1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Newport Town Car

It is believed that this Rolls-Royce was built in 1931, the same year that Phantom I production came to a close. The Springfield, Massachusetts factory had been closed after its decade-long service of building cars for the American market, and instead, the UK-based company reverted back to building all the chassis at Derby. The Phantom II was built in two series, the AJS and AMS, with left-hand drive, 20-inch wheels, and adjustments to the suspension. When the US-destined Phantom II's arrived Stateside, they were fitted with coachwork, most often by Brewster & Company. At the time, Brewster & Company was under the control of J.S. Inskip, the Rolls-Royce importer and dealer.

The Newport Bodystyle by Brester was a formal town car design with angled cowl molding and clean, crisp tailored lines. It is believed that 18 examples of the Phantom II chassis were clothed with Newport coachwork by Brewster.

This particular example, chassis 264AJS, was delivered to Mrs. M.L. Woodhouse on May 24th of 1933 - its delay in sale perhaps due to the Great Depression. Due to the gas rationing of World War II and that Mrs. Woodhouse owned other automobiles, this Rolls-Royce was used infrequently over the years. Over the next four decades, the car changed hands several times, but remained on the East Coast, in New York, Virginia, and Florida. Early in the vehicle's life, the chauffeur's roof was fixed in place, but the coachwork remained otherwise unmodified.

David Domidion of New Jersey advertised this Phantom II for sale in 1977 in The Flying Lady, the Rolls-Royce Owners Club publication. It is believed that Mr. Domidion had acquired the Newport as part of a deal to purchase a Phantom I Playboy. 264AJS was purchased by a collector who used it sparingly, putting it in static storage until his retirement in 1997, after which he began restoring it at Jim Killian Historic Auto Restorations. During this sympathetic restoration, the car returned to its original 'open-drive' configuration. More extensive work was later performed by Jeff McDonald of Canby, Oregon. Under his examination, all items were inspected, ensuring the vehicle would meet Rolls-Royce factory specifications. The interior was restored and correctly retrimmed in both front and rear, the chassis rewired, and the exhaust was reinstalled.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2022