MOTORING
Mr Jones and the Phantom II circa 1960s
Jack with a former Mayor and Mayoress of Rotherham
with the exquisite Phantom II subsequently appearing in their next film, Morrocco.
Yet the model in particular, chassis number 90GY was sold to a Mr Swinchatt of Edgebaston, Birmingham for £3,054, a lavish purchase at a time of great economic slump.
With the chassis built in Derby, royal coach builders Hoopers were commissioned to create the relatively rare Sedanca-de-Ville body, forming a black and ivory
car even had the 40/50hp 7.7l (7,668cc) engine missing. A real sorry state of affairs, things took another turn for the worse in the early 80s when the car suddenly vanished into thin air with not even an exhaust trail left behind. In 1985, the car, with distinct registration plate DOM III, turned up in Shardlow, Derbyshire under the ownership of Mr Nudd who kept the car for a few months. Late in the year, he sold it onto Mr Pownall of Nottingham.
such a story about this mystery Phantom. Yet it is here that its story
treads over our borders with its sixth and current owner, Jack Anderson. Pownall put the car up for sale in 1995 but the Phantom II wasn’t to be rehomed. After trying again three years later, the car caught the eye of Jack who was looking for something to commemorate his recent retirement.
This May marks 19 years since Jack bought the car and brought the mystery Phantom back to his Swinton home.
Born to a Wombwell miner, Jack, now 85, started work as an apprentice joiner at 14 before going on to launch his own successful building company.
Jack with his car
With a love of cars, having owned a Porsche and the same model Bentley as the Queen with a telephone in the back, Jack decided to treat himself in his pension years. “It felt a little selfish to buy something like a Phantom. I’d had a Rolls-Royce for over 30 years but I’d always wanted a classic car. Everyone has enjoyed it over
limousine-style town car with separation panel between driver and passenger plus a detachable roof panel for the driver upfront. I imagine Mr Swinchatt wore a fedora and a double breasted coat to drive his newest purchase, perhaps a lady friend in the back with her fur stole, suede gloves and makeup galore.
After seven years of enjoyment, Swinchatt sold the car to Mr Whitfield of the same town who held it in his possession until 1956, when he sold it to Mr Jones of Moseley, Birmingham.
It is here that the story of this prolific motor takes a turn towards its namesake Phantom. After many years with Jones, the once elaborate vehicle saw its fate turn ghostly, ending up a shadow of its former glory in his garden in Moseley; covered with a sheet, the almighty
Moseley garden owner.” Although it does make an appearance on the streets of South Yorkshire from time to time, the upkeep of the car means its pride of place is usually in the warm garage, the might wheels overpowering everything else.
“I have to change the oil every time I take it for a run but there’s not much to really service. It only has the one grease pipe.”
With the similar models appearing on the glittering screen, the Phantom II has made its mark on the world through films such the James Bond franchise, often used by villains like Kamal Khan in 1983s Octopussy. Its successor, the Phantom III is most famously used by Goldfinger, its yellow and black coach work by Barker rather than Hooper. From a car chase by Nicholas Cage in the Sorcerer’s Apprentice to an exchange for the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, these distinguishable vehicles make up a small piece of British history.
Vehicle Rally a couple of years ago and this lady came up to me and said this had been her father’s car. She was Mrs Jones, her father the
Presuming the current state of the vehicle, it suggests the task set out in front of Nudd was one he wasn’t willing to undertake. A labour of love, it is believed that Pownall had the resources to fully restore the car back to its shining state. You may have been reading wondering why we are telling you
the years, especially my three grandchildren,” he says. Since owning the car, Jack has attended and won many vintage vehicle rallies including Best in Show at Chatsworth. It was at the annual Rotherham Show last year that we came across the magnificent car. “I went to the Wortley Vintage
“People always ask me what it’s worth and I don’t like to answer. To me, it’s priceless.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
