Highlights
- Three owners from new
- Excellent condition throughout
- Extensively restored for four years in 2016
- One of, if not the best available on the market
The Appeal
The Princess R took everything good about the Vanden Plas Princess 3-litre and added the fantastic 4l Rolls Royce FB60 engine, whilst making the interior more luxurious and restyling the exterior.
Offering a high level of luxury combined with performance that’s still respectable today the Princess R makes for a fantastic classic car experience.
Offering a high level of luxury combined with performance that’s still respectable today the Princess R makes for a fantastic classic car experience.
This Princess R was previously owned by the Vanden Plas Owners Club secretary before being purchased and extensively restored to a very high standard by the current owner.
Kept undercover, only driven in the dry and having covered very few miles since the restoration it presents beautifully throughout.
Kept undercover, only driven in the dry and having covered very few miles since the restoration it presents beautifully throughout.
The History and Paperwork
- V5 Present and correct
- Current owner has had it for the past eleven years
- Registered as a historic vehicle
- MOT and tax exempt
- MOT to November 2023
- An invoice dated this year for a new battery
- Subject of a four year restoration finished in 2016 and only covered 800 miles since
- An extensive collection of invoices from the comprehensive restoration that includes; reconditioning of the carburettors, new fuel pump and a full new carpet set with overmats from Coverdale amongst others
- A large selection of invoices dating back to 1969
The Interior
- Excellent condition throughout
- The champagne leather seats are in fantastic condition with little sign of wear
- The interior is all new and re-trimmed with the exception of the seats
- New wool carpets, under-carpets and overmats in matching champagne colour
- New English wool headlining and roof panels
- Refurbished burr walnut dashboard, rear picnic tables and door caps present beautifully
- New door cards, trim and headlining all in excellent condition
- New boot floor mat
- Battery crate has been powder coated and fitted with a new fabric cover
- Refurbished switch panels on the dashboard
- Everything works as it should
- Restored to original specification
- Original dealers plate in the glove box
The Princess R was designed as a more luxurious alternative to the Princess 3L and sliding down into the soft drivers seat you know they really hit the mark.
The wide burr walnut dashboard coupled with supple leather seats and plush carpeting instantly create a sense of luxury that only increases when you drive the car and experience the Rolls Royce engine.
But it’s not just the front that offers the luxurious driving experience, the rear seats offer the same soft ride and have burr walnut picnic tables mounted to the rear of the front seats, offering a high level of luxury to all the occupants.
The wide burr walnut dashboard coupled with supple leather seats and plush carpeting instantly create a sense of luxury that only increases when you drive the car and experience the Rolls Royce engine.
But it’s not just the front that offers the luxurious driving experience, the rear seats offer the same soft ride and have burr walnut picnic tables mounted to the rear of the front seats, offering a high level of luxury to all the occupants.
Whilst this Vanden Plas offers a superb level of luxury it’s the condition of the interior that's most striking. With every aspect having been refurbished or replaced and to the original specification, this must be one of the best Princess R’s around.
The seats present excellently with little sign of wear and the dashboard, headlining, carpets and trim all present excellently.
If you’re looking for classic luxury presented beautifully in your next classic car, then look no further; this is it.
The seats present excellently with little sign of wear and the dashboard, headlining, carpets and trim all present excellently.
If you’re looking for classic luxury presented beautifully in your next classic car, then look no further; this is it.
The Exterior
- Excellent condition throughout
- Looks fantastic finished in the original Peat/Stone colourway that was resprayed during the restoration
- All box sections, exposed surfaces, wheel arches treated with Bilt Hamber Dynax UB and S50
- All new window channels on the doors
- New front and rear windscreen retaining rubbers
- New door seals all round
- New rear light lenses
- Wheels replaced with 14” and powder coated with new chrome trims, rechromed hubcaps and new tyres
- A small dent to the o/s rear bumper as shown in the images with a small amount of repainting on the body underneath this section of bumper
- Slight colour mismatch on the lower half of the drivers door
The Princess R is an eye-catching classic and they don’t come better than this.
Fully resprayed as part of the restoration in the original peat/stone colourway and with extensively rechromed and new parts it looks simply fantastic.
With the exception of the very minor imperfections noted above, this car looks like it has just rolled out of the showroom.
It’s easily ready to show or would make an excellent collectors piece.
Fully resprayed as part of the restoration in the original peat/stone colourway and with extensively rechromed and new parts it looks simply fantastic.
With the exception of the very minor imperfections noted above, this car looks like it has just rolled out of the showroom.
It’s easily ready to show or would make an excellent collectors piece.
The Mechanics
- Long MOT
- Starts easily and idles well
- Engine bay presents excellently
- Undersides look clean tidy and in excellent condition
- The 3,909 cc Rolls Royce engine sounds fantastic
- Oil and filter change in October this year
- Extensive new parts fitted as part of the restoration including: re-cored and reconditioned radiator, reconditioned water pump, twin electric fans, Pertronix electronic ignition fitted, new ignition coils, new plugs, overhauled brake servo unit, full stainless exhaust system, new front and rear engine mounts, all new steering rods and ball joints, new kingpins, new wheel bearings all round, new front brake calipers, new rear leaf springs and shocks amongst many other parts
- Powder coated air filter and induction components and various other ancillary equipment
- The owner reports that the car drives very well accelerating as it should and braking confidently in a straight line
- The owner reports that occasionally an occasional slight tapping noise can be heard due to an intermittently lazy hydraulic lifter
As with the rest of this car the mechanical aspects all present excellently.
From the engine bay to the underside it all appears to be in fantastic condition and is evidently exceptionally well cared for.
The owner has extensive records of all of the work he has carried out (although much of it without invoices as he has done it himself) and looking through the list it’s easy to see why the car presents so well mechanically.
With most of the ancillary equipment having been refurbished or replaced along with extensive cosmetic work in the engine bay it’s hard to see how there would be any room for improvement.
From the engine bay to the underside it all appears to be in fantastic condition and is evidently exceptionally well cared for.
The owner has extensive records of all of the work he has carried out (although much of it without invoices as he has done it himself) and looking through the list it’s easy to see why the car presents so well mechanically.
With most of the ancillary equipment having been refurbished or replaced along with extensive cosmetic work in the engine bay it’s hard to see how there would be any room for improvement.
The owner has clearly not only restored this car to an exceptional standard but has also maintained it in this condition, as such it’s no surprise that they report that it drives perfectly.
The owner also has a large number of spare parts available by separate negotiation.
The owner also has a large number of spare parts available by separate negotiation.
Summary
The Princess R makes for a fantastic luxury classic and they don’t come better than this.
Very well maintained and fully restored to an exceptionally high standard the car presents excellently and would be at home in even the most discerning of collections.
But then with the superb Rolls Royce FB60 engine and sublimely comfortable interior we think it would be hard not to drive this car, it's that good.
Very well maintained and fully restored to an exceptionally high standard the car presents excellently and would be at home in even the most discerning of collections.
But then with the superb Rolls Royce FB60 engine and sublimely comfortable interior we think it would be hard not to drive this car, it's that good.
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