Baronet's Beauty

The Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental inspired England’s finest coachbuilders, says Mick Walsh, who’s utterly enchanted by the fabulous coupé that Freestone and Webb built for Sir John Leigh

- Mick Walsh

Every automotive enthusiast has had one of those moments when you suddenly see a car that totally captivates you. Be it in a city or on the open road, you find yourself chasing it just to get a better look or, if lucky, even chat to the owner.

The seductive razor-edge form of the unique Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental ‘42PY’ had that effect on two motorists who were so smitten by its style that they chased and flagged down the driver in an attempt to purchase the car.

The first occasion came in 1952. Anthony Gibbs, author of A Passion for Cars, was having a tough day. Due to a lengthy printer’s strike, his firm had gone bankrupt and, as he motored home across London, his mind was elsewhere trying to resolve his business problems.

In an instant, Gibbs was distracted by the car ahead. Registered AXA 60, this sleek coupé featured sporty details including separate helmet-style wings with no running boards, and a low roofline. Mesmerised by the coach built vision, Gibbs gave chase. “I realised that, without seeing it, I had been travelling behind the most beautiful car I had ever seen,” he later recalled. “It was a big black Rolls, shaped very much as my old Delage, but more beautiful still, because, instead of being a drophead, it had a marvellously square-cut top like a brougham.”

After following the Royce for a few miles, Gibbs eventually attracted the attention of the driver and finally, at a crossroads, after jumping out of his car, he managed to convince the alarmed stranger to pull over. Such was Gibbs’ seduction by the Phantom II that he struck a deal on the spot to buy the remarkable conveyance.