1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Ascot Tourer

The Ascot Tourer was a five-passenger open model with refined styling, flowing fenders, and nearly horizontal concave polished accent along the beltline. In the front was a one-piece windshield. It is believed that 28 Ascot Tourer bodies were built, mostly by Brewster, and all originally mounted to Phantom I chassis. Many of these were employed as 'trials cars,' to be driven by prospective buyers.

This particular example was originally delivered with a Stratford convertible coupe body to Doran Hinchman of Logan, West Virginia, on 12 April 1928. The car was traded-in on a Model J Duesenberg (J-357) in early 1930. Subsequently the car was sold by Duesenberg Motors to H.F. Deane, then in May 1934 to Mrs. Edward V. (Clare S.) Quinn of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.

Rolls-Royce of America mounted the present Ascot Tourer body, noted as 'new', for Mrs. Quinn. It is a later model with rounded fenders, and it is believed that this body was the final new Brewster Ascot body mounted to a Rolls-Royce chassis.

On May 19th of 1952, it was acquired by James Ten Broeck Baker of Whittier, California. It next passed in 1956 to William Bagshaw of Beverly Hills, California, who sold it later that year to Dr. C.L. Pressler of Avondale, Ohio. The car remained with Dr. Pressler for decades. It later passed through Rick Carroll's Jensen Beach, Florida, collection, before being acquired in 1983 by Bruce Campbell of Alamo, California. It was added to Orin Smith's collection nearly a quarter of a century later.

While in the Smith collection, it was given a full restoration. It is finished in pale yellow with a tan interior. There are large Bausch & Lomb drum headlights, large rolled aluminum bumpers, and vertical radiator shutters. There are oversized Pilot Ray driving lights, introduced in 1927, with a 'Barker' dipper mechanism for nighttime driving. There are correct three-light tail lamp cluster, with the brake, tail, and reverse lamps mounted over the license plate frame, and an Auster windscreen. The interior appears to have a later construction dashboard than the rest of the woodwork.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2017