure of driving Bertha several times, and it
drives and handles beautifully. There are no rattles or unusual
noises, and it really feels tight and responsive. For more
information and details, call, text or email Harry Clark at
1.602.245.7200 or
[email protected]. We are pleased to
share our inspection report and we offer live video inspections of
the car. Bertha is available for inspection at our Phoenix
showroom.
