1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformable

It was 1925 and the fabled Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, which had been launched in 1906, was being retired. After seven years of testing, the six-cylinder Phantom chassis was introduced. The New Phantom, as it was called, received the Phantom I designation retrospectively when the Phantom II appeared on the scene in 1930. From 1926 until as late as 1931, Phantom I's were built in Springfield, Massachusetts, in addition to those in England. Of the total 3,340 Phantom I's produced, 1,241 were built stateside.

This Hibbard and Darrin Rolls-Royce is unique because it is a 'one of a kind' body. The windshield is not only split, but it is also 'vee' shaped. It is believed Hibbard and Darrin built this car to be unique under the instruction of Joseph Von Sternberg, Marlene Dietrich's director, who was responsible for bringing her to Hollywood. He purchased the car under instructions from Paramount Studios, who paid for it. The car was presented to Miss Dietrich along with a dozen roses and $10,000 in a checking account when she arrived in Hollywood. The car was used in several of her movies, including 'Morocco.' The green gold-flaked paint is the original color, which was duplicated by PPG and applied to the car. With a powerful 7.7 liter, 113 horsepower, six-cylinder engine and luxuriously appointed interior, it is no wonder this car remained her favorite car for many years.

This is one of 35 Phantom I's to wear coachwork to varying styles by Hibbard & Darrin. Howard 'Dutch' Darrin designed and held a patent for the Torpedo Transformable Phaeton of this model, which features distinctive trapezoidal-shaped side windows.

This Rolls-Royce Phantom I was presented as a gift by a director of Paramount Studios to a Hollywood actress named Marlene Dietrich as she exited a train at Pasadena Station on April 14, 1930. It is one of five Springfield-built Phantom Is with the dual-cowl Transformable Phaeton body from Parisian coachbuilders Hibbard & Darrin. The Rolls was featured alongside Dietrich in her debut Paramount film, Morocco. The Rolls-Royce was transferred from Paramount Studios to Dietrich on November 26, 1930. She rarely, if ever drove the car, instead preferring chauffeured travel with her studio-appointed driver, Harry Wright.

The car's next owner was J.R. 'Bob' Creighton whose family would retain it until 1995 when it was sold then exhibiting a partially disassembled, highly original 'barn find' state.

In 2007, the car entered the care of John O'Quinn who sent it to Rick Hamlin of Wellington, Kansas for an exacting, multi-year, six-figure restoration back to its original specifications. During the restoration process, fascinating details of Hibbard & Darrin's patented Sylentlyte cast-Alpax construction method were revealed, along with remnants of its original gold-flaked Medium Green Metallic paint.

Hibbard & Darrin's design cues include tightly nested trapezoidal windows, heavy beltline moldings, and scrolled door handles. The interior contains fine hardware, book-matched wood inlays throughout, an unusual rearview mirror, and a sporty two-piece Vee-windshield design.

When the car left the O'Quinn Collection, it moved to the Mitchell Collection of Montgomery, Texas until 2015. Under their care, it was shown at many concours events throughout the United States, including Hilton Head, Amelia Island, and Pebble Beach.

The car is currently part of the Terence E. Adderley Collection.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023