A
“Proper Motor Car”
This is another
new page, and will take essentially be under construction for a while. Most of my friends are aware that I
have begun looking at Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles with some small
amount of intent. I thought you
might like to accompany me on the learning experience.
I think I
first got bitten by the “PMC” bug when I was in England in 2002. I spent several of the days I was in
London traipsing through some of the various old car dealers that I had been
reading about in the British car magazines for years. There were three cars
that I was particularly taken with, one Rolls-Royce and two Bentleys.
As I have
related elsewhere, I have followed these cars as best I can. The Derby Bentley (left) is currently
listed with a different dealer in London.
The Rolls-Royce (center) is back in the United States, for sale in Las
Vegas. The Vintage Bentley was
sold, and I do not know where it went.
Silver
Ghost
46LM
The car above is a 1924 Derby chassis with an early 1930s Brewster Newmarket (convertible sedan) body. I recently looked at the car with some intent. I was interested enough to pay someone to check it out mechanically. Unfortunately, the car turned out to need more work than I think I can currently afford. It was rather disappointing, as it is almost exactly what I’m searching for. I’ll keep looking; I’ve got plenty of time…
Phantom
I
When I was
in England in May, 2002, I found the car pictured below at a dealer in the west
of London. It is a 1926 Phantom I
with a Windovers touring body. The
asking price was 87,000 pounds (about $130,000, at the time). I thought about this car. A lot. It has since been sold. *Sigh*
132LC
More than
a year later, I found this car again, and it’s now in Las Vegas, and again for
sale. It comes with a new and
improved price tag of $175,000.
And no, I still cannot afford it.
Drat.
S264FP
The car above
is a 1928 Phantom I Springfield Ascot tourer. I found this car at Hershey this year (2004). It is even more expensive than the car
in Las Vegas, and being a phaeton, just as impractical.
The car below
is a 1927 Springfield Brewster Newmarket.
I saw an ad for this car in August (2004), but it sold before I could
get up to Vermont to look at it.
The car turned up at the Rockville show this year. The buyer lives near Annapolis. He told me to give him my card if I was
still interested in buying the car.
I don’t fit well behind the wheel (the pedals are a tad too close), so I
will keep looking…
S322FM
25HC
This is a
1925 York roadster, which was posted on the bulletin board at the RROC meet in
Greenwich. I went to look at it
after the meet was over. It’s a
beautiful car, and it runs very nicely, but I can’t quite get my mind around
the price tag.
Bentley
4 ¼ litre
This is a
1936 Vanden Plas Allweather I found sitting in a dealer’s showroom in London in
2002. It is still there. I’ve had a friend look it over, and it
is in reasonable, but not perfect condition. Next is to have a mechanic’s inspection. I have given some thought about making
the dealer a really cheeky offer.
The worst they can do is laugh, right?
B123GP
I finally
had the car checked out by a mechanic who is a friend-of-a-friend in London.
His opinion was that the car needs brake, suspension, steering, and carburetor
work. And then there are the worn
and broken window winders and door latches, the missing interior trim pieces,
and the interior wood that needs to be refinished. Oh, and it needs new tires, too. I had been wondering why the car has sat unsold in the
dealer’s showroom for over two years.
Now I know why.
This page
will be updated periodically. I’ll
keep you posted…