RETURN TO CATALOGUE
THE
ROLLS-ROYCE |
FOREWORD This is not a book about Rolls-Royce.
Much has already been written on the subject. The
historical beginnings of the company together with the
individuals that made it prosper and grow over the years
have been well documented in the past by countless
writers. Rather; this is the story of one specific part
of Rolls-Royce history: the Phantom II and its
derivative, the Continental. What I have attempted to do
is present to the reader a complete and comprehensive
study of the model from its inception in the late 1920's,
through the many changes and improvements, to the time
when the last Phantom II chassis rolled off the line at
Derby in 1935. Relatively speaking, the model life was
rather short - only six years. However, those years
deserve a particular niche in the annals of Rolls-Royce
for during that time the firm produced one of their most
magnificent examples ever. It was the last of the great
six cylinder cars that the master himself, F. Henry
Royce, personally designed, and it was to be his best
effort, surpassing in every facet of design excellence
and manufacturing technique even the earlier Silver Ghost
that had earned for the company the reputation they still
deserve and enjoy to this day: "the makers of the
best car in the world. " Much has already been
written about the Phantom II and especially the
Continental. This is understandable as the chassis was
produced during the height of the classic era and also
during one of the most turbulent economic periods in
history. The first Phantom II chassis, 1-WJ, was off test
at Derby just two months before the great American stock
market crash in October, 1929. With the subsequent
economic depression felt throughout the world, it is
surprising that the model did as well as it did,
considering its cost at the time, the latter almost .£2
850 for a complete car. (Disregarding monetary
devaluation's and currency fluctuations in the
intervening forty-odd years, the exchange rate on the
British pound was approximately $4.85 giving the average
Phantom II, complete with coachwork, a price of about $
13,822 at a time when a four-bedroom house in America
could be bought for $5,000 and a current model new Ford
for $300 to $400. ) Notwithstanding the superb chassis,
the great popularity of the Phantom II, in the author's
opinion, stems from the body styles built on the chassis.
In the entire history of motoring, the period from 1930
to 1935 produced the most magnificent and classic
carriages the world has ever known. Gone forever were the
high, boxy, almost ugly coachwork styles of earlier
years. Replacing them were the sleek, flowing, tapered
lines that marked the height of classic design. As
innovative as they were, these styles were relatively
short-lived, and by the late 1930's the designs of the
early part of the decade were giving way to more
functional, practical body lines. The depression was
coming to an end and war in Europe was a definite
possibility. Unquestionably, people's ideas and
requirements were once again changing. Absent were the
flamboyant days of the 1920's when the wealthy demanded
material items and goods that advertised their wealth,
not the least of which were their personal cars. Perhaps
it is fortunate for us today that the period was so
short. Had it extended over a longer time, possibly the
classics of the era would not be as popular and desirable
as they are today. When one combines the qualities of
charm, poise, and beauty with rarity, the result has to
be the utmost in desirability. And this the Phantom II
most certainly is especially the Continental short
chassis version of which only 281 were ever produced over
the life of the model. Not only were the classic
coachwork designs of the day unsurpassed - the Phantom II
and Continental chassis complimented and lent themselves
most ideally to these designs. The chassis was not
necessarily massive when compared to its peers of the
day, the Bugatti Royale, the " J" Dusenberg,
the 8 litre Bentley, and the Hispano-Suiza. Rather, it
exuded an aura of strength, agility, and power that
immediately identified it as a most satisfactory and
remarkable design. The chassis frame, with its low centre
of gravity, hypoid rear axle gearing, semi-elliptical
springing and the rear frame upsweep were all features
that mated perfectly with the beautiful body lines that
were designed and fitted to it. That the end result was a
most magnificent carriage cannot be denied. It was, in
the author s opinion; the ultimate tribute to Royce,
"the mechanic." As mentioned earlier, much has
already been written regarding the Phantom II. However,
one suspects that each succeeding treatise on the subject
was simply a reiteration of earlier documents, albeit in
different format. It also became quite apparent to the
writer during his personal association with the Phantom
II that much that has been written earlier was vague,
inconsistent, and fraught with speculation and error. The
idea of doing a comprehensive study on the Phantom II is
one that I considered for some time before embarking on
this book. When I finally decided to make the effort, the
one item of paramount importance in my thinking was
accuracy. It is my intent that this should be the
ultimate work on the Phantom II, and hopefully set the
record straight for future generations of enthusiasts. To
this end, every avenue was explored, checked, and
verified. However, I am well aware that factual
differences may manifest themselves after this work has
been digested by the motoring cognoscente and, in this
instance, I hope that any factual errors will be brought
to my attention. As for the opinions and speculations of
mine that appear throughout the text, one of the rewards
of undertaking a study of this type is the opportunity
for stating opinions. These I make no excuse for and, if
the reader's opinion varies, then I will have stimulated
his thinking, at least as far as this study encompasses.
