The Crowning Glory Of The Next H&H Classics Sale At The Imperial War Museum

1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V with TV credentials

Three cars that epitomise all that is best from the world of classic cars line up for new owners at the H&H Classics Sale on October 19th.

Appropriately, the first appeared in the Netflix TV series The Crown, about Britain’s royal family.

1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V - One of only 516 Phantom Vs produced £35,000 - £45,000

One of only 516 Phantom Vs produced, this limousine has featured in the popular TV-series ‘The Crown’ and a Liam Gallagher music video.

It appears in ‘The Crown’ in scenes where the Phantom carries (the then) Prince Charles (portrayed by Josh O'Connor) and Diana, Princess of Wales (portrayed by Emma Corrin), the Rolls-Royce has also found popular culture fame in the music video for Liam Gallagher’s song ‘Once’ where Liam Gallagher poses as a chauffeur for the footballing icon Eric Cantona.

This Phanton V was supplied new to a Capt. George E. Coles Esq of Campden Farm Estates Ltd. Bodied by Mulliner Park Ward, to Design 2003, and subject to some £8,000 worth of recent improvement by marque specialists Chris Lee’s Ltd. The odometer shows the mileage as 91,187 miles.

The fifth of Rolls-Royce's stately Phantom models replaced its predecessor in 1959 and was based on the company's Silver Cloud II model. It was therefore powered by the same well-proven, all-alloy 6,230cc V8 engine and drove through General Motors' super-smooth four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission.

The front suspension was independent courtesy of wishbones and coil springs, while semi-elliptic leaf springs were employed at the rear. The steering was power-assisted, as were the very sizeable drum brakes. The notably stiff chassis and generously proportioned wheelbase of 3,683mm, were perfectly suited to the coachbuilder's art and a total of 516 Phantom Vs were clothed by the combination of H J Mulliner, Park Ward and James Young before the model was superceded in 1968.

Examples built from 1963 onwards benefited from the Cloud III's engine, which is said to have produced seven percent more power; they also incorporated that model's revised frontage, with its quad headlamp arrangement and more squat radiator grille.

1960 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster Fresh 'nut-and-bolt' concours restoration £140,000 - £180,000

If ever you have longed to own one of these lovely cars, here is one that really merits serious consideration.

An original UK-delivered RHD car it has just completed an extensive nut-and-bolt restoration. It has only covered 200 miles since restoration.

Unveiled in prototype form, at the 1954 New York Motor Show, the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL was a ground-breaking design. Far more civilised than many contemporary sports cars, its ethos foreshadowed that of the ‘personal luxury cars’ which dominated the American market the following decade. Featuring a monocoque bodyshell, wind-up windows, snug fitting soft-top and all-round independent suspension, many years before the likes of Jaguar, Austin-Healey, MG and Triumph caught up, the newcomer was powered by a 1.9 litre SOHC four-cylinder engine allied to four-speed, all synchromesh manual transmission which endowed it with a 107mph top speed.

The 190 SL’s rear suspension might have been derived from that of Mercedes-Benz’s all-conquering W196 Grand Prix cars but it was the Convertible’s styling that really grabbed buyers’ attention. Second fiddle to the 300 SL (W198) Roadster or not, the 190 SL (W121) was still bewitchingly pretty. Only in production from 1955 – 1963 during which time some 25,881 examples were made, the model’s popularity has been perpetuated by appearances in hundreds of films, advertisements, pop videos and even on the pages of Playboy magazine. A true 1950s icon, its appeal remains strong today.

The Mercedes-Benz 190SL offered here was originally delivered to the United Kingdom in March 1960. Being a rare, original right-hand drive car, it is finished in a striking Mercedes Grey with a Red leather interior and matching hood. Under the previous ownership, the roadster was meticulously maintained to a high standard, as the sheaf of invoices on file will attest. However, for the current vendor, nothing but the best will do, so after acquisition, the car was subjected to a full nut-and-bolt restoration by the Classic & Sportscar Centre of Malton, North Yorkshire. The photographic record together with the supporting invoices clearly shows the thorough ethos of the entire project. The car comes with all tools, old and current V5C and MOTs dating back to 1973.

1955 Austin-Healey 100 Modified to M-Specification - Mille Miglia registered & Donald Healey Garages conversion when new. £90,000 - £100,000

If you have long held an ambition to take part is the legendary Italian Mille Miglia, your carriage awaits you at this sale.

Complete with a UK V5C registration, this Healey is ready to be campaigned in the Mille Miglia and other historic circuit events, or simply enjoyed for the vehicle it is by its next custodian.

It boasts race history in the US and has been the subject of a full restoration upon its repatriation to the UK between 2003 and 2005.

It is still presented in its original colours of Old English White over Lobelia Blue and retains its original M-specification engine.

It was despatched directly to Donald Healey Garages in 1955 and received a full conversion to ‘M Specification’ before being shipped to its first owner.

Donald Healey's eponymous company built a prototype two-seater sports car for display at the 1952 London Motor Show. It was based on Austin A90 Atlantic mechanicals and sported a notably sleek body designed by Gerry Coker and built by Tickford. It was dubbed the 'Healey Hundred' (a moniker chosen to reflect the car's ability to reach the magic 100mph), and, subject to a suitably encouraging response, Healey planned to build production versions in-house at his factory in Warwick. As things transpired, not only did the Ice Blue prototype more than impress the public, but also so excited Austin's Managing Director, Leonard Lord, that he struck a deal to build the car in volume at Longbridge. The newcomer was renamed the Austin-Healey 100/4.

The rest, as they say, is history. As part of his tireless publicity campaign to promote the newly introduced Austin-Healey 100/4 BN1, Donald Healey entered a team of four pre-production cars for the 1953 Le Mans 24-hour race. Running with standard windscreens, interiors and even bumpers, two of this mildly tweaked quartet survived to finish 12th and 14th overall (an amazing result for such comparatively inexpensive cars in near showroom condition).

This particular Healey was manufactured in 1955 and despatched directly to Donald Healey Garages in Warwickshire, where it is believed, upon delivery, the car was subject to full M-Specification conversion. Subsequently, the car was purchased that same year by a prominent member of St. Louis, Missouri society and senior officer in the Sports Car Club of America, Lester Seasongood. Seasongood was an insurance broker, as well as national secretary of the SCCA, area steward and active competitor; a leading light in motorsport in the period.

Two years later, in 1957, the car was sold to fellow competitor and editor of Missouri’s St. Louis Post, Jim Lawrence, who campaigned the car for a couple of seasons until it was once more sold to a Phil Larson in 1968.