1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

No not the new Phantom Series II, but the original
By Shahzad Sheikh

1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

Whilst on the press trip for the new Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II – read the review here – we got an opportunity to get a close look at this beautiful 1933 Phantom II.

Like today’s Phantom Series II, the 1930-1935 car was an updated version of Phantom I of 1925. It got a new chassis – long wheelbase though – and revised engine and transmission. The cars all have majestic hand-built coachwork bodies, but you can certainly identify them as Phantom II cars from the size and sheer presence of the car, much like today’s version. Although there was a ‘Continental’ version with a shorter wheelbase and stiffer springs.

1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

It was huge, heavy, with a hefty price tag, but was the last of Rolls-Royce’s 40/50 hp models. It used a 7.7-litre straight-six engine with a new crossflow cylinder head producing about 120bhp, and bolted directly to a four-speed manual transmission. It could get up to 148kph and do 0-92kph in 19.4 seconds.

They built about 1700 of these and the cars were known for its exquisite looks, over-engineered and reliable components and of course the sheer style and prestige of it.

1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II

The Phantom has appeared in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and the 1964 movie, The Yellow Rolls-Royce – the story is like an automotive version of Black Beauty. Depending on condition, bodywork and provenance, Phantom IIs are worth between $300,000-400,000. Although in late 2010, a one-off 1934 edition with saffron ochre and polished aluminium bodywork by Thrupp and Maberley, ordered by the Maharaja of Rajkot, dubbed ‘Star of India,’ was sold for $850,000.

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