1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Skiff

An order for this Rolls-Royce was placed on the 27th of June in 1928 by British Army Lt. Colonel (later Sir) James Nockells Horlick, O.B.E., M.C., M.P., of Little Paddocks, Sunninghill, Berkshire, England. He ordered this Phantom 1 Series G2B short-wheelbase chassis with a 40/50 hp engine. He also requested that the car be at least as fast over the road as 19TC, a Y-Series Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 owned by Sir E. Hasich.

The car was given an All-Weather custom four-passenger Skiff body constructed by H.J. Mulliner, Ltd. Mr. Horlick specified the car to have all nickel-plated fittings, adjustable black-painted radiator shutters, a louvered and lockable bonnet, a high-speed rear axle, a 100 mph speedometer, leather spring gaiters, and the battery leads to be installed inside the frame. He also requested a second spare wheel and two extra tires, along with a Spirit of Ecstasy radiator mascot.

Seven months after placing his order, the completed chassis was sent to Mulliner's in Chiswick, West London, which set about building the sporting open 2+2 body of wood-framed aluminum with a sharply-slanted windshield.

The twin spare Dunlop 21-inch wire wheels, which matched the four on the ground, were carried in the rear of the body. It was also given 'steps', or running boards, which could accommodate 100 lbs of luggage. The rear seats featured inflatable cushions. The instrument panel was different from other P1 models. In the front were a set of Barker dipping headlamps.

A Rolls-Royce warranty card number 6060 was issued on April 20, 1929. It was assigned registration RX3892.

The Colonel had the car for just a few months. The next owner was Mr. Alfred Pearson, Esq. of Sheffield. In November of 1933, it was sold to Captain A.V. Harvey of Chelsea, London, who retained ownership through the war years. In October 1947, this Rolls-Royce was acquired by another lawyer, Mr. J. Emsley, Esq., of Bradford, and by September 29, 1950, it was in the care of Mr. C.C. Tetlock, Esq. of the Manchester School of Motoring in Manchester.

In the early 1960s, the car was offered for sale through Gardner's of Old Oast House in Canterbury, Kent. It was still in England in 1964, owned by Charles Allix, who drove it to Goodwood for the 60th Anniversary celebration of the start of Messers.

The car was later purchased by Seattle-area collector and restorer **** Hooper. Upon arriving in the United States, it was driven to Mr. Hooper's home. It enjoyed one additional brief outing before it was taken off the road. A new head-gasket by Adams & Oliver had been installed prior to its export to the US. However, the work was not done correctly, and water leaked into several cylinders, and the engine eventually rusted and froze. The car was sent over to Eastern Washington for a rebuild and there it languished until the early 2000s. After Mr. Hooper's passing in 2007, the car, still largely disassembled, was tracked down and returned to Seattle by Mr. Hooper's son, Mr. McEwan, and others.

The car was purchased by Glynn Morris prior to coming into the care of its current caretaker.

This Skiff has never been restored and currently displays 97,822 miles, which are believed to be original. It has a fabric folding top, but currently lacks side curtains, spare wheels, and tools.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2015