1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI All-Weather Cabriolet by Frua

This Rolls-Royce Phantom VI is one of two examples outfitted with coachwork by Frua, and it features custom all-weather cabriolet bodywork. Construction on chassis PRH4643 began in 1971 and continued under several owners before it was completed by David A.C. Royle and Co Ltd in 1993 and displayed at that year’s Geneva Motor Show. It was purchased by its current owner in 2017 and shown at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It now has 292 miles. The car is finished in Claret with cream pinstriping, and power comes from a 6.2-liter V8 with dual SU carburetors mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It rides on 15″ steel wheels that feature polished hubcaps with body-color accents, and is equipped with a red three-position soft top, retractable B-pillars, under-hood tool sets, and a Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot. Inside, the front and rear cabins are trimmed in champagne Connolly leather with Claret carpets and dual-grain burl walnut trim with sterling silver inlays. The rear cabin features a divider housing a power-operated window, jump seats, and a burl wood console with a TV, a VHS player, writing trays, and a cocktail cabinet stocked with glassware. Additional amenities include dual-zone climate control, power windows, a Blaupunkt stereo, and a silk-lined lady’s vanity. Service performed in April 2026 included the installation of a replacement battery and bias-ply tires as well as a rebuild of the brake master cylinder and brake and transmission fluid services. This Frua-bodied Phantom VI was previously listed by the selling dealer on BaT in May 2026 and is now offered on dealer consignment in California with a clean Oregon title.

The Phantom VI debuted in 1968, and 374 examples were built before production ended in 1990. Of those, two were sent to Pietro Frua of Turin, with the first car outfitted with drophead coupé bodywork and completed in 1973. This is the second car, which originally was designed by Frua as a Sedanca de Ville before it was revised as an all-weather cabriolet. The car was commissioned by British real estate developer Robert “Bobby” Buchanan-Michaelson, who sold the in-progress build to collector James Leake in 1977. Following the death of Pietro Frua in 1983, Leake sold the project to its next owner, who commissioned David A.C. Royle and Co Ltd. of Durham, England, to complete the build. After 22 years of work, the car was displayed at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, and it was the final Phantom VI delivered to a customer, three years after the final Phantom VI chassis was built.

The car measures approximately 21′ long and is finished in Claret with cream pinstriping. The color-matched three-position soft top can be configured in sedanca de ville, landaulet, or convertible settings, and it is stowed under a tan leather boot. Additional details include quad headlights, a polished grille with a Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, a centrally hinged hood, a Creazione Frua fender badge, retractable B-pillars, and rear fog lights.

The steel wheels wear chrome covers with body-color accents and cream pinstriping, and they are mounted with 8.90–15″ Firestone bias-ply tires that were installed in 2026. A spare wheel with a Dunlop tire is stowed beneath the carpeted trunk floor. The car is equipped with power steering and four-wheel drum brakes, while suspension incorporates a coil-sprung independent setup up front and a live rear axle with leather-wrapped leaf springs. The brake master cylinder was rebuilt in April 2026, and a system flush was also performed.

The left-hand-drive cockpit features a split bench seat with four fold-down armrests trimmed in champagne Connolly leather. Color-coordinated leather extends to the cabin divider and door panels, while Claret carpets line the floors. Dual-grain burl walnut caps with sterling silver inlays top the dashboard, doors, and center console, and amenities include dual-zone climate control, power windows, and a Blaupunkt Paris cassette stereo. The three-spoke steering wheel fronts a 130-mph speedometer and a 6k-rpm tachometer, while auxiliary readouts are mounted in the center of the dash along with a clock and an outside temperature gauge. The six-digit odometer shows 292 miles.

The rear cabin is separated from the chauffeur area by a partition with a power-operated window, and it features a wood-veneered console that houses writing trays with inlaid accents and flip-up vanity mirrors, a crystal decanter and glass set, and a television and VCR.

Champagne leather extends to the rear bench, jump seats, and door panels. Claret carpets with white accents have Rolls-Royce branding, and additional amenities include an in-car intercom system, passenger-side climate controls, cigar lighters, a silk-lined lady’s vanity, and television controls mounted in the center armrest.

The 6.2-liter V8 features an aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners, aluminum pistons, aluminum cylinder heads with overhead valves, and twin SU carburetors. A replacement battery was installed in April 2026.

A set of Snap-On wrenches and screwdrivers are housed in Rolls-Royce-branded compartments in the engine bay, and they are accompanied by additional tools, a pair of gloves, a jack, and spare bulbs.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The transmission was resealed in April 2026, and a fluid service was also performed at that time.