21 November 2018
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CMF Rolls-Royce Phantom I Jonckheere Coupe 1935
CMF Rolls-Royce Phantom I Jonckheere Coupe 1935
CMF Rolls-Royce Phantom I Jonckheere Coupe 1935
PRICE: €169.95
REF: 223335
SCALE: 1/18
There are only a handful of cars that are as dramatic as the Jonckheere Coupe, based on a Rolls-Royce Phantom I. Its imposing length, menacing curves and oversize grille make the majority of other pre-war cars look boring by comparison.
The Jonckheere Coupe was very much a part of the 1930s art deco movement with its stylish modernism and geometric shapes which were popular at the time. This is especially true of the car’s apparently circular doors, although technically they are slightly ovoid, requiring two half-moon pieces of glass that closed towards each other by means of a complex winding mechanism.
Rolls-Royce incorporated high standards of luxury, reliability and craftsmanship into its cars. This design philosophy caught the attention of the Raja of Nanpara. His Great Nanpara Estate already featured a polished aluminum 40/50HP Silver Ghost when he ordered Rolls-Royce’s latest Phantom. When it arrived, the owner decided to change the conventional Hooper cabriolet bodywork and replaced it with what you see here.
Cast in resin, those amazing doors don't actually open but the rest of the car is completely mesmerising anyway. The stupendously gorgeous lines of the Belgian Jonckheere coachbuilding concern are perfectly replicated to the point where, thanks also to the flawless finish, if photographed in the right setting, you could be fooled into believing it was the real thing. The front wheels are sublime, right down to the tread pattern on the tyres fitted to them, and as for the front grille that is a masterpiece in miniature in its own right. The rest of the chromework is up to the same standard of finish too.
Despite the lack of opening doors, the interior has not been skimped on and is well appointed throughout, although visibility is a little limited to fully appreciate this. Truly stunning by CMF.