Times change and so do trends. Today, everyone's clamoring for far more environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient cars that even Rolls-Royce is tinkering with electric propulsion. The program is becoming carried out on the 102EX electric Phantom prototype. But go back almost a century and speed was the cause célèbre du jour. And then just as now, Rolls-Royce was keen to prove its mettle. This was the car with which it did so.
1926 Rolls-Royce Prototype Phantom 10EX
As Rolls-Royce presented the first-generation Phantom to the world, it was eager to show what it could do, so the company's managing director Claude Johnson had the crew at Crewe put this prototype together. Named in his honor, the "CJ Sports Car" featured a much more aerodynamic "torpedo" coachwork by Barker. Though several experimental Phantoms followed (straight by means of to the aforementioned 102EX), this was the only one that the business held on to soon after it was done testing, and was even rumored to have been loaned out to Laurence of Arabia at one time.1926 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM 10EX PROTOTYPE UP FOR AUCTION
10EX is expected to fetch around £400,000-£800,000 ($650k-$1.3m) when it goes up for auction on June 23 at RM's inaugural Salon Privé auction at West London's picturesque Syon Park estate. Joining it on the docket will be several other Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Aston Martin classics (among other people) representing the finest of historic British motoring. Follow the jump for the full press release
