1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Binder: First Owned by Mrs Elizabeth Drexel Lehr
This Rolls-Royce Phantom II with rare Binder Coachwork is just out of 30 year storage and has a fascinating history. Chassis shipped in January 1933 to Boulogne on the "Conifer". Its first owner was American author, philanthropist, and Manhattan socialite Mrs Elizabeth Drexel Lehr at 52, rue des Saints-Peres, Paris VII. In June 1901 Elizabeth married Henry Symes Lehr (18691929), aka Harry Lehr. The marriage was never consummated. According to her, on her wedding night, her husband told her that he loathed her and could not stand the thought of touching her ever, although he wanted her to understand she was to be cordial to him in public and he might in turn occasionally call her "darling". He had, he admitted, married her for her money because poverty terrified him. Drexel was an author who published two books, King Lehr and the Gilded Age (1935) and Turn of the World (1937). Her first novel, published after the death of her second husband, tells the story of her unhappy marriage to Henry Lehr, which was referred to as a "tragic farce" of a 28-year marriage. Time magazine described it as "a bitter, disillusioned book, 'King Lehr' is memorable for the lurid light it throws on U. S. Society of the Gilded Age, may confidently be opened as one of the most startling and scandalously intimate records of life among the wealthy yet written by one of them."
Today, Chassis 30MY has good structure and is the ideal candidate for a well-deserved restoration. A video is available as the car first leaves the garage after 30 years in storage. It retains its original engine QU65 inside the car which looks in sound condition and appears to be complete. Partially disassembled but the Binder body plates are all available. A very special car that's well worth the effort to restore. A rare find and wonderful opportunity to own a Rolls-Royce with an intriguing history.
Coachwork by Binder
Chassis no. 30MY
Engine no. QU65
Price: $34,500
