Photo: Sotheby's
The RM Sotheby's Paris auction on the first day of February 2023 will feature a 1931 Rolls-Royce four-door saloon body by Cricklewood-based Thrupp & Maberly that added a bit of sportiness to the classic brand.
This Phantom II Continental Saloon was thought to be the finest model of the luxury brand's lineup that included a rather staid in comparison, Phantom II. Of the 1,400 Phantom II's made only 278 were made on the Continental platform.
A bit garish in color, with a pale yellow exterior and pea green detailing with matching green interior, the car was completed in mid-1931 and made its debut at the Olympia Motor Show in London in October 1931 as the most expensive car there, with a price of 3,000 British Pounds (161,422 British Pounds today / $198,344).
The cars' black radiator badge is somewhat of an oddity for the period, as it is thought to be the first to turn away from the standard red badge because of a clash with the coachwork colors.
The Phantom II Continental is powered by a 7,668 cc (467 cubic inch) straight-six engine with a 4-speed manual transmission, capable of a top speed of 100 mph (160.90 kph).
This 8JS chassis numbered classic changed hands several times through the 1950s and even changed colors on two occasions; first, it was painted a dark green and then a battleship grey hue that Sir Henry Royce himself favored. In 1977, the car found its way to Denmark where the new title holder would please it with a total body-off restoration to its original Olympia Motor Show specs. The project confirmed the car's earlier skin tones before it was brought back to the original pale yellow.
Sotheby's has not provided an estimate on what the car is expected to bring in once the hammer goes down, but the highest sale value to date for this make, model, and year classic at auction is $1.3 million.
A bit garish in color, with a pale yellow exterior and pea green detailing with matching green interior, the car was completed in mid-1931 and made its debut at the Olympia Motor Show in London in October 1931 as the most expensive car there, with a price of 3,000 British Pounds (161,422 British Pounds today / $198,344).
The cars' black radiator badge is somewhat of an oddity for the period, as it is thought to be the first to turn away from the standard red badge because of a clash with the coachwork colors.
The Phantom II Continental is powered by a 7,668 cc (467 cubic inch) straight-six engine with a 4-speed manual transmission, capable of a top speed of 100 mph (160.90 kph).
This 8JS chassis numbered classic changed hands several times through the 1950s and even changed colors on two occasions; first, it was painted a dark green and then a battleship grey hue that Sir Henry Royce himself favored. In 1977, the car found its way to Denmark where the new title holder would please it with a total body-off restoration to its original Olympia Motor Show specs. The project confirmed the car's earlier skin tones before it was brought back to the original pale yellow.
Sotheby's has not provided an estimate on what the car is expected to bring in once the hammer goes down, but the highest sale value to date for this make, model, and year classic at auction is $1.3 million.
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