Thursday December 5, 2019 ~ VICTORIA
~ West Shore Voice News
A Day in the Life: John Lennon’s iconic yellow Rolls Royce comes to Camosun’s automotive shop
One of the world’s most fabulous cars — John Lennon’s 1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Touring Limousine — is undergoing maintenance and diagnostic testing at Camosun College’s Automotive Shop today at the Interurban Campus.
The car has taken a long and winding road since the 1960s with stops all around the world, and is now owned and maintained by the Royal British Columbia Museum. The car has cultural significance and a colourful history.
The diagnostic testing and dyno tuning of John Lennon’s Rolls Royce will be observed by media and guests.
Camosun’s expertise and specialized equipment in their automotive shop will allow the car to be ‘exercised’ while undergoing a number of diagnostic tests and maintenance by Coachwerks Restoration’s technicians. Those in attendance will be able to hear the roar of the engine and watch its rear wheels spin on a rolling road dynamometer with a large screen feeding speed and other data in real-time.
Camosun Automotive Service Technician Instructor Patrick Jones and Royal BC Museum Collections Manager Paul Ferguson will be on hand to discuss the history and cultural importance of the car and to describe the diagnostic activities it is undergoing at Camosun.
“I’ll be operating the equipment while the technicians from Coachwork operate the car,” explains Jones. “It’s very exciting to work on such a priceless vehicle and it speaks to the capabilities and experience we have at Camosun and at Coachwerks to be able to provide this service. If you look around town, anyone who’s having work done on their car is probably having it done by a Camosun graduate. To be up close and personal with a vehicle of this stature is a wonderful opportunity for our students,” said Jones.
The car cannot be touched as the car’s iconic paint is very vulnerable.