Rolls-Royce Phantom II photos

Introduced in 1929, the Rolls-Royce Phantom II was the final bespoke flagship designed under the personal oversight of Sir Henry Royce. It departed significantly from its predecessor by introducing an entirely new low-slung chassis, allowing custom coachbuilders to construct sleeker and more modern bodies. The 7.7-litre overhead-valve inline-six engine received an all-new crossflow cylinder head and was now bolted directly to the four-speed manual transmission as a single rigid unit, eliminating the separate sub-assembly of earlier models. Suspension was redesigned with semi-elliptic leaf springs on both axles, dramatically improving handling characteristics and ride stability. Rolls-Royce also offered the famed Continental variant, built on a shorter wheelbase with stiffer springs and higher rear axle ratios for sporty touring. Synchromesh was introduced on higher gears during mid-production updates. The Phantom II was delivered worldwide to prominent aristocrats and captains of industry, proving to be an enduring high-water mark of pre-war British automotive engineering.