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Car of the Month Selection

Car of the Month - July 2011
Rolls-Royce Phantom III, 1936, #3AZ22,
Limousine by Hooper

Quite a few Rolls-Royce Phantom III exist which are powered by a B80-engine. The B80-engine is an 8-cylinder in-in-engine that had been produced by Rolls-Royce – in considerable numbers – after WWII for industrial purposes and to be used e.g. for commercial trucks. Originally not a single Rolls-Royce Phantom III had ever been delivered with another than the V12-engine. It is a fact though that the work on demanding service and rather complicated repair of the advanced V12-engine were neither easy nor inexpensive.

Hence from time to time the decision was taken to substitute the engine by a simpler one that could be maintained on fairly low budget. Purists might complain the originality of the car was lost for ever. It can hardly be denied though that certain Rolls-Royce Phantom III thus were given a “second life” and still enjoy to be used in traffic instead of having fallen victim to breaker’s yard activities. The Rolls-Royce Phantom III, #3AZ22, had been Rolls-Royce trials car until 1938; hence it might be taken for granted this one had been maintained most properly. However during its later life there did occur reason to substitute the engine by one from another Phantom III. Engine no. Z28D was transplanted from #3CM31 (that one had been re-bodied as a hearse and made do with a B60-engine). After some time had passed it was considered to stop to propel this car by a V12-engine. A B80 8-cylinder in-line-engine was chosen to work under the bonnet.