1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

The Rolls-Royce New Phantom, retrospectively known as the Phantom I, was introduced in 1925 as a replacement for the aging Silver Ghost which had a long and prestigious career. Production of the 40/50 (Silver Ghost) began in 1906 and continued through 1926 with 7,874 examples built.

The Silver Ghost was initially powered by a 7,036cc, side-valve, six-cylinder engine with the cylinder cast in two units of three-cylinder, and backed by a three-speed transmission. From 1913 forward, it used a four-speed gearbox and displacement rose to 7,428cc in 1910. Each cylinder had two spark plugs and the seven-bearing crankshaft had full pressure lubrication, with the center main bearing oversized to reduce vibration. Earlier cars used a trembler coil to produce the spark and a magneto system. From 1921, buyers had a choice of magneto or coil ignition. Electric lighting was optional in 1914 and standard equipment beginning in 1919, the same year electric starting became standard.

From 19106 through 1913, the Silver Ghost had a wheelbase size of 135.5-inches, growing to 143.5-inches in 1913. A 144- and a 150.5-inch platform was available from 1923. The chassis incorporated leaf springs in front and rear, with both axles being rigid. The braking system initially used a hand lever to operate the rear wheel brakes with a pedal-operated transmission brake acting on the propellor shaft. In 1913, the footbrake system operated drums on the rear axle, and by 1923, four-wheel servo-assisted brakes had become optional.

The Phantom I was given a new overhead-valve six-cylinder engine that displaced 7668cc and adopted a disc-type clutch and adjustable radiator shutters. The pushrod-OHV straight-6 had a 4.25-inch bore and under-square 5.5-inch stroke, built as two groups of three cylinders with a single detachable head. Additional upgrades followed in 1928 with the adoption of aluminum cylinder heads replacing the prior cast-iron construction.

The Phantom I rested on the same frame employed by the Silver Ghost, including the semi-elliptical spring suspension in the front and cantilever springs in the back. The four-wheel braking system with servo-assistance was licensed from Hispano-Suiza. The wheelbase measured 143.5-inches, plus a long-wheelbase version of the U.S. that was stretched to 146.5-inches, and a long-wheelbase version for the UK market that measured 150.5-inches.

Rolls-Royce produced the chassis and mechanical parts, while custom coachbuilders built the bodywork to its owner's specifications. The list of coachbuilders includes Mulliner, Park War, Barker, Thrupp & Maberly, Zagato, and Hooper. In the United States, production was standardized by Brewster & Company, which was owned by Rolls-Royce, and Fleetwood.

Rolls-Royce of America had been established in December of 1919 after Rolls-Royce of England purchased the American Wire Wheel Company's plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1926, the Springfield location began production of the Phantom I, and within three years, production had risen to 12 cars per week.

As the beginning of the 1930s came into sight, the fortunes of the Springfield plant began to dissipate. The onset of The Great Depression was beginning to cripple many luxury brand marques, and wreak havoc on businesses, leaving many out-of-production in its wake. The Springfield's future was sealed when the high expenses of re-tooling for Phantom II production were too great for the company.

Though the British and American plants produced the same product, there were many differences between the two. The American version could be ordered with 'factory' bodywork, mostly by Brewster which had been taken over by Rolls-Royce in December of 1925.

Rolls-Royce produced 2,269 examples of the New Phantom in the UK and 1,240 examples in the US. The total production was 3,512 units. The New Phantom was followed by the Phantom II in 1929 and production would continue through 1936 with 1,680 examples built. It received an all-new chassis and refinements to the 7.7-liter engine.

The combined production of the Silver Ghost, Phantom I, and Phantom II was 13,066 examples. In comparison, over 15 million Model Ts were manufactured during its production lifespan, reaching a rate of 9,000 to 10,000 cars a day in 1925, or 2 million annually.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019