1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Tourer (Thrupp & Maberly coachwork, body style E.1061/A)
- Engine
- 7.7L OHV inline-six, single twin-jet carburettor, 120 bhp
A 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II delivered to Rameshwar Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Darbhanga, one of India's most prominent princely states. Originally bodied by Hooper & Co. as an open tourer, the chassis was rebodied in 1935 by Thrupp & Maberly as a unique four-door tourer featuring Grebel headlamps and cowl-mounted searchlights. The coachwork attracted coverage in period British motoring press and was later reproduced in Lawrence Dalton's authoritative work on Rolls-Royce coachwork. After 38 years in the Darbhanga collection, the car passed through several noted collections and earned multiple RROC National awards before appearing at Pebble Beach in 2018.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$173,600
- —Auction saleSold US$357,500
- 1930-01-25 → 1967Factory deliveryRameshwar Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Darbhangafull documentation
Ordered shortly after acceding to the Darbhanga title; delivered to Calcutta via ship in January 1930 with an original Hooper open tourer body, later replaced in 1935 with a bespoke Thrupp & Maberly four-door tourer body. Held within the Darbhanga collection for nearly four decades.
- 1967 →Acquisition unknownAmerican collector or collectors, post-1967partial documentation
After the 1967 sale the car moved through several noted collections in the US; a mechanical restoration was undertaken in the 1990s by Vermont and Massachusetts specialists, after which it participated in RROC touring events across North America.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownJames Leakepartial documentation
Described as a prominent American collector; the car passed through his collection at some point after leaving the Darbhanga estate in 1967.
Competition
- 20182018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Exhibited on the 18th fairway in the Motor Cars of the Raj class, alongside other vehicles connected to Indian royal ownership.
- —Rolls-Royce Owners' Club National ConcoursRROC National ConcoursMultiple national awards
Following the 1990s mechanical restoration, the car achieved several national-level honors in Rolls-Royce Owners' Club concours events across the United States and Canada.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1935BodyworkThrupp & Maberly
Original Hooper open tourer coachwork replaced with a bespoke four-door tourer body by Thrupp & Maberly, featuring a swept cowl, skirted fenders, lowered roofline, Grebel headlamps, and cowl-mounted searchlights.
Commissioned directly by the Maharaja to modernise the car's appearance while retaining his preferred equipment.
- —MechanicalFrank Cooke's Vintage Garage; Sports Classics
Comprehensive mechanical restoration carried out by marque specialists on both sides of the Atlantic, restoring the car to a fully functional touring standard.
Work involved Frank Cooke's Vintage Garage in Vermont and Sports Classics of Massachusetts; completed during the 1990s ahead of the car's re-entry into RROC touring and concours events.
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