Pune-based industrialist Yohan Poonawalla’s Indian heritage Rolls-Royce ‘17EX’ claims back-to-back ‘Best of Show’ awards in international concours

An official statement issued recently said his 1928 Rolls-Royce Experimental Sports Phantom 17EX, the only example with coachwork by Jarvis of Wimbledon, impressed judges Lorenzo Ramaciotti, Jurgen Lewandowski, and Rene Renger.

The 17EX bagged multiple trophies including ‘Best in Class’ in the Rolls-Royce 120 Years class, the ‘Best of Show’ (Prewar) and the ‘Best of Icons’ or overall Best of Show. On Saturday, which was the public day called ‘Autobiography’, 17EX was also awarded ‘Port d’ Andratx Trophy’ in the presence of city Mayor Estefania Gonzalvo who rode in the iconic car as it led the parade on the promenade.

17EX also starred on the official event poster of ICONS MALLORCA, a week-long motoring extravaganza which included rallies, races, track experiences, charity auctions, a concours and a public-day parade. This is the second time this year that the historic car has won a top award, its ‘Best of Show’ win at Valletta Concours in Malta in June being the first instance.

Reacting to the win, Yohan Poonawalla said in a statement, “I am delighted to see 17EX win the top prize today. It came as a pleasant surprise as there were also some other cars in the concours which were outstanding in design and condition, but I am happy the jury chose 17EX to bestow the Best of Show award. The win tastes even sweeter coming in this milestone anniversary year as Rolls-Royce celebrates 120 years of company formation in 1904. The fact that I was also able to personally race 17EX on the Mallorca Circuit… added to the wonderful experience. This is an extraordinary car which embodies the brand’s quest at the time, for excellence and innovation to remain at the forefront.”

In 2023, the Yohan Poonawalla Collection based in Pune became the first from India to feature in the global ranking of ‘Top 100 Classic Car Collectors of the World’ published by The Classic Car Trust in Europe, and it also became the first collector from India to win the prestigious ‘Classic Car Ambassador of the Year’ at the Historic Motoring Awards presented by Octane in the UK.

Rolls-Royce 17EX – A car steeped in history

“Considered as one of the greatest coachbuilt cars and one of the most historically significant Rolls-Royce extant today, 17EX is a car steeped in history, distinct in design, unmatched in character and unrivalled in provenance. The extraordinary car was conceived and developed under the direct supervision of Sir Henry Royce as a prototype. Mindful of Bentley’s success at Le Mans, Rolls-Royce felt the need to build a sports car which could clock a top speed of 100 MPH,” says Yohan Poonawalla on his website.

“Following extensive testing, including by Sir Henry Royce himself, 17EX was delivered new to His Highness Maharaja Hari Singh the Maharaja of Kashmir, in original experimental condition. Jarvis of Wimbledon had a reputation for building sportier bodies, including the record-setting ‘Bluebirds’ for the king of speed Sir Malcolm Cambpell,” he adds.

For 17EX, the coachbuilder designed a very sporty streamlined aerodynamic body and techniques from aircraft industry were applied to achieve weight reduction. With its free-floating arched wings and painted in Campbell’s favourite colour ‘saxe blue’ it looks breathtakingly beautiful. Its 6-cylinder one-off enlarged 7.8 litre engine ‘25EX’ was given a thorough redesign with an aluminium cylinder head, modified camshaft and bigger bore for higher compression and greater torque.

Striking features of the car include streamlined torpedo coachwork, twin windshields, ducktail, and a polished bonnet top, among others. Following its departure from India in the 1970s, 17EX spent time in England and Europe. Following the acquisition, the car underwent refurbishment earlier this year at marque experts P&A Wood. It is the subject of a book titled ‘Rolls-Royce 17EX – A Fabulous Destiny’ by award-winning author Gautam Sen.

Introduced in 1925, the New Phantom latterly known as Phantom I, was the successor to the sensational ‘Silver Ghost’ which earned Rolls-Royce the reputation of being ‘the best car in the world’. The 1928 Phantom I resides in the august company of a galaxy of ‘Phenomenal Phantoms’ in the Yohan Poonawalla Collection such as the 1933 Phantom II of speedster Sir Malcolm Campbell, the 1937 Phantom III of Maharaja of Panchkote, the 1962 Phantom V of the Emir of Qatar which was the star car of the Geneva Motor Show in 1962 and 2023, the 1979 Phantom VI which was used on multiple state visits by the late Queen Elizabeth II and the 2005 Goodwood Phantom VII which was the very first car delivered in India, after Rolls-Royce’s return to the country following a 50-year hiatus, and soon to join the collection will be a highly bespoke EWB Phantom VIII, the very last unit to be produced with Privacy Suite. Additionally, also a pair of Phantom Drop head Coupes and a Saphire edition Phantom, which is one of only 27 made in the world.