And last, but certainly not least, mention must be made
of the many individuals and organisations which
materially assisted me in this endeavour. First and
foremost must be Rolls-Royce Motors ( 1971) who very
kindly were most helpful and considerate in allowing me
access to documents and records within the company
archives. In this instance Mr.David Roscoe and Mr. Evan
Morgans, together with their staff at Crewe, were most
helpful in sorting through old documents and attempting
to resolve inconsistencies and discrepancies in writings
and data. Not to be excluded at Crewe is also Mr. Ian
Rimmer who allowed me much of his valuable time. In
London, Mr. Dennis Miller-Williams of Conduit St. was,
likewise, most gracious and helpful in allowing me access
to the original books of guarantee in addition to
providing enthusiastic encouragement. At Hythe Road was
the inimitable Ron Haynes, a very dear friend, who was
most helpful in sorting out individual chassis series
modifications and details. His untimely demise in 1978
was a cruel blow to pre-war Rolls-Royce enthusiasts
throughout the world. Also I am supremely grateful that I
had the opportunity to meet and visit with Mr. H. I. F.
(Ivan) Evernden at his home in East Wittering while
working on the manuscript. It was, without a doubt, a
special thrill to chat with the one singular man who, not
only was one of the top design engineers with Rolls-Royce
during his long tenure of work there, but was charged
personally by Royce himself, with defining the design
concepts and specifications of the Continental Phantom
II. It can be truly said that the Continental was
Evernden's creation from its very inception. Mr. Evernden
was most helpful during out discussions regarding the
Continental and very graciously edited the entire content
of chapter two of this book. His comments, suggestions
and anecdotes are warmly appreciated. After the entire
manuscript was finished, Mr. H. E. (Ed) White of St.
Petersburg, Florida very kindly consented to edit the
work for technical accuracy. Ed, a very dear fiend, is a
long time Rolls-Royce enthusiast and is one of the most
knowledgeable individuals regarding Rolls-Royce motor
cars I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His
comments and suggestions were thoughtfully objective and
sincerely appreciated. Certain items and passages from
the R.R.O.C. The Flying Lady and the R.R.E.C. Bulletin
are quoted within this work and Mr. John Urz, editor of
The Flying Lady and Mr. R. J. Gibbs of the Bulletin
kindly consented to let us use this copyrighted material.
It is truly appreciated that Mr. John DeCampi, at present
the Chairman of the Board of the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club
and Mr. Ted Reich, R. R.O. C. , kindly allowed us to use
many pictures from their personal files. Mr. John
McFarlane, President of the R.R.O.C. and past editor of
The Flying Lady is to be thanked for his warm
co-operation and assistance in supplying many of the
photographs shown in the book. Mr. Horton Schoellkopf,
editor of the R.R.O.C. Directory and Register, and Capt.
Peter Baines of the R.R.E.C., both spent many hours
helping me review their files and records in an attempt
to trace down lost chassis that initially were unable to
be located. The first known article regarding the
Continental appeared in an October, 1930 issue of The
Motor and Mr. Scott, Deputy Editor of that magazine, has
kindly consented to allow me to quote it verbatim. And
finally, my heartfelt gratitude to those many fortunate
owners of these magnificent vehicles who kindly provided
me with photographs of their motors. Without them, the
task would have been quite impossible. One final comment
is that I can only say that I hope the reader enjoys the
book as much as I enjoyed putting it together. CONTENTS. |
|
|