Description
VANDEN PLAS Princess 4 Litre R, 1967, with a Rolls-Royce aluminium engine, automatic gearbox, right-hand drive, showing 62, 600 miles on the odometer. In recent years it has been kept in the garage of a major collection of high-value classic cars. The car is kept in a relatively good condition and the visible damage is due to a long period of standing idle. This is the most beautiful and most expensive saloon designed by coachbuilder Pininfarina in the 1960s for the English manufacturer BMC. BMC's managing director and brilliant chief engineers worked closely with Rolls-Royce and its engineers for many years to design and build the exceptional, one-off Rolls-Royce 4-litre engine for the Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R, produced from 1964 to 1968. Only 6, 555 were built, as its price was too high compared with the competition. The all-aluminium engine produced an impressive 175 bhp and had an excellent power-to-weight ratio, which gave the car remarkable performance. This superb all-aluminium Rolls-Royce 4-litre engine was innovative: the inlet valves were located in the top of the cylinder head, while the exhaust valves were in the side of the engine block. The valve adjustment was hydraulic. The engine was mated to a three-speed Borg Warner automatic gearbox. The car was fitted with hydraulic power steering. The front suspension used double wishbones with an anti-roll bar. The Armstrong dampers featured the Armstrong Selectaride system, an innovation for its time, allowing the damper firmness to be adjusted via a switch at the driver's position. The dashboard was finished in wood veneer and the seats were trimmed in very high-quality leather. The front seat backs were fitted with fold-down tables. Most are two-tone; ours is black and grey, and this two-tone scheme suits the car. The build quality is excellent and, according to period road tests by the motoring magazines, it offered very good performance, excellent handling, superb road feel and exceptional comfort. It accelerated from 0 to 100 km/ h in 12 seconds and had a top speed of 180 km/ h. Our car needs a full service, a new leather interior and paint polishing to retain its status as a 'rare and very desirable classic car in good condition'. If the potential buyer wishes, we can retrim the entire interior in Connolly leather with exceptional finish at an attractive price. With this partial refurbishment approach, without a full restoration, the car will regain its superb youthful look at a lower cost, and its upkeep and driving pleasure will be assured. The Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R is the only production car, apart from Rolls-Royce, to have been fitted with a Rolls-Royce engine. Queen Elizabeth II owned a Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R as her personal car. This prestigious model has the following highlights: - It is BMC's most famous and most expensive model, styled by Pininfarina. - It is the only car from another manufacturer to have been fitted with an exceptional Rolls-Royce engine, specially designed and developed by the marque. - Period motoring magazines praised the engine's efficiency and remarkable performance, the handling and ride comfort, and the luxury of its cabin. - Only 6, 555 were built, and few survive, making it a highly prestigious and sought-after classic. - It is no coincidence that Queen Elizabeth chose it as her personal car! Adding it to your collection will bring you great satisfaction, and driving it regularly will give you immense pleasure. The asking price, which is very low, reflects only the low cost of the unique Rolls-Royce engine if it were sold separately to a collector who needed it! At this price, the car is a real bargain for a connoisseur. The last 7 photos come from Vanden Plas's photographic archives. We can arrange transport.
