Newmarket Convertible Sedan by Brewster
Chassis number: S407FL
Engine number: 20076

Rolls-Royce of America was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts, in November of 1919 and on December 12th of 1919, the American Wire Plant in Springfield, MA was purchased by and became the site of the newly formed Rolls-Royce of America, Inc. To goal was to increase Rolls-Royce sales by avoiding the high tariffs imposed on imported cars. Production of the Silver Ghost was begun in late 1920, and eventually every part except for the crankshafts was sourced in America. Production shifted to the New Phantom in 1926, and continued through the end of American production in 1931. The New Phantom had a 7.7-liter six-cylinder engine rated at 100 horsepower, and the bare chassis listed for $11,750 in 1926.

An improvement from the Silver Ghost, the Phantom I boasted an entirely new overhead valve, six cylinder engine displacing 7,768cc. The new model also included a disc-type clutch, adjustable radiator shutters and the four-wheel brake system that debuted on the late 'Silver Ghost'.

By early 1930, as the effects of the Depression set in, the owner sent the car back to Brewster Coachworks, a Rolls-Royce subsidiary, for an update. As recorded on Schoelkopf cards (from the Rolls-Royce Club), external lighting was changed along with a more stylish paint scheme. A new type of body skirt under the doors hid the cantilevered chassis spring assembly. New torpedo head lamps and fender mounted parking lamps replaced the older 'drum' headlamps and multiple piece tail lights. The single tail light resembles what appeared in the following year on the Phantom II.

This full convertible, touring-bodied Phantom I offers true 'all weather' motoring with its updated improvements. The new 'Phantom' series boasted a more refined reliability and ease of driver operation.

Dual-Windshield Torpedo Phaeton by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: 98LC

Even the greatest of cars eventually become obsolete, and this was the fate of the Silver Ghost by the early 1920s. A replacement was needed, one that could do justice to the legacy it was replacing and compete with the ambiance, power, and elegance of the rolling-sculptures of the day, such as the Hispano-Suiza's H6 series cars.

Henry Royce oversaw the design and engineering of the New Phantom which was debuted in May of 1925. It had many significant changes such as an overhead-valve engine in place of the Ghost's side-valve unit, servo-assisted 4-wheel brakes and a single dry plate clutch in place of the Ghost's cone arrangement.

A few of the Ghost's features were still relevant such as the cantilever rear springs, worm-and-num steering, and the Autovac fuel delivery system.

Over the production lifespan of the Phantom I models, a total of 3,450 examples would be constructed while its engine simultaneously evolved with few fundamental changes into the Phantom II in 1929.

This 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Dual-Windshield Torpedo Phaeton with coachwork by Vanden Plas of Brussels is a one-off. The first owner, Mr. Van Zeller of Lisbon, Portugal, took ownership in June of 1926. No expense or effort was spared in making this one of the finest and luxurious touring car of its day. The door panels in the rear are crafted from matched walnut that house shelves equipped with perfume flasks, leather glove boxes, accessory cases, and cologne bottles. There is a sterling silver grooming kit that includes brushes, scissors, hand mirror pomade jars, and comb, built into the cabinetry. There is a set of curved doors built into the body's central division which houses a full cocktail service including crystal decanters and glasses.

The leather upholstery in the rear seats two comfortably. There are dual windshields for front and rear passengers with removable windwings to insulate the occupants from the elements, drafts, and breezes. If poor weather arises, a protective cover can be positioned into place over the passenger's legs to provide further protection.

Folding occasional seats provide additional seating for two and conceals neatly into the woodwork of the division when not in use. A secondary cowl behind the chauffeur's compartment can be used to store umbrellas, canes or folding chairs.

There is plenty of luggage space in the exterior trunks. Custom-crafted leather wardrobe cases are fitted to match the curvature of the right-front and left-rear doors. The trunks are well designed and very functional, able to carry hanging garments, plus provides additional drawers for small items such as slippers, hosiery, and ties. Additional storage space is available in the rear-mounted trunk, positioned above the rear bumper.

There are French Lucifer side lamps, Stephen Greber headlamps, and a Grebel spotlight mounted on the right side of the cowl. On the left of the cowl, there is a drum-shaped illuminated turn signal.

The very elegant Vanden Plas coachwork rides on a long-wheelbase Phantom I chassis. It is chassis number 98LC and was brought to the 2007 Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $1,250,000 - $1,800,000. Those estimates proved nearly accurate, as the lot was sold for $1,072,500.

by Dan Vaughan

Salamanca by Barker
Chassis number: 30TC
Engine number: UT65

After seven years of experiment and testing, the 40/50hp 6-cylinder 'New Phantom' chassis was introduced in 1925, and the fabled Silver Ghost, launched in 1906 was retired the following year. A total of 1,240 of the 3,340 New Phantom chassis were built in Springfield, Massachusetts during the years Rolls-Royce thought it prudent to have a factory in the United States. The venture began shortly after World War I and ended in 1931 when the effects of the Great Depression caused the company to conclude it was no longer a good idea. Even though the Phantom II was introduced in England in 1930, production of the original Phantom chassis continued in the United States through 1931.

