1966 Vanden Plas Princess R

Description

The Vanden Plas Princess is a luxury car very much in the high-end British sense of the word and very few of them were imported to the United States. Powered by a Rolls Royce engine and trimmed out in leather and wood, this unique car will get you where you want to go in style and probably start some conversations along the way. Check it out.

This car cuts a stately figure with its limo-inspired body work. It looks solid as a rock and the choice of colors for its two-tone paint job enhance that feeling. The Black coating the top sides of the fenders as well as the hood and roof catches the light and reflects it back in long straight lines. Rich Maroon coats the bottom half of the car and there is a thin gold pinstripe running from end to end just below the dividing line. The large chrome grill of vertical bars was a common feature of the elite luxury cars of the day and still looks elegant today. Single headlights perched out on the fenders are trimmed in chrome while a pair of fog lights flank the grill and it is all underlined by a simple chrome bumper. All the stainless trim on the car shines bright and at the back of the car, a wraparound bumper underlines a large trunk with Vanden Plas and 4 litre R in script.

Open the door and you will be welcomed into the lap of old school luxury. The door panel is dressed in Maroon and topped in burled wood. The seats are trimmed in leather and may be more comfortable than your living room furniture. In the back seats, the limousine orientation of this car is evident in the beautiful wooden trays that fold down from the front seatbacks with their chrome cup holder and hardware, as well as the large comfortable armrest in the center. For the driver, or chauffeur, a large two-spoke steering wheel has a stylish chrome horn ring with the shifter for an automatic transmission on the column behind it. The burled wood dashboard that stretches completely from side to side looks beautifully mature given it 50+ years of service. The layout is simple with toggle switches on the left and two round gauges, one for monitoring the engine functions and one for the speedometer. The air conditioning system in the car wants to work, but could use a little TLC to get it operating properly again.

Pop the hood and you will find a Rolls Royce 4-litre, in line 6-cylinder engine that is a relative of the Silver Cloud engine. The front of the aluminum valve cover has the classic RR symbol cast into it, and in classic British fashion, twin SU carburetors handle the fuel mixing duties. There is a newer power brake booster and twin belts drive the generator and A/C compressor. Power flows back through the 3-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels and the suspension is logically enough set up to provide an incredibly smooth ride. The rubber meets the road through 195/75R14 tires mounted on factory steel wheels with hub caps.

Classic, old school British luxury in a limited production specialty car. Come on down and check out this unique and interesting vehicle. Then take it home and cruise through town with it and be ready to wave like the Queen of England when you do.