1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Sedanca Coupé by Thrupp & Maberly
Chassis 3MW is a Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental bodied by Thrupp & Maberly as one of only three drophead sedanca coupés of its type, combining open front seats with an enclosed rear compartment. Commissioned to mark the marriage of American heiress Barbara Woolworth Hutton to Georgian exile Prince Alexis Mdivani, the car was specified with an extended bonnet, aviation-inspired interior with turned aluminium panels, and hydraulic adjustable dampers. It was exhibited at the 1933 Paris Motor Show before its eventful history took it through British ownership, a mid-century restoration, and eventual importation to the United States.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$368,000
- 1933 → 1933Factory deliveryBarbara Woolworth Huttonfull documentation
Car ordered to mark her engagement to Prince Mdivani; factory build records survive. Reportedly used on the honeymoon, then surrendered when the couple divorced.
- 1934 → 1934Acquisition unknownPrince Alexis Mdivanipartial documentation
Retained the car as part of the divorce settlement; killed shortly after in a high-speed crash in Spain while driving with a companion.
- 1934 →Acquisition unknownBarbara Woolworth Huttonpartial documentation
Car returned to her following the fatal accident; reportedly sent it back to the coachbuilder and manufacturer for a full refurbishment.
- → 2018Acquisition unknownAmerican owner (long-term single owner)partial documentation
Car arrived in the US via the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth II around the mid-1970s; this owner held it for roughly five decades, commissioning an engine rebuild by Rolls-Royce specialist Frank Cook.
- 2018 →Private saleCurrent consignorpartial documentation
Has maintained the car carefully since acquisition and reports that it runs and idles well.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownSeries of British ownersnone documentation
Car passed through multiple unidentified owners in Britain, during which period a restoration by FLM Panelcraft was carried out at some point between the early 1950s and late 1960s.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —RestorationRolls-Royce and Thrupp & Maberly
Comprehensive refurbishment carried out by Rolls-Royce and Thrupp & Maberly following the crash that destroyed Prince Mdivani; commissioned by Barbara Hutton after the car was returned to her.
- —RestorationFLM Panelcraft
A restoration was performed by FLM Panelcraft during the period of British ownership, scope unspecified.
Work is dated only as occurring at some point during the 1950s or 1960s; precise year not recorded in the prose.
- —Engine rebuildFrank Cook
Engine rebuilt by noted Rolls-Royce specialist and enthusiast Frank Cook during the car's long American ownership.
Described as a claimed rebuild; no date specified beyond the broad American ownership period beginning in the mid-1970s.
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