1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III
The Rolls-Royce Phantom III was the company's final significant pre-war model. It replaced the Phantom II when it was introduced in 1936, and it remained the only V12 Rolls-Royce until 1998. Henry Royce worked on the Phantom III until his death at 70, a year into its development.
1937 Rolls Royce's Coachbuilders
Rolls-Royce produced only the chassis and mechanical parts. A coachbuilder selected by the owner or a dealer who may have cars produced for showroom stock built the body and fitted it. Park Ward, Mulliner, Thrupp & Maberly, and Hooper, who crafted this Phantom III exemplar, were some of the most well-known coachbuilders who created Rolls-Royce cars' bodies.
1937 Rolls Royce's Accessories
Rolls-Royce celebrates the cocktail hour with the portable Cocktail Hamper cocktail kit for road trips. Covered in badges from faraway places traveled. The interior is lined with American walnut wood and premium natural grain leather, giving a very personal expression of individual customer preferences and lifestyles.
Hooper & Company Coachbuilder
Hooper & Co. was a British coachbuilder headquartered in Westminster, London. Adams and Hooper founded the company in 1805 and held a royal commission from 1830, manufacturing magnificent horse-drawn carriages for King William IV, Queen Victoria, and King Edward VII. Hooper specialized in the market's upper echelons, creating the most beautiful bodies possible without regard for expense. Because the company specialized in majestic, elegant carriages, the models were not sporty.
Lord Montagu was a car enthusiast who introduced King Edward to motorsport, advocated for higher speed limits on the roads and was a close friend of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Montagu's magazine frequently featured Rolls-Royce automobiles.
Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy: who was that Lovely Lady?
The Spirit of Ecstasy is the sculpture on the bonnet of Rolls-Royce cars. One of the most recognizable symbols in the world is the silver metal flying lady mounted on the hood of every Rolls Royce. Rolls Royce automobiles have been mounted with the iconic flying lady silver hood ornament since the early 1900s, above her with a flowing skirt that flows from her arms to her back, like angelic wings.
The first Spirit of Ecstasy was inspired by and based on a secret love affair between the Second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, a pioneer of the car movement and editor of "The Car Illustrated" magazine, and British actor and model Eleanor Velasco Thorton.
John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu
When Baron John Montagu commissioned his friend, sculptor Charles Sykes to sculpt a personal mascot for the bonnet of his 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, Sykes chose Eleanor Velasco Thornton as his model. Sykes originally crafted a figurine of her in fluttering robes, having placed one forefinger against her lips – to symbolize the secret of Montagu and Thorton's love affair. Their secret love was to remain hidden, limited to their circle of friends, for more than a decade. Sykes named the figurine The Whisper.
By 1910 personal mascots had become the fashion of the day. Rolls-Royce was concerned to note that some owners were affixing "inappropriate" ornaments to their cars. Claude Johnson, then managing director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, was asked to commission a more dignified and graceful mascot.
He turned to Sykes to produce a mascot which would adorn all future Rolls-Royce cars and become generic to the marque, with the specifications that it should convey "the spirit of the Rolls-Royce, namely, speed with silence, absence of vibration, the mysterious harnessing of great energy and a beautiful living organism of superb grace..."
It was again Miss Thornton, whom he had in mind. Sykes chose to modify The Whisper into a version similar to today's Spirit of Ecstasy. He called this first model, The Spirit of Speed. Later, Sykes called it "A graceful little goddess, the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies."
The Spirit of Ecstasy Kneeling version (1934–1939)
In the early 1930s, Rolls-Royce commissioned Sykes to develop a kneeling version of the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot to suit the needs of the new sports sedan by offering the drivers a more unobstructed view of the road ahead. The kneeling lady mascot was debuted on January 26, 1934, and it was as much a reflection of Eleanor as it was a Rolls-Royce trademark.
1937 Phantom III Film appearance
A well-preserved black and yellow 1937 Phantom III appeared in the James Bond film Goldfinger in 1964. The automobile is an essential aspect of the plot and may be seen in various scenes. According to the narrative, the Phantom III was recognized for its remarkable strength and could withstand the weight of large amounts of gold smuggled around Europe.
Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere,
the original Phantom III owner
The Phantom III was originally owned by Harold Harmsworth, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the United Kingdom. Harold and his brother Alfred founded the Daily Mail in 1896, followed by the Daily Mirror. His most remarkable success came with the Daily Mirror, which had three million subscribers by 1922.
Associated Newspapers Ltd was owned by the two brothers, who were the most prominent British newspaper owners. Harold (Viscount Rothermere), a renowned journalism pioneer. They established the most prosperous journalistic empire in British history.
Auto Vino rare and exotic car storage is proud to preserve and protect the heritage of British Motorcars in a museum-like setting to display beautiful examples of Art-on-Wheels for those who have a passion for rare, exotic, and fast cars, and for those too who don't.
The car presented here is privately owned and not for sale.
