1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Coupe

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is delighted to offer for sale this rather unique 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Coupe.

According to the factory records on file this long chassis ‘New Phantom’ was off test in October 1925 and delivered with Barker limousine coachwork to its first owner Mr WC Christie in December that year.

The build sheets confirm that this Phantom retains its original ‘matching numbers’ engine.

The car found its way to Australia in the 1930’s and into the ownership of RC Cleland from Melbourne who had the car rebodied. It is understood the stylish two door coachwork was completed by Martin and King. The car was repossessed in 1936 and sold to singer songwriter Peter Dawson in 1937. Dawson owned the Phantom until 1939 and it then passed through a few owners before being acquired by Harry Beenham from Sydney. Beenham was to be a long term owner of the car, owning it from 1943 to 1984. The car then passed through two subsequent owners before being acquired by the current owner at a Shannons auction in August 2015.

It is important to note that the engine was rebuilt by Sydney Vintage Car Restorations back in 2007 and the work included a new cylinder head with new valves, springs and seats as well as all new pistons, rings and bearings. At that time the odometer read 8,218 miles.

The current owner has spent significant time and money improving the car throughout his ownership. The car is well known in Rolls-Royce club circles and it is a regular attendee at major rallies. It is also documented in the book Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the Sunburnt Country by Tom Clarke & David Neely.

Today this ‘grand old lady’ presents and drives well. The overall presentation of the car is very good. The dark red over black paintwork is generally in good condition. There are minor defects and blemishes here and there, but the wear is simply consistent with a car that gets used and enjoyed. All of the brightwork and particularly the signature Rolls-Royce grill, the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot and the headlamps are in very good condition.

The black wire wheels are in good condition and finish the overall presentation of the car. They are shod with Firestone 650-20 tyres all around that were fitted in April 2019. The spare tyres were not replaced at that time.

You will note from the photos the car is carrying a lovely period trunk at the rear, which is in excellent condition and perfectly finishes the presentation of the car.

The doors fit well and are firm on their hinges. As a result they open and close as you would expect from a car of this quality.

Inside the cabin of this Phantom everything is neat, clean and tidy. The black upholstery is in excellent condition with no signs of wear or damage. The seats are very comfortable and provide ample support. An over mat has been fixed in the front of the car which can easily be removed. The front seats tilt forward to allow access to the rear of the cabin. Once in the back there is ample room for three passengers. This Phantom has a timber dash and timber door trims which are in excellent condition. The instruments and controls on these cars are a real feature and they present well on this car.

This Phantom is a car that you can jump into and drive anywhere. Once you get the hang of the starting procedure it is relatively straight forward to start the car. Whether the engine is cold or hot this car always starts on the first push of the starter button. The engine sounds exactly as it should and immediately settles into ‘that’ smooth Rolls-Royce idle. This car is made for the open road and it effortlessly cruises at highway speed and will keep up with modern traffic. The non synchro gearbox takes some getting used to, but once you master its operation the driving experience is quite rewarding. The engine has so much power and torque that you can be quite lazy with the gear changes, but that is not really in the spirit of driving this fabulous old car.

To improve the driving experience this car has been fitted with speed sensitive power steering and overdrive.

The current owner loves to drive his cars and this Phantom has travelled some 4,500 miles in his nine years of ownership. He has therefore made sure that the car is always ‘on the button’ and ready for its next adventure. At the time of photographing the car, the odometer read 3,474 miles.

There is an exceptional history file, including copies of the original build sheets and tool kit which will accompany the car.

Highlights:

A lovely Phantom with unique two door coachwork.
Fascinating history dating back to 1925.
A fantastic car to use for rallies and events.
Fitted with power steering and overdrive.
Ready to use and enjoy.

Price $139,950.

 

Details

The legend that was to become Rolls-Royce was founded in May 1904 when a deal was struck between Frederick Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls. Shortly after the first Rolls-Royce motor car, the Rolls-Royce 10hp, was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in December 1904. It was agreed that Rolls Royce would initially manufacture four different models being a two cylinder 10hp model, a three cylinder 15hp model, a four cylinder 20hp model and a six cylinder 20hp model. It was immediately apparent that to manufacture their cars Rolls Royce would require a larger factory and the decision was made to establish their headquarters and manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Derby in the east midlands of England.

On the 15th March 1906 the company Rolls-Royce Limited was formed and during this year Royce had been developing an improved six-cylinder model with more power than the 30hp. Initially designated the 40/50hp, this was the company’s first all-new model that was also to become known as the Silver Ghost.

Introduced in 1907, the 40/50hp or Silver Ghost remained in production until 1926. Originally powered by a 7,036cc six-cylinder engine, this was increased to 7,428cc in 1909 and following rave reviews was designated by the English car magazine Autocar as ‘the best car in the world’.

Like all car manufacturers Rolls-Royce was impacted by the First World War, however, post war the company made a strategic decision to manufacture a cheaper smaller car, enter the Rolls-Royce 20hp. This model was a success and produced alongside the Silver Ghost and its successor the Phantom ensuring the Rolls-Royce motor car company would survive and prosper.

In 1931 Rolls-Royce acquired the Bentley motor car company.

The Silver Ghost was an outstanding success and unbelievably a total of 7,874 cars were produced from 1907 to 1926 and it is understood that some 200 cars were sold new in Australia. A hard act to follow indeed, enter in 1925 the Rolls-Royce ‘New Phantom’ known later as the Phantom 1. Although using the same chassis as the Silver Ghost the Phantom featured a new 7,668cc six cylinder engine.

Like its predecessor, the Phantom was bodied by a number of different coach builders including Barker, Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, Mulliner, Hooper and others in the UK. In addition to building the Phantom at their plant in Derby, England, Rolls-Royce set up a manufacturing facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States of America to capitalise on the booming American market. The American built cars were mostly bodied by Brewster & Co and Fleetwood.

In total 3,509 Rolls-Royce Phantoms were built from 1925 to 1929, comprising 2,269 chassis’ built in the UK and 1,240 chassis’ built in the USA.

In 1929 Rolls-Royce introduced the Phantom II, which was powered by a refined version of the engine used in its predecessor, built on an entirely new chassis. Gearbox improvements, including synchromesh, were added as the Phantom II evolved.  In total 1,681 chassis’ were built through the six years of Phantom II production from 1929 through until 1935.

The Phantom III was introduced in 1936 and was the last of the ‘big engined’ prewar Rolls-Royces.  This model introduced the 7,338cc V12 engine and a number of other technological advancements at that time. These were very complicated motor cars. Only 727 Phantom III chassis’ were built from 1936 through to 1939.

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$139,950