Beschreibung:

‘The most captious critic is obliged to admit that a Phantom III provides all that can be wished for in a large luxury motor-car. The comfort, silence and road-holding with really impressive acceleration and maximum speed made a combination of virtues which few cars of the time could equal.’ - Anthony Bird, ‘Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’, 1964. Perhaps the most outstanding luxury car of the 1930s - certainly on this side of the Channel - was the Rolls-Royce Phantom III. Introduced in 1936, the 7,340cc V12-engined Phantom III succeeded the Phantom II, the six-cylinder engine of which was considered to be at the end of its development life. The choice of a V12 configuration was a logical one for Rolls-Royce, the company already having had considerable experience of manufacturing V12 aero engines such as that used in the record-breaking Supermarine S6B seaplane. No doubt another consideration was the need to match the multi-cylinder opposition, notably the V16 Cadillac and V12 Hispano-Suiza. A state-of-the-art design employing advanced materials and techniques such as ‘skeleton’ cylinder blocks with wet liners and aluminium alloy cylinder heads, the PIII V12 produced 165bhp in its debut form. The maximum output was subsequently raised to 180 brake horsepower, which was sufficient to propel later examples to 100mph, earlier models being capable of around 90. Its engine configuration aside, the Phantom III represents an important milestone in the history of Rolls-Royce cars, being the first with independent front suspension. A total of 710 had been manufactured when WW2 halted production, of which around 300 exist worldwide today. Rolls-Royce Phantom III chassis number ‘3DL116’ was completed in November 1938 and bodied by Hooper & Co as a landaulette for its first owner, one J A Salz. At some point the car went to the USA, its subsequent changes of ownership in that country being recorded in advertisements from ‘Rolls-Royce Bazaar’ on file, the first of which, dated August 1952, describes it as a ‘convertible with automatic top by Hooper’. The seller was Dr S L Scher, of Park Avenue, New York City. In August 1953 the Phantom was advertised for sale again, this time by Richard L Blum, also of Park Avenue, NY. Reference was made to a ‘body conversion’ (cost $4,200) and a ‘mechanically operating top’. The first mention of coachbuilders Mazzara & Meyer occurs in the ‘Bazaar’ advertisement dated July 1964, when the car was offered for sale by Stanley L Harris, of Chicago, Illinois. Stanley Harris may well have been a dealer, for the car was re-advertised by him in March 1968, having in the meantime been owned by Dr Walter Compton, of Elkhart, Indiana. There is then a gap in the history of several years, the next item of documentation, in chronological order, being an old Commonwealth of Pennsylvania title deed (issued 1991) recording that the Phantom was first titled in that State in 1981. Restored around 15 years ago and presented in very good condition, ‘3DL116’ was entered in the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance by the current owner, who greatly enjoyed his drive on the tour. The car is finished black with matching interior/soft-top and contrasting whitewall tyres, and comes with German registration papers. La Rolls Royce Phantom III châssis "3DL116" a été fabriquée en novembre 1938 et carrossée en landaulet par Hooper & Co, pour son premier propriétaire, M. JA Salz. A un moment donné, cette voiture est partie aux Etats-Unis, les changements de propriétaires dans ce pays étant enregistrés dans les annonces parues dans "Rolls Royce Bazaar" et présentes dans le dossier. La première, datée d'août 1952, décrit l'auto comme une "décapotable avec capote automatique par Hooper". Le vendeur était le Dr SL Scher, de Park Avenue, New York. En août 1953, la Phantom apparaît de nouveau en annonce de vente, cette fois par Richard L Blum, également de Park Avenue, New York. Il est alors fait référence à une "transformation de carrosserie" (coût 4 2