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Books Models Highlights Cars
of 1998 More information can be found here:
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Car
of the Month - July 2004 |
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 "Spanish Ambassador at the Court of St. James" was a term rooting in century-old traditions; thus was listed the position of the Spanish Ambassador in the UK. At the end of the 30ies the ambassador was the Earl of Mayalde. His Excellency did employ a Rolls-Royce Phantom III, #3CP140 - a particularly interesting car because the chassis originally had been exported to Germany where it received coachwork by Erdmann & Rossi, Berlin (as per their 'Kommissions-Buch' the finished car was delivered 31st March 1938). After the end of his service with the Corps Diplomatique the Earl became Mayor of Madrid and his car was relocated to the Spanish capital.
Collectors and admirers worldwide place the Rolls-Royce Phantom III in the pantheon of great cars. The new model made its debut during a period when Rolls-Royce had reached a pinnacle in building multi-cylinder aircraft-engines. There can be little doubt, of course, that much of this knowledge was transferred into the design of the V-12-cylinder motor car engine. That engine provided tremendous torque and power. The chassis was a real gem, too. A very solid frame was strengthened by a sturdy crossmember and sported refinements like built-in hydraulic jacks front and rear; operated independently or together. State of the art independent front suspension (to a General Motors license) enhanced roadholding and ensured ease of handling. |
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(Photos Courtesy of Antonio Castillo del Olivares, Spain) |
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For
many years the car gave sterling service and the Earl didn't like the idea
to part with this “Zero-Defect-Motor-Car”. Hence at some time during the
60ies he decided the old Erdmann & Rossi coachwork with its rather old
fashioned design should be substituted by one that reflected more modern
lines. He did entrust the task to Pedro Serra, a coachbuilder from
Barcelona (Spain). Serra built a new body that at a quick glance could be
mistaken for a 