The Salamanca nomenclature was used almost exclusively by Rolls-Royce referring to the cabriolet de ville body style. This indicated a folding roof over the rear passenger compartment of vehicle aft of the glass division between passenger and chauffeur making the vehicle completely open. The design as a rule also allows a folding roof to be rolled up over the chauffeur's compartment. This car features two fold-away jump seats in the passenger compartment as well as a sherry bar with cut glass tumblers and decanter. Most unusual is an exhaust 'cut-out' control for the 6.6-liter six-cylinder engine 'for touring abroad,' with a factory-imprinted warning, 'Not to be used in Great Britain.'

Shooting Brake by Brewster

The Phantom I chassis boasts a six-cylinder, eight liter engine coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. The wood which makes up the 'estate' part of the Rolls Royce Shooting Brake is of mahogany and oak while the original bonnet painted Brewster Green and wings remain in a classic black. Interior accommodations include two leather bench seats as well as a folding rear wooden bench seat to create more space separated by gun racks. The rear tail-gate has attachable legs forming a table for use to serve high tea whilst at hunt. Only 3,512 Rolls Royce Phantom I's were built between 1925 and 1931. This Shooting Brake was one of the earliest examples to undergo the useful utility change.

The moniker 'shooting-brake' was applied to custom-built luxury estate cars altered for use by hunters and other avid sportsmen. The New York Times said 'the most famous shooting brakes had custom five-door wood bodies fitted to the chassis of pedigreed cars,' citing Bentley and Rolls-Royce as suitable examples.

The Silver Ghost was in production for two decades, from 1906 through 1926, with over 7,870 examples built. Over the years many aspects of the vehicle had been perfected until there was only one way to go - build a replacement. The New Phantom was introduced in 1925 and came with a larger '40/50' hp engine. It was built in both the Derby, England plant and the Springfield, Massachusetts division of Rolls-Royce Motors.

This was the company's second 40/50 hp model, and to differentiate between the two models, Rolls-Royce named the new model 'New Phantom.' When the Phantom II was introduced in 1929 (which introduced an entirely new frame), the New Phantom was renamed Phantom I.

Powering the Phantom I was a pushrod Overhead Valve straight-6 engine built as two groups of three cylinders with a single detachable head. The 7.7-liter engine was installed in the same frame as the Silver Ghost, with semi-elliptical springs suspending the front axle, and cantilever springs for the rear axle. Braking was handled by 4-wheel brakes with a servo-assistance system licensed from Hispano-Suiza, although some early United States examples were without front brakes. They had a disc-type clutch and adjustable radiator shutters.

Rolls-Royce produced the chassis and mechanical parts, while the body was built to owner's specifications. The list of coachbuilders including Mulliner, Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, and Hooper (among others). American Phantoms could be acquired with standardized bodies from Brewster & Co., which was owned by Rolls-Royce.

During the production life span, lasting from 1925 through 1931, a total of 2,269 examples were built in the U.K., and 1,240 were built in the United States. The Derby-built models ran parallel with the Springfield cars but ended in 1929, whereas the Americans continued until 1931.

by Dan Vaughan

Open-Drive Limousine Sedan by Holbrook
Chassis number: 12DC
Engine number: AD15

This Rolls-Royce Phantom I was ordered in January of 1926 by Jacob Lit of Philadelphia, who specified an enclosed-drive body by Kellner of Paris. The chassis, with engine AD15, came off test on March 26th and was dispatched three days later. On April 1st it was on the seas headed for Boulogne. After the work was completed, it was put on another ship, the SS McKeesport, in September 26th, for New York.

The early history is not fully recorded. Subsequent owners include Walter Snel of Butler, New Jersey, and Charles McVeigh of Syosset, Long Island, who was selling it in January 1952. Subsequent owners are believed to be Ralph and Margaret Burkhart of Martinsburg, Virginia, and it may have spent time in the Harrah collection. At some point, the Kellner enclosed-drive body was removed and replaced by an open-drive Holbrook body made in the United States.

by Dan Vaughan

Although the Silver Ghost had been constantly improved over its life span, by the 1920's other manufacturers had begun to close the performance gap, and the decision was made to produce a new car.

By 1925, the New Phantom (retrospectively called the Phantom I when the Phantom II was introduced in 1929) was ready.

A new chassis had not been built so the car used the Ghost chassis. This meant that initially the only difference between the Ghost and the New Phantom was the method of mounting the steering column on the chassis and the new power unit. The six-cylinder overhead valve engine was similar in many ways to the Twenty, but was of 7,668cc. This was over twice the capacity of the little Twenty at 3,127cc.

The Phantom had been prepared in great secrecy, as would its namesake be, 70 years later. During its development the car was codenamed EAC, which stood for Easter Armored Car. Pieces of armor plating were even left around the factory to lend credence to this cover-up story.

