FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS EVERYTHING…

Every Rolls-Royce Phantom V was by nature a bespoke automobile, but some were more bespoke than others. Few have the story of this car, designed by the American-born Osmond Rivers—formerly of British coachbuilders Hooper—for an American couple, Marty Martyn, a prominent Hollywood talent agent, and his wife Margaret. The Martyns were highly involved in the creation of their car, with Mrs. Martyn specifying it to the tiniest detail, including designing the air-conditioning vents herself.

The actual creation of the design was carried out by Henri Chapron’s French atelier. San Francisco Society columnist Herb Caen noted, “Mrs. Martyn was quite pleased with the result and reveals that she dusts the interior personally with a custom dustcloth made of imperial sables.” Another more waggish news item listed the car’s accoutrements: “…a built-in bar with crystal decanters, a three wave-length radio, a hidden umbrella slot, a drawer with compact and make-up mirror, and an air-conditioned humidor for cigars. It also has an engine.”

The Martyns took delivery of the car from Franco-Britannic Automobiles of Paris at a rumored cost of $54,000, which would have made it the most expensive automobile in the world by far, at the time. In 1961, they took the Phantom V to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and won their class, an honor that it repeated in 1962 and 1967. William Eagleton of California, a representative of the Martyns, exhibited it at the Rolls-Royce Owners Club Western Inter-Regional Meet in 1968, winning Most Elegant Formal Car, and at the Western-California Meet in 1971, winning the Hooper Trophy. Many other regional shows were attended as well, with trophies often received.

Mrs. Martyn eventually gifted the car to the renowned Petersen Automotive Museum, its second owner, from which it is now offered. It remains in original condition throughout and, in fact, retains almost all of its wonderful original accessories, including barware from Van Cleef & Arpels and Baccarat. Also accompanying the car is a delightful file including correspondence from Rivers to the Martyns, shipping documents from its European travels, and some of the canceled checks used in payment, as well as a vast collection of “extras,” including several full original factory carpet sets and additional factory spare parts—including spare book-matched veneers!—in their original crates.

The new owner will be expected to supply their own imperial sable dustcloth.