Rolls-Royce Phantom II
1929-1935 · Rolls-Royce Phantom II — Luxury Saloon, Inline-6, designed by Henry Royce.
The Story
The 1929 Phantom II refined the formula with an all-new low-slung chassis and a developed 7.7-litre crossflow straight-six – and it holds a special place as Sir Henry Royce’s last great chassis design before his death in 1933. The short-wheelbase ‘Continental’ version, stiffer-sprung and quicker, created the template for the sporting, owner-driven Rolls-Royce.
The Phantom II became the favourite of the Indian maharajas, who commissioned some of the most spectacular motor cars ever built. The most celebrated is the one-off saffron ‘Star of India,’ built for the Maharaja of Rajkot with polished-aluminium fenders to reflect the heat and the Rajkot crest etched into its glass.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Luxury Saloon class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Henry Royce
Co-founder of Rolls-Royce (1904, with the Hon. Charles Rolls) and its engineering soul. He designed the Silver Ghost and the great Phantom chassis; his final design was the Phantom III V12, completed after his 1933 death. His engineering ethos also shaped the RR aero engines.
Studio Motors POV
The Phantom II Continental is the original gentleman’s express – the most usable and desirable pre-war Phantom, and the maharajas’ commissions are blue-chip rolling art.
The Engine
Rolls-Royce Phantom OHV Straight-Six (7.7L)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Phantom II
Worth Knowing About the Phantom II
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It was Sir Henry Royce's last chassis design – he died in 1933, partway through its production run. 2) The short-chassis 'Continental' was the sporting Rolls of its day, a genuine gentleman's express. 3) The Indian maharajas adored it; the one-off 'Star of India,' built for the Maharaja of Rajkot in saffron, is among the most famous Rolls-Royces ever made.
5 Fast Facts
- 1) 7.7L OHV crossflow straight-six, ~120 bhp. 2) 1,681 built (1,400 standard + 281 Continental), 1929-1935. 3) 'Continental' = short-wheelbase sporting variant. 4) Henry Royce's final chassis. 5) ~90 mph (Continental faster).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
The Maharaja of Rajkot commissioned the one-off ‘Star of India’ (1934). Indian royalty broadly favoured the Phantom II – the ‘Marque of the Maharajas.’
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The Continental is the one to want. Documented royal or celebrity provenance and a great coachbuilder’s body multiply value enormously. Mechanically robust, but coachwork restoration is specialist – expert-only.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Rolls-Royce Phantom II
- Class
- Luxury Saloon
- Production years
- 1929-1935
- Units built
- 1,681 (1,400 standard + 281 Continental)
- Variants
- Continental (sporting short-chassis)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- Rolls-Royce Phantom OHV Straight-Six (7.7L)
- Displacement
- 7.7L (7,668 cc)
- Power
- 120 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 90 mph
- Power-to-weight
- hp/tonne · lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- Rear-wheel drive · Petrol
- Curb weight
- lb
Questions
Phantom II FAQ
What engine does the Rolls-Royce Phantom II have?
The Phantom II uses a 7.7-litre overhead-valve crossflow straight-six producing approximately 120 bhp, an evolution of the Phantom I unit with an improved cylinder head for better breathing.
What is the Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental?
The Continental is a short-wheelbase, sports-tuned Phantom II aimed at the owner-driver. Stiffer-sprung and lighter than the standard chassis, it was the sporting Rolls of its era. Only 281 were built.
How many Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs were built?
Rolls-Royce built 1,681 Phantom IIs between 1929 and 1935: 1,400 on the standard long-wheelbase chassis and 281 on the sporting short-wheelbase Continental chassis.
How much is a Rolls-Royce Phantom II worth today?
Standard Phantom IIs typically sell in a broad range around $75,000 to $250,000 at auction, depending on body, condition, and provenance. Continental and maharaja-commissioned coachwork examples have achieved significantly higher prices at Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s.
What is the Phantom II’s significance to Henry Royce?
The Phantom II was the last 40/50 hp model and the last major Rolls-Royce introduced before Sir Henry Royce’s death in 1933, though the later Phantom III is widely cited as the last car Royce personally worked on. Royce co-founded the company in 1906.
The Rolls-Royce Lineup
Explore every Rolls-Royce
Phantom I ’25Phantom II ’29
Silver Wraith ’46Silver Dawn ’49
Phantom IV ’50Silver Cloud I ’55Phantom V ’59Silver Cloud II ’59
Silver Cloud III ’62Silver Shadow I ’65Phantom VI ’68
Corniche (1971) ’71Camargue ’75Silver Shadow II ’77
Silver Spirit / Silver Spur ’80
Corniche (2000) ’00Phantom VII ’03Ghost (1st Gen) ’09
Wraith ’13Dawn ’15Phantom VIII ’17Sweptail ’17Cullinan ’18
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