Descrição
1934 Rolls-Royce 40/ 50HP Phantom 2 Continental Close Coupled Barker Sports Saloon
Chassis number: 57RY
Registration Number: GGW733
Fully restored to as new condition. A simply stunning car suitable for Villa d'Este & Pebble Beach-type events. This car represents the Phantom 2 Continental por excelência. This car has just been fully serviced & set up by a noted Rolls-Royce specialist, James Black of Northern Ireland, who has just completed a 4, 000‑mile trip in it via Italy. The car performed flawlessly.
Chassis number '57RY' was constructed in 1934 having been ordered by Theodore Cozzika, a prominent Greek industrialist who was resident in Cairo. The chassis cards indicate that it was intended 'for use on the Continent and Egypt at very high speeds with fairly heavy luggage'. At this time, Theodore Cozzika was enjoying a close friendship with the retired American movie star, Pearl White, and the Phantom was used to commute between the South of France and Cairo (via the Marseilles-Alexandria ferry). Born 1889 in Green Ridge, Missouri, Pearl White began her professional acting career with a touring theatre company before moving into films in 1910, around the time that actor's credits first appeared. She became famous for performing her own dangerous stunts and enjoyed a prolific output prior to The Great War, making a staggering 103 motion pictures in 1913 alone, although most would have been short, single-reel features. Pearl White is perhaps best remembered for Pathé Studios' 20-episode serial, The Perils of Pauline, in which she was pursued by her wicked guardian and his henchman, getting into all kinds of hazardous situations. Unable to achieve the same success in the emerging feature-length films, she retired in 1923 and moved to France, leaving all her French property to Cozzika on her death in 1938.
The Phantom then appeared at Jack Barclay's London showroom in 1941 and was sold to Captain G S Davison, of Birmingham. The car had five further owners in the UK up to 1957 when it was sold to J Anker Jensen, of Salisbury, Rhodesia. It was then exported to the USA in 1967, passing through the hands of various owners there until re-imported to the UK by its current owner in May 2008.
A massive nut & bolt restoration to as new condition was entrusted to marque specialist, Taylors UK Ltd of Chichester under the supervision of Mark Taylor, who in earlier years was workshop foreman at renowned specialists, P & A Wood. The bills & the lengths gone to in the restoration are simply eye-watering & far too numerous for us to have photographed in their entirety. Suffice to say the cost of the car & its restoration very substantially exceeds the price being asked today.
This Phantom 2 represents the Pinnacle of Phantom 2 continental saloons, & is in as fine a condition as we have ever seen one in. The exterior pale blue paint with the black roof suits it beautifully. The interior is equally if not more spectacular with exquisite walnut veneers to the dash board & rich brown leather to the seating surfaces.
The engine is powerful & silent, benefitting from modified cam followers being installed during the rebuild to alleviate a known weak point on the Phantom 2 engines. The boot is of a good size for luggage & houses both the large tools clipped into either side & small tools in a fold-down tool tray. A huge history file of the restoration comes with the car.
