Having manufactured V12 aero engines, the choice of a V12 for the Phantom III from 1936 was entirely logical, Cadillac and Hispano Suiza joining this trend. Such was the smoothness, around 1960 Bill Boddy, Motor Sport's editor, rated the 7.3 litre Phantom III as the 'most impressive' of the thirty or so cars he drove in the previous year. The Phantom III with 142'' chassis, good for 85mph, represents an important milestone in Rolls-Royce history, being the first model to be equipped with independent front suspension. Of the 727 chassis made, around 300 still exist today.