Rolls Royce Phantom III (1936 - 1939)
 

Rolls-Royce announced its first - and until the advent of the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph in 1998 - their only V-12 powered car in late 1935. The engine being acclaimed as silky smooth then gave the car exceptional acceleration but in the meantime has earned a reputation of being a sort of Achilles' heel... Though the company had many years' experience developing V12 aero engines they had taken their time before introducing this configuration into their motor car production. The 7,338 cc V12 power unit had overhead valves operated by a single camshaft in the angle of the vee. Independent front suspension to a design from General Motors was a new feature too and the particularly compact engine could be arranged in more forward position allowing greater space for bodywork than the previous Phantom II. 727 cars were built. Wheelbase 3607 mm 142 in   Track front 1588 mm 62.5 in   rear 1588 mm 62.5 in   Length 5410 mm 213 in   Width 1905 mm 75 in   Ground clearance 222 mm 8.7 in   Kerb weight 2642 kg 5825 lb   Fuel capacity 150 litres 33 UK Gal 39.6 US Gal engine Manufacturer Rolls-Royce Type V-12 Wet sumped OHV 24 valves total 2 valves per cylinder Bore × stroke 82.50mm × 114.30mm 3.25 in × 4.5 in Bore/Stroke ratio 0.72 Displacement 7340 cc (447.914 cu in) Unitary capacity 611.67 cc/cylinder Aspiration Normal Max. output 167.3 PS (165.0 bhp) (123 kW) @3000 rpm Coolant Water Specific output 22.5 bhp/litre 0.37 bhp/cu in Top speed 137 km/h Power-to-weight 62.45 bhp/ton chassis Engine location Front Engine alignment Longitudinal Turning circle 14.60 m Suspension Front I. Rear LA.SE. Wheels F/R 4.00 x 18/4.00 x 18 Tyres F 7.00 x 18 Tyres R 7.00 x 18 Brakes F/R Dr/Dr-S Transmission 4M Drive RWD Top gear ratio 1.00 Final drive ratio 4.25