1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

The Rolls-Royce New Phantom, retrospectively known as the Phantom I, was introduced in 1925 as a replacement for the 40/50 which had been introduced in 1906 and would set a new world standard in durability and performance as it earned its title of the 'Silver Ghost.' After nearly two decades of production, Rolls-Royce decided that it was time for a new car, the New Phantom. Production continued through 1931 with 3,512 examples built during that time. 2,269 examples were built in the U.K. and 1,240 at the U.S. facility. The Phantom was replaced by another 40/50 hp model in 1929, the Phantom II. The company never used the designation 'Phantom I' - it was a term used by enthusiasts years later to help distinguish generation of vehicles with the same model name.

Production of the Derby, England-built models ran parallel with the Springfield, Ma. cars but ended in 1929, whereas the Americans continued until 1931. The final example was delivered in 1932.

The Rolls-Royce New Phantom

Between 1913 and 1923, the Silver Ghost was perched atop a 143.5-inch wheelbase platform, growing to 144- and 150.5-inches from 1923 onwards. By the end of its production, its straight-6 engine had grown to displace 7,428cc and was paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Electric starting and lights were fitted from 1919, and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes became optional in 1923.

The New Phantom used the same frame as the Silver Ghost, with a standard 143.5-inch wheelbase platform that was suspended by semi-elliptical leaf springs in the front and cantilever springs at the back. A 146.5-inch long-wheelbase (LWB) version was available in the U.S. and the UK offered a 150.5-inch LWB version. The braking system was a servo-assistance system licensed from Hispano-Suiza and applied to all four wheels, although some of the early U.S.-built cars came with just rear-wheel brakes.

The new straight-6 engine powering the New Phantom was the most significant improvement over the Silver Ghost. It had a 4.25-inch (107.9mm) bore and undersquare 5.5-inch (139.7mm) stroke with a total displacement of 7,668cc (7.7 liters). The engine was built as two groups of three cylinders with a single detachable head, with the cylinder heads initially constructed from cast iron but upgraded to aluminum in 1928. The one-piece, detachable cylinder head featured a modern, pushrod-actuated overhead-valve arrangement. With a single Rolls-Royce carburetor, the engine was described by the company as producing 'sufficient' power (estimated 113 bhp at 2,300 rpm).

Springfield, Massachusetts

Rolls-Royce of America Incorporated was a subsidiary set up in December 1919 when the parent company purchased the American Wire Wheel Company's plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company had made an announcement in 1920, stating 'A limited number of Rolls-Royce chassis will be produced at the American Works, the same quality of materials will be employed as in England. F. Henry Royce is Engineer-in-Chief of the American operations. The products of the American works will be drawn on for English as well as American patrons.'

The first Rolls-Royce vehicles to be built in Springfield, Ma. were the 7.4-liter, 40/50hp Silver Ghost, employing English right-hand drive until 1925 when left-hand drive became available. Manufacture of the New Phantom began at the Springfield facility in 1926, and by the second half of 1929, production had increased to 12 cars per week. Total Springfield Phantom I production was 1,243 units.

Although there were similarities between the U.S. and British-built Rolls-Royce vehicles, there were differences as well. Unlike the British-built Rolls-Royce, the American cars could be ordered with official 'factory' coachwork, usually by Brewster, which had been acquired by Rolls-Royce in December of 1925. The vast majority of Springfield Phantom Is were equipped with Brewster coachwork and could be outfitted in a wide array of body styles to the discerning Rolls-Royce customer, the most formal of which were its town car designs. Additional coachwork designs were available from Fleetwood. Along with the bare chassis, the coachwork choices were listed by different city names in England including the Ascot Phaeton, York Roadster, Derby Touring Sedan, Henley convertible, Huntington limousine, Avon sedan, Chatsworth Town Car, and Newmarket convertible sedan. Bucking the trend was the Trouville Town Car named after a French city.

Coachbuilders who produced bodies for New Phantom cars included Barker, Park Ward, Biddle and Smart, Thrupp & Maberly, Mulliner, Hooper and the Italian coachbuilder Zagato.

U.S.-built models could be acquired with larger Buffalo wheels and were fitted with U.S.-supplied parts such as Haverhill Auto Lighting headlights with Bausch & Lomb prizm lenses, Chelsea clocks, Mallory coils, Trico wipers, and Dual Dejon distributors.

The U.S.-built cars had a center change three-speed transmission while the UK versions had a four-speed unit; both relied on a single dry-plate clutch.

The fuel gauge placement for the UK-built cars was at the tank, and some U.S. models had a dash-mounted gauge. The U.S.-built cars used a centralized Bijur system which lubricated all the oiling points with a stroke of a single pump. This was much simpler than the U.K.-built cars which used Enots nipples - as many as 50 - which required the attachment of a special Enots oil pressure gun at service intervals of 500, 1000 and 2000 miles.

The New Phantom was an improved version of the Silver Ghost and reflected the company's design philosophy of careful evolution rather than revolution.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022