Two chassis lengths were offered, the standard being 190.25 inches (4.83m) with a 196.75 inches (4.99m) version for more formal coachwork.

A special open sporting body was fitted to the fourth experimental chassis and even though the New Phantom's engine performed better than that of the Silver Ghost, the New Phantom was found to have a slightly lower top speed. This led to Rolls-Royce testing at Brooklands to investigate the effect of weight and, more importantly, of aerodynamics in relation to performance. With completely redesigned bodywork, this car subsequently ran at around 100 mph.

by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.

by Rolls-Royce

Rolls Royce launched the new Phantom in May of 1925. Rolls-Royce's replacement for the original Silver Ghost, the Phantom was built in both the U.K. and the U.S. following a year later in introduction and two years in replacement. Usually listed as Phantom I, it featured a new pushrod-OHV straight- 6 engine, which was a vast improvement over the Silver Ghost. The engine was constructed with three groups of two cylinders with detachable heads, and produced impressive power that could pull the large, very heavy vehicle. This engine utilized a '4¼ in (107.9 mm) bore and long 5½ in (139.7 mm) stroke for a total of 7.7 L (7668 cc/467 in³) of displacement'. In 1928, aluminum was substituted for cast iron in the cylinder heads.

The front was suspended by semi-elliptical springs while cantilever springs were utilized in the rear. Though some original U.S. models lacked front brakes, 4-wheel servo-assisted brakes were also specified.

UK models featured a long-wheelbase model that was longer at 3822.7 mm than the American version at 3721.1 mm. Other differences between the two models included the transmission, while the UK models used a 4-speed while US models used a 3-speed transmission, both with a single dry-plate clutch. The US Phantoms were constructed in Springfield, Massachusetts while UK models were built at Rolls' Derby factory.

A total of 226 Rolls-Royce Phantom I's were produced during its production span.

by Jessican Donaldson

Background

Frederick Henry Royce was an engineer and the Honorable Charles Stewart Rolls was a man with many talents. He was an aviator, driver, and automobile enthusiasts. In the world of business, he excelled at marketing.

The Rolls-Royce Company began its distinguished career in the early 1900's, focusing on quality and performance. During 1905 and 1906, forty vehicles were produced, all with four-cylinder engines producing 20 horsepower.

1906 was a big year for the young company, with Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce officially registering the Rolls-Royce Limited Company. The legendary 40/50 six-cylinder Silver Ghost was introduced with much acclaim. During the same year, Rolls and Royce entered the Tourist Trophy Race, one of the most prestigious events of the time. Their powerful and durable car outran the rest of pack, beating the nearest competitor by 27 minutes. In 1907 the company further showcased their vehicles durability by participating in a 15,000 mile reliability event.

In a time when maintenance and durability were on the minds of every consumer, Rolls-Royce left their buyers with peace of mind. To add even more prestige to their vehicles, the vehicles were marketed to the most elite and well-to-do in society. By supplying their vehicles to British royalty, the Rolls-Royce Company concreted their reputation in history. The cars durability was matched by its comfort; they were outfitted with luxurious bodies by some of the top coachbuilders in the industry. The engines were powerful and provided a rather smooth and comfortable ride. The engines were engineering marvels, constructed of an aluminum alloy crankcase. Instead of chains, the timing and ignition drive were both run by gears. The parts were hand polished and constructed to a high degree of accuracy. The sturdy construction meant that conversation were possible, even while the vehicle was at top speed.

The 40/50 HP Silver Ghost models were sold for a period of fifteen years as the companies only offering. By 1922, the Rolls-Royce Company began offering the Twenty which was offered to a larger market, though still very exclusive. Competition such as Hispano Suiza had caught up with Rolls-Royce by 1925; Rolls-Royce responded. Development began on a more modern version of its Silver Ghost engine that would be more powerful and durable. The stroke was enlarged providing a greater increase in horsepower. The resulting vehicle was named the '40/50 New Phantom'. When the Phantom II was introduced in 1929, the '40/50 New Phantom' was retrospectively named the Phantom I.

Phantom I

The Phantom was built in secrecy, using the code name EAC which stood for Easter Armored Car. To reinforce the code name, pieces of armor plating was intentially left around the factory. The Phantom I was the successor to the Silver Ghost and produced for only four years. Though the engine had been modified to produce more horsepower and torque, the chassis was only slightly updated. This would prove to be a major drawback for the Phantom I.

In 1921 a Rolls-Royce factory had been opened in Springfield Massachusetts with the purpose of producing Silver Ghosts that were built with traditional Rolls-Royce quality but catered to the American customer. These vehicles were known as the 'Springfield' Silver Ghosts.

A year after the Phantom was introduced, the 'Springfield' Phantom became available. The late arrival was attributed to necessary modifications, such as converting to left hand drive. The Springfield plant continued Rolls-Royce production until 1931, when the American factory was closed.

by Rolls-Royce