This is a 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III that was custom modified into a pickup truck over 30 months in the early 2000s, and it’s powered by a Rolls-Royce 7.3 liter V12 mated to a 4-speed manual transmission.
It’s clear that the team that modified this vehicle took great care to keep it looking period correct, the original rear fenders were integrated into the cargo box which also has a drop down tailgate and a wood-lined bed.
Fast Facts: A Rolls-Royce Phantom III Pickup Truck
- This custom 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III pickup truck was created over 30 months in the early 2000s by Classic Coach and Motor Body with The Vintage Garage in Vermont. It retains the original 7.3 liter V12 and 4-speed manual gearbox, and it has a hand-crafted cargo bed with a drop-down tailgate designed to appear factory-correct.
- The Phantom III marked a major technical shift for Rolls-Royce, debuting in 1936 as the first V12-powered model from the company. Its aluminum-alloy engine had dual ignition systems, hydraulic tappets, and overhead valves, producing 165 bhp and up to 300 lb ft of torque – though no official power figures were ever released.
- Engineering innovations included independent front suspension, a synchromesh 4-speed gearbox (with overdrive from 1938), and servo-assisted mechanical brakes. Each Phantom III left the Derby works as a bare chassis, to be bodied by coachbuilders like H.J. Mulliner, Hooper, and Park Ward. Just 727 chassis were built before WWII ended production.
- The Phantom III achieved major cinematic fame in the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964), where a V12 Phantom III was used to smuggle gold and driven by the character Oddjob. The unique Rolls-Royce pickup shown here blends that legacy with impressive custom craftsmanship, and a design that respects its Hooper-bodied origins.
History Speedrun: The Rolls-Royce Phantom III
The Rolls-Royce Phantom III was produced from 1936 to 1939, this model marked a major technological turning point for the marque as it was the first Rolls-Royce to be powered by a V12 engine. It was also the last model developed before WWII, and the final model that had development input from Henry Royce before his death at age 70 in 1933.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom III was produced from 1936 to 1939, this model marked a major technological turning point for the marque as it was the first Rolls-Royce to be powered by a V12 engine. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
The Phantom III would later become something of a legend in cinema pop culture thanks to a key role in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, where the film’s namesake, Auric Goldfinger (played by Gert Fröbe), whose Phantom III was chauffeured by Oddjob.
The car’s bodywork was made of 18 carat gold (under the paint), and it was used as an ingenious way of smuggling a large quantity of gold without being detected. The 7.3 liter V12-powered Phantom III was ideal for the task as it had the power to move the considerable mass of the vehicle.
Development of the Phantom III began in the early 1930s as a response to growing competition from increasingly advanced European and American luxury cars. Rolls-Royce needed a modern successor to the aging Phantom II, which still used a pushrod straight-six.
Chief engineer Ernest Hives and his team developed a brand-new aluminum-alloy 7.3 liter V12 with overhead valves, twin ignition systems, and hydraulic tappets – unheard of in British production cars at the time.
The twin ignition system included dual distributors, coils, and set of plugs, offering full redundancy and improved running thanks to the two plugs per cylinder. This Rolls-Royce V12 delivered an estimated 165 bhp and 270 to 300 lb ft of torque – Rolls-Royce never officially quoted figures, as it was seen as uncouth.
The Phantom III chassis had an independent front suspension – another first for the brand – and a more standard semi-elliptic rear setup with a live axle. The four-speed manual transmission came with synchromesh on the top three gears, and from 1938, an overdrive was added as standard.
The Phantom III would later become something of a legend in cinema pop culture thanks to a key role in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, where the film’s namesake, Auric Goldfinger (played by Gert Fröbe), whose Phantom III was chauffeured by Oddjob. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
Braking was servo-assisted via a mechanical system licensed from Hispano-Suiza. Top speed was approximately 90 mph depending on bodywork, which was significant for such a large car and the total weight could vary quite broadly.
As with earlier Rolls-Royces (and most other luxury car marques of the time), the Phantom III was sold as a rolling powered chassis. Customers selected their own preferred coachbuilders to build them a body and complete the car. The most prolific was H.J. Mulliner, but others like Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, and Hooper also built many examples. Bodies ranged from formal limousines to flamboyant drophead coupés. No two were ever exactly alike.
In total, 727 Phantom III chassis were built between 1936 and 1939 at the company’s Derby works. That said, some chassis weren’t bodied until well into the 1940s, with the last known chassis receiving a body in 1947.
The start of World War II halted production in 1939 and the Phantom III would be the last Rolls-Royce built there. It was also the final pre-war Rolls-Royce and the only one with a V12 until the Phantom VII debuted in 2003.
The 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Pickup Truck
The vehicle you see here is a 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III that was originally bodied by Hooper & Co. of Westminster, London. In the early 2000s it was modified and given a pickup truck rear end by Classic Coach and Motor Body and The Vintage Garage in Vermont.
This process took 30 months, and it kept much of the original Hooper front end in place. The rear now has a traditional pickup truck rear end with a drop down tailgate, and the design was carefully executed to keep the rear fenders in place and to match the design of the Hooper bodywork so it looks period correct.
The vehicle you see here is a 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III that was originally bodied by Hooper & Co. of Westminster, London. In the early 2000s it was modified and given a pickup truck rear end by Classic Coach and Motor Body and The Vintage Garage in Vermont.
The original Rolls-Royce 7.3 liter V12 remains under the hood, and due to the fact that it was built after 1938 it should have the overdrive version of the 4-speed gearbox, though the listing doesn’t mention this. It rides on blue-painted wire wheels with polished Rolls-Royce-branded knock-off hubs, which are shod with 7.00-18 Lester bias-ply tires.
This unusual V12 pickup truck is now being offered for sale out of Bertram, Texas. It comes with tools and a Texas title in the seller’s name, you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or place a bid.
This is a scene from the James Bond film Goldfinger, showing the body panels that were made out of 18 carat gold in the film. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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