Highlights

Magnificent Mulliner Phantom III in super condition
Highly documented history from purchase by Olaf Hambro
Previously part of the Sir James Cayzer Collection
Over £17,000 work at P&A Wood since 2023
Very rare V12-powered pre-war limousine
Vast history file including original bill of sale

The Appeal

Rolls-Royce has only built three V12-powered cars in its long lifetime and this, the Phantom III, was the first. Its near-silent, ultra-smooth powerplant was all part of the unruffled, opulent refinement of one of the greatest-ever pre-war limousines.

These were cars for those with the deepest of pockets. In this case, Olaf Hambro, Chairman of the family bank, owner of Wilton’s restaurant in St James and proprietor of Linton Park in Kent. That’s where this magnificent 1938 Phantom III arrived on 4th June 1938, the summer sun no doubt glinting off its newly finished, coachbuilt Mulliner body.

Subsequent keepers have included the Birds Custard family and renowned marque collector Sir James Cayzer. The highly detailed file includes a multi-page history of the car throughout its life. It also includes the original bill of sale.

Just 96 Phantom IIIs were built by H J Mulliner. This is one of the best, classically finished in black with a beautifully wrought leather and cloth interior. The quality of the original factory work and subsequent renovations is impressive.

The car is well known to marque specialist P & A Woods. The firm’s recent work includes £17,000 of work across bodywork and mechanicals since 2023. It is in fine mechanical and structural condition and will grace any high end vintage collection.

The History and Paperwork

First registered 20th May 1938
Commissioned by Olaf Hambro (as above)
Delivered to Hambro’s Linton Park home on 4th June 1938
Subsequently owned by Birds Custard family and Sir James Cayzer
Large history file including original bill of sale as shown
Only 767 Phantoms were built of which 96 were Mulliner coachbuilt cars
DVLA records three registered keepers
Current keeper since January 2020
Chassis number 3CM51
Engine number RG8L
Last MOT expired in 2012 showing 485 miles with no advisories
Now showing 1,174 miles
Due to the five digit odometer we cannot verify this mileage
Factory handbook
1 key
Invoices for P & A Wood repairs totalling over £17,000 as shown
Originally delivered by Jack Barclay

The Condition

Smart black paintwork in very good condition with few signs of age
Recent £6,000 of bodywork repairs by P & A Wood
Bright and well presented chromework and fittings including bumpers and grille
Bodywork is straight and very well kept with excellent panel fit and consistent gaps
Lights and glasswork present well with former understood to be fully operational
Sits on steel wheels with black painted hub caps to match body
Exquisite interior with leather front seats and fabric rear seats
Seats are well kept with gentle patina to leather as shown
Extensive wood veneers with inlays in very good order
Beige carpets to match seats in very good condition
Door cards present well with well kept fittings and fabrics
Headlining in good order with evidence of a rear folding roof section
Underside and chassis in very good condition with undersealing evident
Features include a glass divider and extensive vanity mirrors

There would be other, later coachbuilt Rolls-Royce limousines, but perhaps none quite captured the carefree elegance of the Phantom III. Look around and inside this magnificent car and your eye is rewarded with an endless array of clever details, all executed with a quality of workmanship that we have now sadly lost.

The fastidious care of this car’s keepers - starting with Hambro and later with Cayzer - is why we can appreciate those details now. The car is in very good condition indeed and will be a treat for anyone lucky enough to travel within it.

The Mechanics

7,338cc aluminium V12 engine
4spd manual gearbox with synchromesh on 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Factory tool kit as shown
£11,400 of mechanical repair recently by P & A Wood
No reported running or driving issues

From the aptly named Silver Ghost, Rolls-Royce pursued the idea of a whisper-quiet engine, one that would not interrupt the important conversations taking place on board. A V12 was the natural solution, but it took the firm until 1936 to launch one.

Alongside the high quality cabin craftsmanship, the 7.3L V12 is a key reason to want a Phantom III. The all-aluminium unit is a smooth, barely discernible motor that perfectly suits the car’s unruffled demeanour.

With such advanced, hand-built engineering, any buyer will want the reassurance that it has been properly maintained. This car has passed through the hands of several illustrious keepers, including time as part of the Sir James Crayzer Collection, and has therefore amassed an impressive history file. The records are present right back to its earliest days.

In recent years, it has been maintained by P & A Wood. This includes over £11,000 of checks and mechanical fettling within the last 12 months. We are told it is rude mechanical health and wants for nothing.

BEFORE YOU BUY

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