1937 | Rolls-Royce Phantom III

Chassis number 3CP190, first registered 17th November 1937 (Guarantee date) (picture 23)

After almost 45 years of ownership, I have decided to sell this project car – I have no time to finish it, and I am getting older, and have to be realistic...

This car came into being as Windovers Sedanca de Ville, built for the 6thEarl of Portalington, who at that time was director of Windovers (picture 20).

He kept the car for about one and a half years, and sold it to E.M.Bainbridge, a banker in London.

In 1951 Leverton & Sons Ltd. (“Funeral Directors since 1789” - they also did the funeral of Sir Henry Royce) bought the car, and had it fitted with a hearse body by Alpe & Saunders (picture 24).

They kept the original wings, bonnet and scuttle for the new body – luckily, because the integrated art-deco style front side lights must be unique (picture 25 – I have never seen them on any other car).

In 1967, the original V12 engine was removed (it was worn out after about 300,000 miles), and replaced by a used B80 straight-eight Rolls-Royce engine. The work was carried our by Ken Bachelor, who serviced the car since 1959, and who sold this car to me in July 1979.

I registered it in Germany, and (after eventually having overhauled the differential, using new crown and pinion gears and new bearings) used the car extensively as a huge estate car. I drove it all over Europe, used it as a camper for my little family, carried one ton of uncontaminated milk powder in it for our kindergarten after the Czernobyl desaster, and various building materials for the old house I had bought in 1987.

After I had it for about 15 years, the 40+ year old hearse body became a bit tatty, and I decided to have it removed, and a drophead body fitted.

With the help of a friend, I designed a body that could have been: a variation of the James Young body on 3AX193 (model car in picture 22, drawing picture 1), with slightly altered lines at the rear end, and of course retaining the original wings with the beautiful side lights.

I brought the car and my drawing to Derek L. James in Herefordshire, who run a small coachbuilding company. He started work, then had to stop, because I had run out of money, and when I asked him to continue, he had become ill, and eventually closed his business. All this took several years, and during this time a brand new B81 engine (picture 6) was fitted, because the B80 had developed a crack in the block at some earlier stage.

In the end, I had to collect the unfinished project, and it waited now for me to do it. I had gone professional with my Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcar hobby, so I could have done it myself by now – but customer's car always came first, and so my poor old Phantom waited, and waited, and waited...

About ten years ago, someone rang me, and asked, if I still had my car. The answer was “yes”, and the man on the telephone said: 'I know where your old engine is.' He meant the V12 – number S28K, which had been removed in 1967!

It had been standing next to another PIII with a non-original engine since about 1970, waiting to be overhauled and transferred.

This other car had also been sold by Ken Bachelor, and as the new owner wanted an original V12, Ken sold him my old engine.

But, as it so happens, nothing happened – the other PIII was not driven after 1970, and the owner did not want to sell it.

After he had passed away, his sons offered the car plus the V12 engine for sale, someone saw the advert, researched a bit who owned the car which originally had engine number S28K, found me in the PIII owners directory, and – see above.

Some time ago, we tried to establish what is there in terms of the new body, and what needs to be done. We loosely assembled the wooden parts, and offered up the hood (top) frame (see some of the pictures) – what it needs: Final assembly and finishing of main framework, making door and boot lid frames, paneling in aluminum (that is the fun part, because you see quick results), interior, hood...

The seats in the photographs are from a Mk. VI (I would throw in rear seats as something to start with, if desired). They only need hinges fitted to the seat backs, so that they could be tilted to give access to the rear.

After connecting it, the engine has been started about two years ago for the first time – it was a touching moment when it fired up during the first revolution...

The big P100 headlamps are there.

As can be expected, there is a lot of history with the car, including service records since 1959 – and if you have time, I would open a bottle of red and tell you a few stories...

Hope it finds a good home, with an enthusiast (or a dreamer) like me.

I want 29,000 Euros for the project 'as is' (negotiable). This includes the original engine (picture 21), a German registration document and a V5 document for the original UK registration number ELH613.

The son of the man who started the „new“ body is now willing to finish the car – his estimate is 65,000 GBP for the new body finished and painted, interior and convertible top done etc.