Rolls-Royce Phantom II Castagna

The Rolls-Royce Phantom II on chassis 282AJS carries a landaulette body originally built by Carrozzeria Castagna of Milan. The chassis, a left-hand-drive example, was ordered by Mrs. W. H. Luden of Reading, Pennsylvania—member of the Luden Cough Drop family—and delivered on 31 December 1932. Mrs. Luden elected to retain the Castagna coachwork from her earlier Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A. She instructed the Brewster Body Company of New York to transfer the entire body to the new Phantom II, resulting in the only documented instance of a Castagna landaulette mounted on a Rolls-Royce chassis. The fate of the original Isotta-Fraschini chassis is not recorded. The Castagna body reflects the firm’s late-1920s formal idiom, characterized by a tall rear enclosure, articulated landaulette section, and pronounced beltline. Construction incorporates extensive hand-carved hardwood elements in the rear compartment, polished to the high standards typical of Italian luxury coachwork. The driver’s compartment is separated from the passenger area in conventional chauffeur-driven layout. A notable piece of equipment is a multilingual chauffeur-notification system. Buttons in the rear compartment activate an illuminated indicator wheel visible to the driver. Each position displays a command rendered in French, German, or Italian, covering instructions such as turning left or right, adjusting speed, reversing direction, or returning home. Mechanically, 282AJS conforms to the standard Phantom II specification: a 7.7-litre inline-six with crossflow head and twin ignition, coupled to a four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on the upper ratios. The chassis employs semi-elliptic springs and centralized lubrication, intended to accommodate heavy formal bodies such as this landaulette. When acquired by its current owner, the car had been dismantled into numerous components. A multi-year restoration was required to reassemble the body, interior fittings, and mechanical systems. Following completion, the Phantom II entered the Atwell Collection in Fredericksburg, Texas, and has been exhibited at events including Amelia Island and Pebble Beach. Chassis 282AJS remains the sole recorded Phantom II fitted with Castagna coachwork, giving it a distinct position within both Rolls-Royce and Castagna production histories.