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1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

Rolls-Royce produced 7,874 examples of the Silver Ghost from 1906 through 1926. In 1925, the 'New Phantom' made its debut and came with a larger engine with pushrod-operated overhead valves instead of the Silver Ghost's side valves. Production was done in Derby, England, and Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States.

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I photo
Torpedo Tourer by Barker
Chassis #: 21UF
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The 'single model' Rolls-Royce policy was proven successful for the company. After the end of The Great War, however, the recession in the motor industry necessitated the introduction of a smaller, cheaper 20HP car to be built alongside the existing 40/50 Silver Ghost. Henry Royce's design incorporated several modern features such as overhead valve-gear for its 6-cylinder engine, a 'Hotchkiss drive' rear axle, and a center-change gearbox. Several of these developments pioneered on the smaller sibling would make their way into the 40/50HP Silver Ghost replacement.

Rolls-Royce's design philosophy remained careful evolution rather than revolutionary gadgetry. Numerous revisions to the chassis of the Silver Ghost demanded a new model name, and the revised chassis was dubbed the New Phantom by the factory. Rolls-Royce never used the Phantom I designation, but with the introduction of the Phantom II in 1929, the 'Phantom I' was applied to help distinguish it from other generations with the same model name. Production of the 40/50 Phantom would last until 1931 with 3,512 produced. Derby production would begin in 1925 and the following year in the Springfield, Massachusetts plant, owned by Rolls-Royce. Prior to the crash in 1929, production reached twelve chassis per week at the Springfield plant, but that number fell abruptly when the Great Depression affected the economy. By the time Phantom I production ended in 1931 at Springfield, about 1,240 Phantom I chassis had been built.

Rolls-Royce produced the mechanical parts and the chassis. The bodies were fitted by a coachbuilder selected by the buyer. The list of coachbuilders included Baker, Mulliner, Hooper, Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, and Zagato. American Phantoms could be bought with standardized bodies from Brewster & Co., which was owned by Rolls-Royce. The main differences between the UK and U.S. Phantoms included the transmissions and wheelbases. Both had the same standard 143.5-inch wheelbase. The U.S. long-wheelbase version measured 146.5 inches while the U.K.'s measured 150.5 inches. The US models had a three-speed transmission, the UK a 4-speed, and both used a single dry-plate clutch. Some of the UK New Phantom's had the fuel gauge on the tank and some US models had one on the dash. The US models had a centralized Bijur system which easily lubricated all the oil points with a stroke of a single pump. The UK Phantoms had Enots nipples which required a special Enots oil pressure gun and required servicing at 500, 1000, and 200-mile intervals.

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I photo
Torpedo Tourer by Barker
Chassis #: 21UF
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The suspension used on the Silver Ghost was used on the New Phantom. It consisted of semi-elliptical springs suspending the front axle with cantilever springs suspending the rear axle. Rolls-Royce acquired licensing from Hispano-Suiza to use their servo-assistance system on the 4-wheel brakes. Some early US models, however, did not have front brakes.

Powering the Silver Ghost was a new pushrod overhead valve straight-6 engine constructed as two groups of three cylinders with a single detachable head. It displaced 7.7 liters and had a 4.25-inch bore and undersquare 5.5-inch stroke.


by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2019

Related Reading : Rolls-Royce Phantom I History

Although the Silver Ghost had been constantly improved over its life span, by the 1920s 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....
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Related Reading : Rolls-Royce Phantom I History

Rolls Royce launched the new Phantom in May of 1925. Rolls-Royces replacement for the original Silver Ghost, the Phantom was built in both the U.K. and the U.S. following a year later in introduction and two years in replacement. Usually listed as Phantom I, it featured a new pushrod-OHV straight- 6 engine, which was a vast improvement over the Silver Ghost. The engine was constructed with three....
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Background

Frederick Henry Royce was an engineer and the Honorable Charles Stewart Rolls was a man with many talents. He was an aviator, driver, and automobile enthusiasts. In the world of business, he excelled at marketing. The Rolls-Royce Company began its distinguished career in the early 1900s, focusing on quality and performance. During 1905 and 1906, forty vehicles were produced, all with four-cylinder....
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1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Vehicle Profiles

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Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

$305-$17,000
1927 Phantom I
$17,000-$66,000
1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Base Price : $17,000

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Phantom I

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
144.00 in., 149.70 in.
6 cyl., 467.93 CID., 95.00hp
6 cyl., 468.00 CID., 108.00hp
144.00 in.
6 cyl., 467.93 CID., 95.00hp
$11,750 - $11,750
144.00 in., 146.50 in., 150.00 in., 150.50 in.
6 cyl., 467.93 CID., 95.00hp
$17,000 - $17,000
143.50 in., 146.50 in., 150.00 in.
6 cyl., 467.93 CID., 120.00hp
143.50 in., 146.50 in.
6 cyl., 467.93 CID., 108.00hp
144.00 in.
6 cyl., 468.05 CID., 113.00hp
$19,000 - $19,000
143.50 in., 146.50 in.
6 cyl., 467.93 CID., 43.00hp

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