1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton

Production of the New Phantom in Springfield, Massachusetts in the former American wire Wheel factory lasted from 1926 until 1931 with most receiving coachwork by Brewster in Long Island City, New York, a Rolls-Royce subsidiary since 1926. This particular example wears Hibbard et Darrin coachwork called the Torpedo Transformal Phaeton. Its low roofline, trapezoidal side windows, and unique B-pillar treatment were patented design features drawn by Darrin. The traditional coachbuilding method of the time used wooden frames which were then skinned in steel or aluminum. Hibbard et Darrin, however, utilized a patented procedure they called 'Sylentlite' (silent-light) to build the major body components. As an example, the doors were constructed from one-piece alloy castings, which were lightweight, rattle resistant, and offered tighter tolerances. To reduce weight even further, the remainder of the body is clothed in aluminum alloy.

This is one of fewer than five known Phantom I chassis to be clothed in this Hibbard et Darrin coachwork. Each of the five has subtle differences. 35 Rolls-Royces received coachwork from Hibbard et Darrin.

In 1928, this car was sold new to A.H. Chapin and less than a year later it was acquired by Bud A. Lipman of New York, New York. Later owners include Clifton Carr and Franklin Lee. Around 1945, it was sold by Mr. Lee for $200 to Hans Hinrichs of St. Louis, MO. Mr. Hinrichs became the first long-term owner and displayed it at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, which he co-founded. After nearly 40 years in the Hinrichs family, it had fallen into a state of disrepair and required restoration. It then passed to another St. Louis collector and restorer, David Weber in 1982. The next owner was the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, which commissioned a restoration, which it wears today. Since the late 1990s, it has been in the care of its present owner.

The car is finished in black over red hides and accented with a red-piped black top. There is inlaid woodwork on the door caps, dash, and division panels. There is a Swiza clock for the rear compartment and restored instruments and switches in the fascia. The doors have roll-up glass windows.

The OHV inline 6-cylinder engine displaces 7,672cc units and breathes through a single Dual-Throat carburetor. There is a three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019