Chassis 26EX. The prototype Phantom II Continental built for the personal use of Sir Henry Royce

26EX is one of the companies most important cars. They had made a number of short chassis PII’s to special order and design engineer Ivan Evernden was convinced that R-R should have sporting car in the catalogue. He had approached Conduit Street (London Showroom and Sales Office) to try to persuade them that they should order it but they were not keen so he talked Sir Henry into it!

Thus was 26EX created, Barker, in conjunction with R-R designed the beautiful and lightweight body and it was painted with a pearlescent finish. It may have been the first!

Imitation pearls were painted with a clear laquer, some colouring and ground-up fish scales and this was the method chosen by Evernden to paint 26EX. The appearance was striking and the prototype, Rolls Royce Continental PII arrived to a blaze of publicity. It was the company’s first sporting car since the London to Edinburgh cars of the Edwardian era.

As can be seen from the images below Alpine Eagle completely rebuilt the car to original condition.