The Rolls-Royce Phantom II was the third and last of Rolls-Royce's 40/50 hp models, replacing the New Phantom in 1929. It used an improved version of the New Phantom engine in an all-new chassis. A "Continental" version, with a short wheelbase and stiffer springs, was offered.
| Rolls-Royce Phantom II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Rolls-Royce Ltd |
| Production | 1929–1935 1,681 produced 1,400 "regular" cars 281 Continentals 9 experimental cars |
| Assembly | United Kingdom: Derby, England |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Luxury car |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 7668 cc I6 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 144 in (3658 mm) 150 in (3810 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Phantom I |
| Successor | Phantom III |
Description
editDrivetrain
editThe Phantom II used a refinement of the New Phantom's 7.7 L (7,668 cc or 467.9 cu in) pushrod-OHV straight-6 engine[1] with a new crossflow cylinder head.[2] Unlike on previous 40/50 hp models, the engine was bolted directly to the 4-speed manual transmission.[1][3] Synchromesh was added on gears 3 and 4 in 1932 and on gear 2 in 1935.[4] Power was transmitted to the rear wheels using an open driveshaft, a hypoid bevel final drive, and Hotchkiss drive, replacing the torque tube from a remotely mounted gearbox used on earlier 40/50 hp models.[1][2][3]
Chassis
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The chassis of the Phantom II was completely new. The front axle was mounted on semi-elliptical leaf springs as on earlier 40/50 hp models, but the rear axle was now also mounted on semi-elliptical springs instead of cantilever springs. This, along with the drivetrain changes, allowed the frame to be lower than before, improving the handling.[1][3] The 4-wheel servo-assisted brakes from the Phantom I were continued, and the Bijur centralized lubrication system from the Springfield-built Phantom I was included on all Phantom II chassis.[1]
The standard wheelbase of the Phantom II was 150 inches (3,800 mm). A 144 inches (3,700 mm) short-wheelbase chassis was also available.[1]
A total of 1,681 Phantom II chassis of all types were built.[5]
"Continental" model
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Henry Royce had body designer Ivan Evernden design him a one-off short-wheelbase Phantom II.[1][6] Designated 26EX,[1] the car had a tuned engine,[6] five-leaf springs that were stiffer than standard[1] and a Barker four-seat lightweight close-coupled saloon body painted with an artificial pearl lacquer made from ground herring scales.[1][6] The sales department initially showed no interest in 26EX but, when Evernden returned to the office from the 1930 Biarritz Grand Concours d'Elegance, where 26EX had won the Grand Prix d'Honneur, he found that the sales department had already announced the new "Phantom II Continental Saloon", prepared a brochure for it, and costed it.[1]
According to Evernden, neither he, Royce, nor the Rolls-Royce sales department had written specifications for the "Continental" model, although he and Royce had a clear specification in mind. Based on Evernden's writings and examination of company records, historian Ray Gentile determined that the common specifications of the Continental chassis were the short wheelbase and stiffer, five-leaf springs. By this definition,[1] two hundred and eighty-one Continental Phantom II's were produced,[1][5] including 125 left-hand drive versions.[5]
Regarded as the two most important P-II Continentals are 20MS and 2SK, the only two P-II Continental Roadsters ever built. 20MS has been in a private Mid-Atlantic collection since 1989, 2SK, the Thrupp and Maberly Roadster once owned by Tyrone Power, was in the Fred Buess collection since 1958 but was sold at auction in 2010. Most Continentals were sports saloons, but various body styles were produced on the Continental chassis, including formal sedanca de villes, sporting open roadsters, and closed coupes meant for long-distance touring. Most were bodied by British coachbuilders, such as Barker, Hooper, H.J. Mulliner and Windovers, but various other coachbuilders in Europe, Australia and the United States built bodies for the Continentals, including Kellner of Paris, Martin & King of Sydney, and Brewster of New York City.
US-market versions
editAll Phantom II rolling chassis were built at Rolls-Royce's factory in Derby. The factory in Springfield, Massachusetts was closed upon ending production of the US-market Phantom I/New Phantom in 1931. Two US-market series, AJS and AMS, were built at Derby.[1]
It competed with the recently introduced Lincoln Model K, Chrysler Imperial, Mercedes-Benz 770, Duesenberg Model J, Packard Eight, and the Cadillac Series 355. The left-hand-drive configuration was unsurprisingly most popular in the United States and Canada, but customers in Monaco, Denmark, Switzerland and Poland also purchased left-hand-drive chassis, which were not regularly available outside the USA.
Bodywork
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In popular culture
editThe Phantom II was featured in the films The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.[7] When its specifications are quoted during the scene in the Kingdom of Hatay, the Sultan states that the Rolls-Royce Phantom II has a "4.3 litre, 30 horsepower, six cylinder engine, with Stromberg downdraft carburetor; can go from zero to 100 kilometers an hour in 12.5 seconds (and I even like the color)." However, the car used in the film was actually a Rolls-Royce Barker Saloon, with 20/25 hp.[8] It is also the star of the 1964 film The Yellow Rolls-Royce where its engine specifications are given as the engine having a bore of 4.5" and stroke of 5.5", which would equate to 525 cubic inches.
Pocher Model Kits
editPocher models are recognised as some of the most complex and detailed automobile kits ever made, and they released 2 1/8th scale museum level model kits of the Phantom II:
- Pocher Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca Coupe 1932 1:8 K72 Tyco Kit K 72
- Pocher Rolls-Royce Torpedo Phantom II Convertible with 2,905 parts
Production
edit- Phantom II: 1400
- Phantom II Continental: 281
- Phantom II Experimental: 9
Total production: 1,681 total cars
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Brooks, Philip C. (2009). Carpenter, Rhonda (ed.). "Sir Henry's Final Masterpiece Or How Glenn Ford Pushed a Button and Won the War". The International Club for Rolls-Royce & Bentley Owners Desk Diary 2009. Tampa, FL USA: Faircount: 34–41. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ^ a b "Phantom II". Rolls-Royce Owners' Club. Mechanicsburg PA USA. 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
The separate gearbox torque-tube drive and cantilever rear springing gave way to the PII's integral engine-gearbox unit, Hotchkiss drive, hypoid-bevel rear axle and semi-elliptic rear springs.
- ^ a b c Posthumus, Cyril (1977) [1977]. The Story of Veteran & Vintage Cars. John Wood, illustrator. Feltham, Middlesex, UK: Hamlyn. p. 115. ISBN 0600391558.
This new unit gave notably better performance, delivering the customary Derby 'sufficiency' of silent horsepower via a new unit 4-speed gearbox and a hypoid bevel final drive.
- ^ 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II (P2)
- ^ a b c Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club B205/58
- ^ a b c Wood, Jonathan (2003) [1987]. The Rolls-Royce. Shire Album Series. Vol. 198 (2nd ed.). Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, UK: Shire Publications. p. 12. ISBN 9780747805779. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ Internet Movie Database
- ^ [1] 1935 Rolls-Royce 20/25 h.p. Barker Saloon as Rolls-Royce Phantom II [GPG4]
Sources
edit- Holmes, Mark (2007). Ultimate Convertibles: Roofless Beauty. London: Kandour. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-1-905741-62-5.
External links
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