Vehicle Description
The Phantom I, officially known as the New Phantom, succeeded the
long-running Silver Ghost in 1925. Over the nearly two-decades of
Ghost production, countless improvements were made to the engine
and chassis, therefore it was of little surprise that the New
Phantom would be an evolutionary step, rather than a radically new
car. While the chassis remained essentially of the same design, the
biggest news was under the bonnet - in the form of a new 7.7 liter
inline six featuring overhead valves, replacing the Ghost's
side-valve unit. Power output was described as "adequate" by the
factory - which was delivered with the exceptional smoothness their
clients had come to expect. Like the 40/50 Horsepower Silver Ghost
before it, the New Phantom (retroactively named Phantom I after the
introduction of the Phantom II) would be produced in parallel at
Rolls-Royce of America's Springfield, Massachusetts works.
Springfield Phantoms accounted for 1,241 of the 3,453 Phantom I
chassis produced. When demand was at its peak, Rolls-Royce of
America purchased the legendary coachbuilder Brewster & Co. of New
York. Brewster would become the exclusive supplier of catalog
coachwork for Springfield-built Phantoms through the dissolution of
Rolls-Royce of America in the mid-1930s. Numerous open and closed
styles were offered, all built with Brewster's typical quality and
restrained elegance. Aside from the ongoing mechanical
improvements, a number of late production Phantom I chassis would
be delivered well after production officially ended, wearing bodies
designed for the more modern Phantom I This 1931 Rolls-Royce
Phantom I, chassis S209PR, is a late production example and one of
just 11 Phantoms produced with this crisp and elegant Brewster
"Newport" town car coachwork, a style originally intended for the
Phantom II. The body exudes elegance; with a low roofline, raked
windscreen and the signature Brewster "sweep" to the bonnet shut
line that is highlighted in chrome. A single rear-mounted spare
wheel makes for clean lines, and the subtle two-tone black and blue
paintwork is understated. This car is wonderfully presented with a
high-quality older restoration, backed by a meticulously compiled
history file that shows a string of passionate, enthusiastic
owners. According to documents supplied by the Rolls-Royce
Foundation, chassis number S209PR is the 32nd from the last
Springfield car completed, and was originally delivered on January
13th 1934 to S.J. Gaines, wearing the same elegant Brewster Newport
town car body it wears today. After just over a year with Mr.
Gaines, S209PR was sold to Miss. Belle Bacon of Massachusetts and
one short year after that, the car found a longer term home with
Ira Morris Nelson and his wife Constance L. Morris (herself of the
legendary de Rothschild family and the former Mrs. Paul
Guggenheim). Mr. Nelson was a prominent Chicago meatpacking heir,
philanthropist as well as a diplomat. The car remained with Nelson
until 1946, when it was acquired by York L. Wilson of Washington
D.C. The transaction is well documented with numerous letters
between Mrs. Nelson's personal secretary and Mr. Wilson. Still very
much in fine running order, the handsome Rolls-Royce remained with
the Wilson family for many years. Family photos show the Phantom I
with Wilson's daughter, Minerva Wilson, while she was in college in
the late 1940s - making mention that it became her unofficial class
mascot! Minerva Wilson would go on to become a very prominent
attorney in her own right, and one of her subsequent law partners,
Stanley M. Franklin, would become the next owner of this wonderful
Rolls-Royce. Mr. Franklin acquired S209PR from the Wilson family in
1978, with photos showing the car being pulled from a lockup in
Washington D.C., across from the Bulgarian Embassy. The photos
depict the car in complete state, still wearing its original
Brewster coachwork, albeit a bit tired by this point and in need of
restoration. Stanley Franklin immediately recognized the importance
and rarity of the car. He researched a great deal of the history
and was an active member of the Rolls Royce Owner's Club. Franklin
commissioned the complete restoration of the car with White Post
Restorations beginning in the early 1980s. By 1986, S209PR was in
the hands of Robert Pell of LaHabra, California who completed the
restoration to very high standards. The restoration proved to be a
supremely expensive undertaking, topping $250,000. Pell, who owned
the car through 2000, continued participation in the RROC, and the
car would win awards with the AACA and CCCA as well. Most recently,
S209PR was part of a very important private West Coast collection,
and was maintained in beautiful order both cosmetically and
mechanically. The world-class restoration has developed a slight
patina over the years, taking on a charm and warmth that is
well-suited to the coachwork. The cabin presents in beautiful order
both in the chauffeur and passenger compartments, with fine
detailing and high quality finish work. The sale will include a
comprehensive original tool kit, service and repair manuals, and
two large binders of historical documentation. Believed to be one
of just a small handful of survivors, this elegant Phantom I
Brewster Newport town car remains in fine running order and will
make a most welcome participant in RROC and CCCA CARavan tours.