- Elegant Huntington coachwork by Brewster
- Springfield L Series
- Left-hand-drive example
- Seven-passenger limousine with divider window
LOT 626
Selling on Saturday Evening
From the Lone Star Estate Collection, Coachwork by Brewster
1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I L Series Limousine
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
Rolls-Royce's 'single model' policy had proved an outstanding success for the company, but immediately after the end of The Great War, the recession in the motor trade prompted the introduction of a smaller, cheaper, 20-horsepower car to be built alongside the existing 40/50-horsepower Silver Ghost. Henry Royce's new design incorporated a number of modern features such as overhead-valve gear for its six-cylinder engine, a center-change gearbox and Hotchkiss drive rear axle, and the advanced newcomer's arrival only served to emphasize the Silver Ghost's Edwardian origins. However, the 45/50-horsepower model would soon benefit from developments pioneered on its smaller sibling.
Introduced by Rolls-Royce in 1925 to replace the Silver Ghost, the new Phantom (retrospectively known as the Phantom I) boasted an entirely new overhead-valve six-cylinder engine displacing 7,668cc and, like the contemporary 20-horsepower model, adopted a disc-type clutch and adjustable radiator shutters. Its chassis, though, remained essentially the same as that of the later, four-wheel-brake Silver Ghost and would continue fundamentally unchanged until the arrival of the Phantom II in 1929, which brought with it an entirely new frame. Like its Silver Ghost predecessor, the new Phantom was also produced by Rolls-Royce of America Incorporated, a subsidiary set up in December 1919 when the parent company purchased the American Wire Wheel Company's plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield commenced manufacture of the new Phantom in 1926 and, by the second half of 1929, production had risen to 12 cars per week. This would prove to be the high point of Rolls-Royce of America's fortunes. With the October '29 Wall Street Crash and the introduction of the Phantom II, retooling for which the U.S. company could not afford, signaled the beginning of its decline. The Phantom I was in production for only five years and the Derby-built models ran parallel with the Springfield cars but ended in 1929, whereas the American-produced cars continued until 1931.
Unlike its British-built counterpart, the American product could be ordered with 'factory' bodywork, usually by Brewster, the latter company having been taken over by Rolls-Royce in December 1925. As well as manufacturing coachwork of the highest quality, Brewster had built its own automobiles from 1915 up to the time of its acquisition by Rolls-Royce, re-emerging as an automaker in its own right. Using Ford chassis, when U.S. Phantom production finally ceased in 1934, the company became part of the reconstituted Springfield Manufacturing Corporation.
This classic Rolls-Royce was produced in Springfield, Massachusetts, and fitted with elegant seven-passenger limousine coachwork by Brewster of New York named the 'Huntington.' Finished in a dark green color with a black formal roof, fenders and wheels, features of this car include left-hand drive, wire wheels, dual side-mount tires with cloth covers and wide whitewall tires. The chauffeur's compartment has a seat trimmed appropriately in black leather, while passengers enjoy a luxuriously appointed interior with a plush pleated and tufted cloth rear seat and gracefully sweeping armrests, as well as two collapsible jump seats. Additional interior amenities include a rear clock, a glass divider window, and a metal bar suspended by two upholstered straps that could be used as an assist handle or a place to hang a blanket.
Although this car was restored many years ago, it remains in excellent condition and now benefits from a charming patina and elegance one would perhaps associate with a fine piece of furniture. It spent many years in the noted Gordon Granger collection prior to its more recent time in the Lone Star Estate Collection. This stately Rolls-Royce presents an excellent opportunity to acquire an example of one of the great late-series Phantom I cars that is full of style and character.
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