One can just imagine how grand this old Rolls once was. It’s listed on eBay and appears to be a project abandoned before much progress was made. It needs complete, expensive restoration inside and out. One can only guess how this Rolls, once the treasure of the Vestey family, one of the wealthiest families in England, came to be in this sorry state. It was forgotten for decades perhaps and then a restoration was begun.
It appears interior restoration was started. A little of the woodwork has been started, but there’s still a long expensive way to go.
The original 12 cylinder engine has been replaced with another Rolls engine, a straight eight cylinder engine. There’s no word if this engine has actually run in this car, or was installed when the restoration was begun. If this Rolls is restored, perhaps the owner will reinstall a V12 like the original, if one can be found.
It’s a little hard to imagine from this view just how grand this Rolls once was. This could be a six figure car if fully restored but not having the original engine will affect the value. The body is aluminum so even though there is no rust there is likely corrosion. It will take someone with very deep pockets and a lot of time to restore Rolls to its former glory. These are rare, only 727 produced, so perhaps there’s a collector out there willing to take on this project.
I usually roll my eyes when someone suggests Jay Leno needs to be informed of something, but maybe this. It certainly ought to be saved.
Wow. How sad that this elegant lady wasn’t better cared for. As it’s so rare, maybe Rolls Royce would be inclined to take on the restoration, as they did for the Silver Ghost
There’s an older rhd Bentley in my local area at a used car lot. She’s just begging for someone to nurse her back to health, and love her again. I’ve been lusting after it for over a year, just don’t have the talent, nor budget :-(
Would you provide details on the Bentley please.
looks like she is going sell…. 15k
RestoMod it. 24″ Chrome wheels and deck it out like some of the cars on GTA!!!
GTA 5 yep I know the car and its fast
I really like the line on the fenders but I can’t get warmed up on the square coach work. Its too square for me but it’s definitely a car worth saving.
not the prettiest cars ever to come out of Rolls Royce, wow…lots of work
This car should be restored due to fact so few were made and it would command a big dollar. It requires a professional shop to handle it though. Not something I would resto mode.
Certainly not a restoration anyone other than a RR professional restorer should endeavor to take on. She deserves the best. Perhaps a RR dealer would take it on … she sure would be a fantastic addition to the showroom floor
I suggest the next person that starts out a new comment with “I’d drop a V8……and a….” be permanently barred from this site.
Luki what makes you think that your opinion matters more than some who would change it. Who ever owns it gets to do what they want with it. I’d leave the car stock except for the coach work which I would turn into a 2 seater boat tail roadster. I’d replicate the coach work after an actual period RR roadster. As for the engine I’d keep that straight 8. In the end it would be a lot nicer than that boat anchor town car body. JMHO. And yes I did give you a thumps down.
I’m not sure my opinion matters more.
I am however sure that I know how to spell “thumbs”.
Typo buddy typo, sorry I’m not 100%. So I disagree with you so what, so you pick on a typo. Quit looking at the world through a 3″ pipe.
Mark, I think it should be restored to it’s former glory, but that is my opinion. Whoever buys it can do as they please.
I do to Ed the point I was trying to make is what gives a guy like Luki the right to say that if some one disagrees with his opinion about doing something other than a complete resto on this grand old RR than they should be kicked off the site. That’s just erregant ( I probably spelled that wrong and I’m sure to catch some $h!t over that too ) I will repeat my self the fate of this car is in the hands of the new owner. Another thing is the all important numbers matching V12 is missing and even if you find another one it will always be a replacement. I have my reservations that this will get restored it will get parted out for a better one. JMHO which I guess I’m not entitled to. Fire away with those thumBs
everybody relax.
AGREED! This lady deserves to be brought back to her glamour days, and nothing less
In this case they should at least have the decency to follow the comment with a /s.
Very elegant. I can just see the queen sitting in the back waving to her subjects. Hope someone does right by this old gal.
I believe the reason the proportions of the roof height was done so that a person wearing a top hat could sit in the seat without removing it. This made the cars look more boxy. If you look at later RR roof lines, once top hats were no longer in style, the roof line came down.
The high roof line also allowed for a more graceful entry & exit. The Queen bows to NO ONE!
Larger windows also provide for maximum show .. “see here, you lowly peasants .. I am VERY wealthy”
Hey, that’s Goldfinger’s limo. He was more of a bowler/derby man.
Frankly, a Phantom III in this condition, without its V-12 engine, without an interior, and with this awful and undistinguished super-formal Hooper bodywork, is worth very little. The cost to restore it would run into the hundreds of thousands and its value when finished would likely be under $100,000. The replacement straight-eight engine was originally an RR industrial engine. A version of it was used in the ultra-exclusive Phantom IV but this engine isn’t one of those. The language in the advt which says it would be a great wedding car cracks me up — you’d have to do an awful lot of weddings to even come close to paying for the massive restoration costs. The seller should take the $15K bid and celebrate big time.
If memory serves me correctly, Rolls Royce did not build a complete car before WW2. They sent a complete chassis to different coach builders depending on the customer’s desire. After WW2 RR started building complete vehicles.
An Eight cylinder Rolls Royce engine? I never knew they made one. All PIII’s had a V-12, and only PIII”s
Back in the day there were several divisions of Rolls-Royce: Motorcars, Aeromotors, industrial motors [including diesels]. The straight 8 motor was used in military vehicles, as were other 4 & 6 cylinder motors. It’s a lot easier to get the 8 cylinder than obtaining the V-12, as the current owner probably found out.
I’m surprised Brakeservo hasn’t offered his valuable Rolls-Royce comments here yet. jtnc is correct, this car, with it’s incorrect engine & ungainly body [with 2 too many doors & seats], will never come close in value to what it will cost to restore. The car is probably worth about $20k to $30k in TOTAL spares [parts] value, but it will take a long time to sell off all the pieces.
Years ago when I was repairing & restoring Rolls-Royce cars, I used to buy decrepit 20/25, 25/30 pre-war cars & many Bentley MK6, “R” and “S” cars, and parted them out to keep many other Rolls & Bentley vehicles on the road.
In 1989 I bought a ’35 20/25 James Young limo in very ratty condition, having sat outside until the roof caved in and the 4 doors fell off! I paid $500 for the car, Sold the engine for $10k, Gearbox for $3k, Rear axle for $2.5k, wire wheels, 5 for $2k. I’m still selling off smaller items I pulled from the car, before selling the chassis to someone who wanted the Rolls-Royce matching title and serial number plate. I still have the Grill and hood ornament, generator, water pump, etc. .
I’ve been traveling with no internet access. Just saw this. Not a desirable car, uncomfortable to drive from new, ugly limo body designed for the owner/passenger’s comfort, chauffeur be damned. V12 engines troublesome so not put back into production after WWII. Who wants these today, in this shape? Certainly no one who’s had one before. Not even a good parts car. As I see it, take the body and mount it on a modern truck chassis, take the original chassis, build a speedster with an aero V12 engine and have two viable cars where now you don’t even have one.
So an ugly body, expensive restoration, No original motor, What? why would you bother, not to mention the v12 in any P3 is a piece of garbage prone to corrosion in the water jackets. Aluminium and steel don’t mix. So not having the original is a plus to me. The v 12 is incredibly expensive for what you get , You might as well get a Italian v12 then you would have access to parts at least. Basically an upside down project, a fool and his money