Vehicle Description
The Rolls-Royce New Phantom succeeded the long-running Silver Ghost
for 1925. Over the nearly two decades of Ghost production,
Rolls-Royce made countless improvements to the engine and chassis;
therefore, it was unsurprising that engineers took an evolutionary
approach to the New Phantom's design. The chassis carried over
essentially unchanged from the very last Silver Ghost, yet under
the bonnet was an all-new 7.7-litre inline-six with overhead
valves, replacing the Ghost's refined but admittedly antiquated
side-valve unit. Power output was listed as "adequate" by the
factory, but more importantly, the new engine had the
characteristics of exceptional smoothness and unparalleled
refinement that has always defined the Rolls-Royce marque. Like the
40/50 Horsepower Silver Ghost before it, the New Phantom (known
retroactively as Phantom I after the arrival of the Phantom II) was
produced in parallel at Rolls-Royce of America's Springfield,
Massachusetts works, and Springfield Phantoms eventually accounted
for 1,241 of the 3,453 Phantom I chassis. With demand at its peak,
Rolls-Royce of America added the legendary coachbuilder Brewster &
Co. of New York to its portfolio and retained the firm as the
exclusive supplier of catalog bodies for Springfield-built Phantoms
through the dissolution of Rolls-Royce of America in the mid-1930s.
Clients could always select coachwork from any outside firm of
their choice, and a handful of American buyers opted for this
route, typically at considerable extra cost. Samuel Jaskow of New
York City was one of the few American buyers to fit his New Phantom
with something other than Brewster Coachwork. Factory records show
that chassis S302LR originally wore Brewster's formal St. Andrew
town car coachwork. It is possible the car was used as a
demonstrator or was built for dealer stock, and it was at Jaskow's
request that it be rebodied at the factory with this elegant
all-weather Transformable Phaeton by the Parisian firm, Hibbard &
Darrin. Ex-Brewster designer Tom Hibbard met Howard "Dutch" Darrin
in the early 1920s after Hibbard left LeBaron Carrosserie. The two
Americans set up shop in Paris and offered elegant, exquisitely
crafted coachwork for the world's finest motorcars, including
Minerva, Duesenberg, Packard, Hispano-Suiza, and, of course,
Rolls-Royce. When Hibbard took a job with GM, Darrin remained in
Paris, teaming up with a local financier to found Fernandez et
Darrin. Accounting for the time it took to build, ship, and fit the
new body, Jaskow did not take delivery of his completed Rolls-Royce
until August 27, 1932. The prominent, heavy beltline molding and
delicate, scrolled door handles of this Transformable Phaeton are
Hibbard & Darrin hallmarks. The design's signature trapezoidal
windows are tightly nested within the matching convertible top, a
feature for which the coachbuilder secured patent rights. The
elegant bodywork features their signature "Sylentlyte" construction
method, which comprises hand-formed aluminum sheets wrapped around
a wood and thinly-cast aluminum structure. This Transformable
Phaeton's front and rear fenders are the only body pieces composed
of conventional steel. The cabin and exterior are highly detailed
in Hibbard & Darrin's typical fashion, with exquisite fine hardware
and inlaid woodwork throughout. Interestingly, S302LR has a roll-up
central division window - a unique feature not seen on any other
extant Transformable Phaeton. At some point around 1944, fellow
Manhattan resident S. Mindlin purchased the Rolls-Royce. It reached
its third Manhattan owner, Harry Walendorf Jr., in 1955 and
remained under his care until the early 1960s. Between 1963 and
1976, this uniquely configured chassis passed through several
collections up and down the East Coast of America until 1977, when
it was acquired by Philip Wichard of Huntington Bay, New York.
Wichard purchased the car with it having just been treated to a
complete restoration to the stunning maroon and red livery it wears
today. In March of 1995, this remarkable Phantom I was acquired
from Wichard by the nephew of Howard "Dutch" Darrin. Over the past
25 years of private and carefully tended enjoyment, it has been the
crown jewel of the Darrin family's collection. As such, the car has
been fastidiously maintained-without consideration to expense-by
Rolls-Royce specialist Charlie Webb of Automotive Restorations,
Inc. in Stratford, Connecticut. A comprehensive binder of service
invoices accompanies the car, with its most recent entry showing
north of $12,000 worth of routine mechanical servicing within the
last year. Also included are chassis records and ownership
documents. While in the most recent owner's care, the distinctive
and elegant Phantom I was shown at the Greenwich Concours
d'Elegance, where it undoubtedly found many admirers. As offered
here, it is in excellent condition, with a rich and appealing
character earned through years of care and enjoyment. No collection
of essential pre-war classics is complete without a Springfield
Rolls-Royce Phantom I, and few are more graceful and important than
this unique Hibbard & Darrin Transformable Phaeton. Offers welcome
and trades considered For additional details please view this
listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7150-1929-rolls-royce-phantom-i-hibbard-darrin-transformable-phaeton/
