Lot details Registration No: YO 8478 Chassis No: 74 SC Mot Expiry: Aug 2013
"Taken in the aggregate I can now read the well-known Claude Johnson slogan of `The Best Car in the World' without any dissentient thought; while that Douglas Fitzpatrick should have taken upon himself to improve a Rolls Royce - and succeeded - is an achievement of which he may well be proud. In his `Phantom I' he certainly possesses one of the outstanding and individual motor cars of the present day" (Cecil Clutton - Motor Sport, November 1942).
A famous car, chassis 74 SC has not only graced the pages of The Autocar (June 30th 1939, January 23rd 1942) and Motor Sport (July 1939, November 1942) magazines but also been featured in The Rolls-Royce Motor Car by Anthony Bird / Ian Hallows, The Rolls-Royce 40/50hp - Ghosts, Phantoms and Spectres by W.J. Oldham and The Rolls-Royce Phantom I by George A. Oliver. Beginning life as a Hooper-bodied Tourer, the five-seater was supplied new via George Heath Ltd of Birmingham to Victor Johnson Esq. on 15th June 1926. Retained by the latter's widow who commissioned Sanderson & Holmes of Derby to reconfigure it as a closed car, the Rolls became surplus to requirements when her second husband - RAF Flight Lieutenant Day - accepted a posting to Egypt. Sold to family friend Douglas Fitzpatrick Esq over a `gin and it', the Phantom I was found to be somewhat careworn having spent six years being "used as a family hack and just filled with oil and petrol and not always the former".
A prominent member of the Veteran Car Club and Vintage Sports Car Club whose stable later included a fearsome 1907 Metallurgique powered by a 21-litre Maybach engine, Fitzpatrick lost little time in returning chassis 74 SC to the Derby Works for a mechanical overhaul. Rebodied as a two-door close-coupled drophead coupe by Coopers of Putney in 1933, the Phantom I also had its top speed raised via a skimmed cylinder head and revised ignition timing. Keen to improve the car's performance yet further, Fitzpatrick approached Centric Superchargers during 1938. Fitted with a replica of the blower installed aboard Major Goldie Gardener's record breaking MG - a large 9-litre unit that could supply 9lb per sq in boost - not to mention a higher 3.2:1 crown wheel and pinion and close-ratio gearbox, the Rolls-Royce was capable of humbling far more modern machinery.
Initial teething troubles were overcome thanks to the assistance of `Bentley' McKenzie who altered the carburetion (from twin Solex to twin SU), raised the compression ratio still higher, revised the inlet manifold and supplied special light alloy pistons / heat resisting valves. Thus equipped the Phantom I tackled numerous competitive events including the Firle Hillclimb and the VSCC's Welsh Trial. A frequent visitor to the Continent, chassis 74 SC proved a faithful and reliable companion until the late 1950s when it caught fire en route to Fitzpatrick's Sheringham Hall home. Although, its Cooper coachwork was destroyed, the Rolls-Royce's chassis and running gear survived intact. Distracted by other projects, Fitzpatrick kept the forlorn Phantom I garaged until selling it to the vendor in 1974.
H&H are indebted to the vendor for the following description: "With only three owners from new and never before offered on the open market, chassis 74 SC offers a rare opportunity to purchase a fast, usable and reliable Vintage Rolls-Royce that has a well documented history and which is rightfully described as famous. Bought by the current owner in 1974, it took six years to rejuvenate, much of the work being done by Colin Crabbe's restoration team at Peterborogh. The open tourer body is a stylish yet sporting design which compliments the car's performance. The hood and side screens are elegant when erected (not always the case on tourer bodies). The Centric supercharger accompanies the car but is not compatible with the even higher compression pistons and larger twin SU carburettors that the vendor sourced during the 1990s. There are various published pictures of the blower installation and the two drive pulleys can still be seen at the front of the crank shaft. Tested on Peter Baldwin's rolling road in its current specification, the engine developed some 205bhp @ 2,400rpm at the back wheels! On the road the straight-six is free-revving and the close-ratio gearbox transforms the normal Phantom I driving experience with first, second and third gears all being raised towards top. A Bentley Speed Six owner when given a drive thought chassis 74 SC was faster. This Rolls-Royce has been extensively toured on the Continent including two fast motorway runs to Monaco cruising at 85 mph without fault. In the last two years the vendor has treated the car to a recored radiator and new stainless exhaust manifold. The body was painted in the late 1970s and the trim dates from the same period, while the wings were repainted some ten years ago. This is no `tarted-up' car, what you see is what you get, and it should continue to last for years to come. There is a trunk to the rear (containing two suitcases complete with old White Star and Cunard labels) plus a plug at the back so that a tail board with extra stop and indicator lights can be carried for increased visibility and safety when driving after dark. Chassis 74 SC is well documented in period magazines and marque publications, several of which are included with the sale. Taxed and tested, this unique Rolls-Royce will be driven to the auction".
See it in action at http://youtu.be/5PsE4GBVcmM
PLEASE NOTE: This vehicle was transported to the auction venue and not driven as stated in the catalogue description.
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