A Sporting Classic: The Phantom II that drove through history

Initially commissioned by influential motoring journalist and theatre proprietor Samuel J. Harris, Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental chassis 8MY is a rare blend of bespoke luxury and sporting pedigree. Harris, then managing editor of To-Day’s Cinema, was no ordinary client—so influential was his purchase that 15 percent of the car’s price was redirected into advertising with his magazine, according to the build sheet.
A known aficionado of fine automobiles, Harris specified 8MY with several custom features, including Hartford Telecontrol shock absorbers, built-in jacks, extended pedals, and unusually detailed engine-bay finishing. Not content with elegance alone, Harris entered the car in the 1933 RAC Rally, where it not only completed the grueling route but also won its class at the closing concours in Hastings.
The Phantom II passed through several notable hands, including Richard Fairfax Cartwright and Dennis James Attenborough, before crossing the Atlantic in the 1960s. Canadian and American collectors, among them Fred Dietrich and Jack A. Goffette, maintained the car until it returned to the U.K. in 1982 under J.M. Mooley, who fitted the current engine (number SU55).
In 1989, 8MY was acquired by The British Icons Collection and has since been a well-used and well-loved part of that stable. Under its long-term custodian, it has been meticulously serviced by specialists such as P&A Wood—who installed an overdrive unit—along with A. Archer and Jonathan Wood. Extensive documentation supports its mechanical upkeep.
Far from museum-bound, 8MY is among the most extensively driven Phantom II Continentals today. It completed the 5,435-mile London to Istanbul Trial in 2000, a 3,000-mile Scandinavian tour in 2002, and the Mozart Tour through Austria in 2006. Its current owner is believed to have driven the car over 35,000 miles.
Still wearing its original and elegantly preserved drophead coachwork—crafted by one of Britain’s premier coachbuilders—8MY is also featured in André Blaizé’s definitive Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental.
This exceptional motorcar’s historical significance, mechanical integrity, and proven legacy of performance make it one of the most compelling examples of the Phantom II Continental ever built.
Source: www.Southebys.com