1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Cabriolet

In a world of plastic cars with hybrid heartbeats, the joy of driving is a dying art. This 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III “Vutotal” Cabriolet by Labourdette recalls an era when driving was always an artful experience. Yet this is not your standard Rolls Royce Phantom III, this is the result of a complete rebuild by the Parisian designer Henri Labourdette. Labourdette tore the Phantom III down to the bones, adorning its body with gold plating and brass fixtures on a shape that stretched sensually from bumper to bumper. The “vutotal” term comes from that heavy slice of glass that rests above the instrument panel, a sharply-squared windshield that sits in a welcome contrast to the curves below. As we said of the 1948 Buick Streamliner, curves like these inspire poetry…