Vehicle Description
The Rolls-Royce New Phantom (retrospectively known as the Phantom
I) was introduced in 1925 to replace the outgoing Silver Ghost,
which had evolved over a nearly 20 year production run and was
regarded as the car that established Rolls-Royce as the world's
premier motorcar manufacturer. Given the Silver Ghost's stellar
reputation, it was probably a wise move for Rolls-Royce to take an
evolutionary step in designing the New Phantom. The chassis of the
New Phantom was essentially carried over from the Silver Ghost with
a few refinements, but was fundamentally the same as a
late-specification four-wheel-brake Silver Ghost. Not that this was
a bad thing, as the chassis had proven itself to be massively
robust and capable of delivering a driving experience like no other
motorcar on the market. It wasn't until the arrival of the Phantom
II in 1929 that an entirely new chassis would be introduced - a
true testament to the integrity of the original design. The engine,
however was almost entirely new; an overhead valve inline
six-cylinder that displaced 7,668 cc. Like the Ghost before it, the
big Phantom power plant was under-stressed and developed its power
with remarkable smoothness and refinement. In order to meet ever
growing demand for its products in the important North American
market, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce was established in Springfield
Massachusetts in December of 1919. Rolls-Royce of America
Incorporated was set up in the former American Wire Wheel Company
plant, and many of the highly skilled workers were retained by
Rolls-Royce to work on the assembly line. By 1926, Rolls-Royce of
America had acquired Brewster and Company, one of America's most
prestigious coachbuilders. A series of 28 catalog bodies would be
offered, ranging from sporty roadsters to luxurious town cars.
Production of Ghosts and Phantoms would reach as high as 12 cars
per week until the stock market crash of 1929 when sales plummeted.
Another blow was arrival of the Phantom II, which meant
comprehensive retooling which RR of America simply could not
afford. While Rolls Royce in Derby had moved on to Phantom II in
1929, the Springfield Phantom I would overlap it, continuing until
1931 with a total of 1241 Springfield Phantoms produced. This
magnificent 1931 Springfield Phantom I is chassis number S109PR; a
highly desirable, late production example wearing its original and
supremely attractive Brewster Regent Convertible Coupe body. The
Regent was a handsome design featuring an all-weather convertible
roof, exposed landau irons, dicky seat and beautiful detailing such
as a front valance that covered the front spring mounts, making for
a cleaner, more modern look. The beautiful sweeping front wings
carry dual side-mount spares and a convenient half-door allows for
easy access to the dicky seat, so rear passengers don't have to
suffer the indignity of clambering over the rear wings. It is a
sporty, yet elegant body, and with only twenty one built on the
Phantom I chassis, a very rare and desirable specimen. According to
John Webb de Campi's book "Rolls-Royce in America", chassis number
S109PR was originally delivered to John Berry Ryan of New York, New
York in April of 1931. It seems Mr. Ryan quite enjoyed his Regent
as he retained the car until 1946 when it passed to Mr. Frances
Drake. In 1951, the car was sold to Frederic Palmer who kept it
through 1964 when it was acquired by the well-known Rolls-Royce
collector Leslie Stevenson. Stevenson would be the car's next
long-term caretaker, keeping the Phantom I for the next 23 years
until it was acquired in 1987 by another very well-known collector,
Gerald Lettieri. In 1995, S109PR was acquired by Elizabeth Zoller,
a long-time member of the RROC and a dedicated Rolls-Royce
enthusiast. During her tenure with the car, the highly respected
workshop of D&D Classic Restorations was entrusted to perform a
full restoration. It was subsequently shown and earned numerous
awards at important events, including the Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance. It has also been awarded an AACA National First Prize
in 1997, an AACA Grand National First Prize in 2002, as well as a
CCCA National First Prize and a 1997 RROC Concours National Award.
This stunning Phantom I remains in fabulous condition despite the
twenty years that have passed since the restoration, which speaks
to both the quality of the work performed as well as the care it
has been given by the owners. The striking livery of light gray
with green wings beautifully suits the sporty nature of the
Brewster coachwork. A particularly nice touch is the way the green
paint of the wings and front valance carries on to the radiator
shutters. Black wall Lester tires and polished alloy wheel discs
continue the sporting theme, and a period trunk is mounted out back
with a tan canvas cover to match the roof. Chrome plating is
gorgeous; as restored by D&D's concours winning chrome shop,
Brightworks. The interior is similarly beautiful, with gray/taupe
colored leather having taken on just a bit of character from use
over the years, but remaining supple and inviting. The woodwork has
been fully restored, the dash fitted with original instrumentation,
clock and switchgear. Since its world-class restoration, this
fabulous Rolls-Royce remained with a member of the Zoller family
who maintained it "on the button" and ready for regular use. The
7.7 liter inline six presents exceptionally well, appearing lightly
used and very well maintained. Likewise, the undercarriage is
extremely tidy, clean and properly detailed. Particularly in
late-production specification such as our featured example, the
Rolls-Royce Phantom I is one of the finest pre-war tour cars
available. Chassis number S109PR's fabulous restoration and
beautiful, rare coachwork by Brewster make it suitable for show,
while the all-weather versatility and meticulous care it has
received over the years make it an ideal candidate for RROC tours,
CCCA CARavan tours or virtually any other Full Classic road event.
