Tucked away in the heart of Kolkata is a majestic slice of British Indian motoring history — a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III, once built for Sir Roger Lumley, the then Governor of Bombay. Nearly nine decades later, this Hooper-bodied, V12-engineered masterpiece remains in pristine running condition — not as a museum piece, but as a fully operational and deeply cherished part of one family’s life.
At the centre of this story is Azam Monem, 65, a tea taster and entrepreneur by profession, and custodian of this regal motorcar since the early ’90s. “This car has been with our family for longer than I’ve been alive,” he says with pride. “It was imported for the governor’s use and even had a red light and flagstaff, which were removed before it was shipped back to the UK after Independence.”
From there, the Phantom’s journey took a more personal turn. It was re-imported to India around 1951-52 by Monem’s grandfather, Khan Bahadur Ghulam Kibriya, son-in-law of the Nawab of Jalpaiguri and a noted car enthusiast. Previously, an owner of a Phantom I, Ghulam Kibriya saw in the Phantom III not just a car, but an engineering marvel — a sentiment that persists through the generations.
Engineering royalty on four wheels
The 12-cylinder behemoth has 24 spark plugs, dual ignition coils, dual fuel pumps, and dual distributors
The Phantom III is a marvel of engineering: a 12-cylinder behemoth with 24 spark plugs, dual ignition coils, dual fuel pumps, and dual distributors. “It’s practically two engines in one,” Monem explains. “You can run it on six cylinders or twelve — Rolls-Royce over-engineered it with aeronautical logic, thinking of redundancy like they did with aircraft.”
This car was among the early blueprints that would influence the development of the iconic Merlin engine used in Spitfires during World War II. “It’s a symbol of that era’s engineering excellence,” he adds.
Preserved, not restored
Despite years of use, including regular drives to Ranchi and Benaras in earlier decades, the Phantom III has always managed to roar back to life with little fuss
What makes this Phantom particularly unique among Kolkata’s vintage car scene is that it has never needed full restoration. “It’s preservation, not restoration,” Monem insists. “We’ve kept it running continuously, except for a 10-15 year period after my grandfather passed away.”
Despite years of use, including regular drives to Ranchi and Benaras in earlier decades, and playing chauffeur to family weddings, the Phantom III has always managed to roar back to life with little fuss. “Even after a decade of sitting idle, once we changed the oil and put in fuel, it started right up.”
That said, keeping it running in modern Kolkata hasn’t been without challenges. From cracked carburetors and overheating issues in city traffic to the degrading effects of ethanol-blended fuels, Monem has had to rely on old-school ingenuity and global sourcing to keep things original and operational.
A Rolls for life
The car continues to awe onlookers with its preserved originality and rich provenance
Ask Monem if he’d ever consider replacing the Phantom with a modern-day Rolls-Royce — say a Wraith or a Phantom VIII — and his answer is a firm and bemused no.
“To me, the modern Rolls has no appeal,” he says. “My cousin in Dhaka just bought a Spectre, the latest electric model, and even he admits that if given a choice, he’d rather have the Phantom III.”
Monem recalls how another family member in the UK bought both a modern Phantom and a vintage 1936 Phantom III — proof, he says, that the emotional pull of the original Rolls is unmatched. “For us, the Phantom III isn’t just a car — it’s heritage. And in Kolkata, with the traffic and the soul of the city, a classic like this still makes the most sense.”
College runs and wedding rides
Three’s company: Azam Monem poses by the Rolls with his son Ahmed
The Rolls isn’t just a mechanical marvel — it’s a time machine of memories. Monem recalls driving the car to St. Xavier’s College in the late 1970s, where he parked it in the professors’ lot. “The principal came down, admired it, and asked why I parked it there. I told him, ‘It’s too big to park anywhere else,’” he laughs.
It also played an unforgettable role in his own wedding and continues to do so for newer generations. “It has chaperoned every bride and groom in the family, including my daughter a decade ago. Everyone in the family, from cousins in their 80s to my own children, has a memory tied to this car.”
Monem’s wife, fully aware of her husband's affection for the Phantom, once joked that the car was one of his many ‘wives’. “My father told her, ‘Make sure you become his favourite wife — he already has many, starting with the Rolls,’” he chuckles.
A serial winner on Kolkata’s vintage scene
The Rolls, bearing the distinctive registration WBC 1, is no stranger to Kolkata’s vintage car rallies
The Phantom III, bearing the distinctive registration WBC 1, is no stranger to Kolkata’s vintage car rallies — and it proved its pedigree by winning the Judges Choice Award as well as Best of Show at the 2023 Eastern India Motoring Group’s Concours d’Elegance. Whether gliding through the streets for the Statesman Vintage Car Rally or taking pride of place at a concours event, the car continues to awe onlookers with its preserved originality and rich provenance.
Still, for Monem, the thrill isn’t about accolades — it’s about continuity. “You don’t own a car like this. You care for it, pass it on. It’s a legacy. And we’re just its keepers for our time.”
