A costly lesson in how important it is to properly tow a vehicle.
If you cringed at the sight of that beautifully restored 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 429 laying battered on its roof, you're really going to hate this one. Back in 2016, a Swiss buyer purchased this stunning 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III from a classic car dealership in the Netherlands, and just minutes after leaving, the car had been destroyed in a terrible crash while being transported.
According to the original story from PreWarCar.com, the Rolls-Royce was being towed by its new owner with a Range Rover and a brand-new, double-axle car trailer, and the crash happened at just 35 mph. Fortunately nobody was hurt in the accident, but despite everything apparently being done as safe as possible, the classic car, tow vehicle and trailer were all severely damaged.
Without knowing what caused the crash, the article guesses that the Range Rover's active air suspension may have had something to do with the crash. Although the SUV isn't shown in any of these pictures, a more likely explanation is that the trailer may have been too small and/or the tongue weight was too loaded. The Phantom III is a heavy car and the massive 7.3-liter V12 added even more to the tongue weight, which when not properly distributed can cause excessive swaying even at lower speeds.
Now, we're not saying that you need to hire a professional transport company every time you haul a car, but we probably would have chosen to do so for such a rare vintage car; if nothing else, this Rolls-Royce should have at least been transported in a closed carrier. When hauling yourself, always make sure to check the maintenance of the trailer and tow vehicle and never tow more than the vehicle is rated for, and when trusting your vehicle in the hands of a transport company, be sure to do your research first checking online ratings and ensuring the company has experienced drivers with proper equipment and up-to-date insurance.
Source: PreWarCar.com
