Vehicle details

Additional Information / Service History

1930 Rolls Royce Phantom 2 Barker Sedanca

Chassis Number: 81XJ

Registration Number: GC2819

A magnificent imposing early Phantom 2 with particularly nice coachwork by barkers; body number 6408.  The car has step plates rather then running boards with a rather elegant downward finish to the front wings.  This Hertfordshire registered car wears its original number plate & was in 1930 registerd to Earl Beatty with ownership subsequently passing to Countess Beatty.  It is depicted in Daltons tome on the marque: "The elegant Rolls Royce."  In 1930 The car was displayed at the Paris Motor show.

Under the current ownership for several decades, this car has been maintained simply without regard to cost as attested to by the masses of bills that come with the car covering an engine rebuild & a new cylinder head along with regular servicing. In recent years the car has been maintained by The Priory Vintage Car Co & more recently by Cark Ford of CJ Ford Engineering whom used to look after the car during his tenure at Priory.  I have to say that in my considerable experience of Pre War Rolls Royce cars, there is no finer person in the world then Carl Ford for tuning & setting one of these cars up to run right in a manner similar to how it left the factory.  The bills Are extensive to say the least at well over £50,000 & extending back in to the 1950's when Rolls Royce themselves were looking after the car at Hythe Road.

The car is thus in superb running order with a silent & powerful engine.  A Tim Payne overdrive is fitted which is engaged & disengaged by two concealed buttons under the dash board.  It makes the car a very relaxed high speed touring machine well able to hold its own in modern traffic.

 This is a quite original car with a very period feel to it.  One might possibly re-dye the Jappaned leather roof as it is slightly faded in appearance.  The West of England cloth in the rear is all in fine order as is the black leather to the front seats.  Paintwork is good maroon over cream with one or two easily rectified age realted cracks.  Twin occasional seats fold out of the bulkhead allowing for 7 people to be transported.  A wind up division is also concealed in the bukhead.

The Sedanca mechanism opens easily with the two sedanca arms folding back into their storage recess followed by the rolled up roof secured by two leather straps.  A set of snap fasteners keep it taut & in place when deployed.  A huge fully operable Steven Grebal lamp is fitted to the drivers side the better to illuminate Tigers with one assumes.  Ace wheel discs are also fitted all round.  The car has been fully re-wired in correct colour coded cloth covered cabling for safety reasons.  Likewise brand new tyres have been fitted all round.

A wonderful large motoring trunk is fitted & constructed in such a manner that the rear folds down to form a picnic table & also reveal a concealed drinks cabinet containing all manner of alcoholic potions along with some gold lined stirrup cups the better to imbibe said drinks with.  A bottle of "The Kings Ginger" from Berry Brothers & Rudd on St James' is always in place which I must inform readers is the only alcoholic beverage specifically designed for drinking & driving, having been formualted to keep the late King Edward warm in his new pursuit of driving the horseless carriage.

To sum up this is a large imposing car with ownership history known from new & an almost continuous service history.  It is in impeccable mechanical condition with light steering & powerful brakes.    The current owner has placed his emphasis on driving & maintaining the car properly rather then obsessively cleaning it.  Accordingly it would respond well to a thorough detailing by the next owner or simply continue to use it as is.

This is a car full of character & having real soul to it unlike the more freshly restored examples we handle.  I rate it very highly as it has just the right amount of patina & vintage feel to it.  It also has that completely together feel when driving it which disassmbled restored cars never seem to emanate.

RICHARD BIDDULPH

SALES & VALUATIONS

SIMONE DELLA CORTE

SHOWROOM MANAGER

MICHAEL KLIEBENSTEIN

EUROPEAN SALES and MARKETING

JAN KURTY

EASTERN EUROPE SALES and MARKETING

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