Bonhams auctioned Barbara Hutton’s 1933 Rolls‑Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupé on 19 September 2026 at Goodwood, England, fetching £166,750 inclusive of the buyer’s premium. The car, once a wedding gift for Georgian exile Prince Alexis Mdivani, survived a fatal crash in Spain, a transatlantic voyage aboard the QE2, and decades of careful ownership before returning to auction.
Built by Rolls‑Royce with bespoke coachwork from Thrupp & Maberly, the chassis‑number 3MW model was one of only three Continental dropheads. Its designer added a four‑inch longer bonnet, 13.5‑degree louvres, and a 28‑gallon fuel tank at the prince’s request, while aviation‑inspired instruments such as an altimeter and variometer were fitted inside.
After Mdivani’s death, the car was refurbished by Rolls‑Royce and Thrupp & Maberly, then passed through British hands before being shipped to the United States on the Queen Elizabeth 2 in the mid‑1970s. In America, it received a rebuilt engine from enthusiast Frank Cook and remained with a single owner until 2018, when it was sold at a 2023 US auction and sent to Swiss specialists Restocar SA for restoration.
The Bonhams catalogue highlighted the vehicle’s rarity, custom construction, and well‑documented provenance, noting its inclusion of factory build records and the fact that it was an older restoration. The £166,750 price reflects the car’s unique combination of pre‑war craftsmanship and the dramatic narrative that has followed it for nearly a century.
The car will now be displayed at the Goodwood Revival motor‑car show, where collectors can witness a piece of automotive history that has survived royalty, tragedy, and ocean voyages.