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 |  | View more photos Coachwork: Barker Chassis Num: 21UF |
When the Phantom I was put through speed tests, it performance was similar to the Silver Ghosts of the early 1910s. To remedy this situation, a lightweight Barker Tourer body was commissioned in hopes of improving upon the vehicles performance. The goal was to create sporty and streamlined body that still encompassed the luxury refinements and style that were synonymous with the Rolls-Royce name.
Unfortunately, the special Tourer body was not enough. Rolls-Royce designer Ivan Evernden created another Tourer body of his own design. His design still kept with Rolls-Royce luxury standards, but cut as much weight as possible. The result was a vehicle that average 89 mph at Brooklands.
This example shown here is a testament to the work of the Rolls-Royce engineers and designers. It is powered by a 7668cc overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine capable of producing 120 horsepower. The car has a three-speed manual gearbox with servo-assisted two-wheel drum brakes. Many of the mechanical components were still Silver Ghost technology, but it did have a new overhead valve engine, front wheel brakes and many suspension and gearbox improvements which made it a fairly modern machine. This example was shown at the 2006 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance and then brought back the following year to be auctioned at the RM Auctions at Meadow Brook. The car has a Torpedo Phaeton body with coachwork by Barker. It was estimated to sell between $180,000 - $240,000. It is regarded as one of the best four place sports touring bodies of the time and one of Barker's finest creations.
The car passed through a few owners during its early life before being exported to the United States in 1945. It was kept in that owners possession for a very long time, a total of 44 years before selling to a fighter pilot in August of 1989. It passed through a few more owners before making its way to the RM Auction block.
It was originally finished in cream with polished alloy top surfaces and great leather. It was later painted grey, and then white. It has been treated to a very recent restoration that kept it as original as possible. It is now finished in its original colors and the leather was custom dyed to match samples recovered from the bottoms of the cushions.
At auction the car did find a new owner for the price of $154,000. The car did not generate as high of a sale as anticipated, though it still seems a fair price for both buyer and seller.
Although the Silver Ghost had been constantly improved over its life span, by the 1920's other manufacturers had begun to close the performance gap, and the decision was made to produce a new car.
By 1925, the New Phantom (retrospectively called the Phantom I when the Phantom II was introduced in 1929) was ready.
A new chassis had not been built so the car used the Ghost chassis. This meant that initially the only difference between the Ghost and the New Phantom was the method of mounting the steering column on the chassis and the new power unit. The six-cylinder overhead valve engine was similar in many ways to the Twenty, but was of 7,668cc. This was over twice the capacity of the little Twenty at 3,127cc.
The Phantom had been prepared in great secrecy, as would its namesake be, 70 years later. During its development the car was codenamed EAC, which stood for Easter Armored Car. Pieces of armor plating were even left around the factory to lend credence to this cover-up story.
Two chassis lengths were offered, the standard being 190.25 inches (4.83m) with a 196.75 inches (4.99m) version for more formal coachwork.
A special open sporting body was fitted to the fourth experimental chassis and even though the New Phantom's engine performed better than that of the Silver Ghost, the New Phantom was found to have a slightly lower top speed. This led to Rolls-Royce testing at Brooklands to investigate the effect of weight and, more importantly, of aerodynamics in relation to performance. With completely redesigned bodywork, this car subsequently ran at around 100 mph.Source - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.
By 1925, the New Phantom (retrospectively called the Phantom I when the Phantom II was introduced in 1929) was ready.
A new chassis had not been built so the car used the Ghost chassis. This meant that initially the only difference between the Ghost and the New Phantom was the method of mounting the steering column on the chassis and the new power unit. The six-cylinder overhead valve engine was similar in many ways to the Twenty, but was of 7,668cc. This was over twice the capacity of the little Twenty at 3,127cc.
The Phantom had been prepared in great secrecy, as would its namesake be, 70 years later. During its development the car was codenamed EAC, which stood for Easter Armored Car. Pieces of armor plating were even left around the factory to lend credence to this cover-up story.
Two chassis lengths were offered, the standard being 190.25 inches (4.83m) with a 196.75 inches (4.99m) version for more formal coachwork.
A special open sporting body was fitted to the fourth experimental chassis and even though the New Phantom's engine performed better than that of the Silver Ghost, the New Phantom was found to have a slightly lower top speed. This led to Rolls-Royce testing at Brooklands to investigate the effect of weight and, more importantly, of aerodynamics in relation to performance. With completely redesigned bodywork, this car subsequently ran at around 100 mph.Source - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.
| Photos grouped by event | |
 Vintage Motor Car Auction at Meadow Brook Hall |
2006 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance |
1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Baker Torpedo Tourer |
|
| Year | 1927 |
| Make | Rolls-Royce |
| Model | Phantom I Baker Torpedo Tourer |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Production Years for Series | 1925 - 1929 |
| Coach Work | Barker |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown | |
| Chassis Number | 21UF |
| Performance | |
| Top Speed | 145 km/h | 90.1 mph Similar top speeds |
| Engine | |
| Engine Configuration | S |
| Cylinders | 6 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 7668.00 cc | 467.9 cu in. | 7.7 L. |
| Valves | 12 valves. 2 valves per cylinder. |
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Horsepower | 95.00 BHP (69.9 KW) @ 2750.00 RPM |
| HP / Liter | 12.3 BHP / Liter |
| Standard Transmission | |
| Gears | 3 |
| Transmission | Manual |
| View Specifications |
| Similar Automakers |
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| Other models by Rolls-Royce |
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| Related Articles and Event Coverage |
| Vintage Motor Car Auction at Meadow Brook Hall |
| 2006 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance |
| 1927 Rolls-Royce models |
| Phantom I |
| Phantom I Pall Mall 6 Place Tourer |
| Phantom I Playboy |
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