1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V

There were not many adjustments going from the Phantom IV to the Phantom V. The vehicle was powered by the same V8 with twin SU carburetors and General Motors automatic Hydramatic transmission from the Silver Cloud II of the time. Massive drum brakes and power assisted steering were also standard equipment. In 1962, Rolls Royce merged H. J. Mulliner & Co. with Park Ward to form Mulliner Park Ward. Out of the 832 Phantom Vs built, Park Ward coach built 607 bodies, H.J. Mulliner coach built 8, and the remaining 217 were done by James Young. The Phantom V we have here today is a James Young example.

This Phantom V is finished in an eggshell white, and while it looks great, it is far from perfect. There are cracks in the paint in the following areas: beneath both headlights, on the driver’s front quarter panel, all along both doors on the driver’s side, on the driver’s rear quarter panel, all over the rear bumper, around the windows on the passenger side, along the chrome trim on both sides of the car, and at the bottom of both doors on the passenger side. There are bubbles under the paint on both rear doors. Where the paint is not cracking, it looks smoothly applied. All four hubcaps are clean, and the tires appear to have a fair to decent amount of tread left.

The inside is done in natural leather and looks fairly weathered. The bench seat up front is heavily creased and many of those creases have become legitimate cracks in the leather. The wooden dashboard is in decent shape, but moving out to the edges of the car, the wooden inlays on each door panel has deteriorated heavily. The armrests on both door panels have aged as well, and the leather on each in general looks dirty. The carpets up front have their fair share of flaws as well, and the carpet inserts are perhaps the cleanest part of the interior. However, we are happy to report that the backseat is in better shape than the front. The door panels are far cleaner in the rear, and while the wooden inlays on each of the rear doors are indeed in better condition than their counterparts up front, that is still not saying much. The seal appears to have failed and cracks in the wood have appeared as a result. The carpet would benefit greatly from a deep cleaning, but there are no apparent holes or tears. The same goes for the rear bench as well. Specifically, there is a hefty stain in the middle of the bench, but again there are no major holes or tears to be seen. The headliner shows most of its deterioration behind the rear bench, but the majority of the fabric overhead appears to be tight and free of damage.

We are happy to report that the underside of this Phantom V is not harboring any major damage. It is not the cleanest, and several parts appear to be showing signs of surface corrosion, but nothing is aggressively decaying. The engine bay is much cleaner than the underside, nothing appears to be out of place or missing.

This James Young Phantom V was completed in October of 1960. It was built to US Specifications and came equipped with the following: Dunlop tubeless white wall tires, UD. 5013 headlights, a “Made in England” nameplate, a miles per hour speedometer, an “export type rear number plate,” and Windtone horns. The car was delivered to New York, New York in early 1961 to a local Rolls-Royce dealer. It underwent a few owners before the trail ultimately goes cold in 1964, but the car was still in New York at that time. From what we can gather the seller likely took ownership of the car around September of 2012.

Thanks to a “superstar-studded” cast of owners, the Phantom V quickly cemented its legacy as one of the great luxury cars of all time in the 1960s. Unfortunately, this Phantom has fallen on hard times and will require recommissioning. This example is a great candidate for some serious restoration efforts or a potential restomod build. Regardless, coach building work by James Young makes this car only 1 of 217, and certainly less have survived to the present day.

The Market by Bonhams is pleased to offer this Rolls-Royce Phantom V for online auction with no reserve and an estimate between $30,000 and $50,000.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS

It should be noted that this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.