A powder blue 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, which was used by Greek industrialist Theodore Cozzika to commute between his girlfriend’s (the American film star Pearl White) home in the South of France and their residence in Cairo, is among the opulent offerings in Bonhams’ Rolls-Royce, Bentley Motor Cars & Automobilia sale at Rockingham Castle, in Leicestershire, UK on June 19.
When White died of cirrhosis in 1938 at the age of 49, following a battle with drink and drug addiction, she left all of her French property to Cozzika. The car was subsequently sold to Jack Barclay in London in 1941, and a continuous history for the Rolls-Royce is known.
Estimated at £250,000 – £300,000 (or about $360,000 – $430,000), it recently underwent a complete nut and bolt restoration by marque experts Taylor’s of Chichester to concours standards. The sale also features a stunning 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca de Ville that was paraded for the Queen of England at Windsor Castle on both her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee in 2003, estimated at £100,000 – £130,000.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America.