RREC concours-winning, over £365,000 spent on restoration
1928 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom I Tourer
Coachwork by James Young
Registration no. UC 5050
Chassis no. 92UF
Engine no. SJ45

'As regards detail, it is practically hopeless to go into any one point, for there is not a single minor component of the chassis which has not its interest and is not carried out in a manner suggesting that the designers were able to deal with every problem, great or small, unhampered by the possible cost of solution, intent only on making the best mechanism for the job in hand.' – 'The Autocar' on the New Phantom, 22nd May 1925. Rolls-Royce's 'single model' policy had proved to be 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, 20hp car to be built alongside the existing 40/50hp Silver Ghost. Henry Royce's new design incorporated a number of modern features such as overhead valve-gear for its six-cylinder engine, a centre-change gearbox and 'Hotchkiss drive' rear axle, the advanced newcomer's arrival only serving to emphasise the Silver Ghost's Edwardian origins. However, the 45/50hp model would soon benefit from developments pioneered on its smaller sibling. Long-awaited successor to the 'Ghost, the New Phantom arrived in 1925 and retained many Ghost features despite the name. 'After seven years of experiment and test, in the course of which no promising device had remained untried, the 45/50hp Phantom chassis emerged, and is offered to the public as the most suitable type possible for a mechanically propelled carriage under present-day conditions,' announced Rolls-Royce. Retrospectively known as the 'Phantom I', the newcomer boasted an entirely new pushrod overhead-valve, 7,688cc, six-cylinder engine with detachable cylinder head, a unit considerably more powerful than that of its Edwardian predecessor. Rolls-Royce had experimented with various types of engine configuration during development, a V12, straight-eight and overhead-camshaft six all being rejected, as was the option of supercharging. Effectively a larger version of the 'Twenty' power unit, the design settled upon employed two blocks of three cylinders with valve gear and combustion chamber shape similar to those of its smaller sibling. In its May 1925 test, 'The Autocar' observed that the New Phantom's greatly improved acceleration and 80mph top speed 'had not been bought at the expense of the traditional Rolls-Royce silence and smoothness.' It was also discovered that the newcomer could go virtually anywhere in top gear, a characteristic inherited from its Silver Ghost predecessor. The New Phantom, like the 20hp, adopted a disc-type clutch and adjustable radiator shutters; its chassis though, remained essentially the same as that of the later four-wheel-braked 'Ghost and would continue fundamentally unchanged until the arrival of the Phantom II in 1929 brought with it an entirely new frame. 'The Autocar' found the brakes steering and suspension 'above reproach' and took pains to praise the exceptional ride quality, achieved by the use of shock absorbers adjustable for varying road conditions. The New Phantom's introduction coincided with the start of an upturn in the general economic climate resulting in a healthy order book that saw 2,258 chassis delivered during the four-year production run, many going to the farthest corners of the British Empire. It would be no exaggeration to say that the beautiful Phantom I tourer offered here is one of the very finest we have ever seen. Chassis number '92UF' was delivered new to Jarvis Ltd of Edgware Road, London W2 on 27th January 1928, but although the Paddington company was a coachbuilder as well as a motor dealer, the Rolls-Royce was sent on for bodying to James Young. One of the handful of British coachbuilding firms still active after WW2, the Bromley-based carriage-maker had bodied its first automobile in 1908, affiliating itself with a succession of quality marques throughout the 1920s and 1930s before being acquired by Jack Barclay in 1937. Accompanying copy build sheets show that '92UF' was erected on the long chassis and fitted with engine number 'SJ45', which it retains to this day. Springs suitable for an open touring body were specified together with a polished bonnet, side lamps on the wing tops, two spare wheel carriers and a luggage grid. '92UF' was finally tested at Young's on 30th March 1928. The Phantom is pictured in 'Coachwork on Rolls-Royce' by Lawrence Dalton (page 362), the dual cowl open tourer body, complete with its unusual rear decking and screen, giving the car a rakish, sporting look. Registered 'UC 5020', the Phantom was first owned by one H E Swallow Esq of Kesington, London and appears to have remained in the capital for almost the next 50 years. An accompanying old-style logbook (issued May 1958) records the next owner as George Clarke of Bayswater, London. The next ownership record is found in another old logbook listing John Warth of London (from March 1973) followed by marque-specialist motor dealer Frank Dale Ltd (now Frank Dale & Stepsons) of London in May 1977. Frank Dale then sold the Rolls-Royce to James E Magin of Chicago, Illinois. It is not known for how long James Machin kept the car, or of any subsequent owners in the USA apart from Cornelius and Mary Wentges of Naples, Florida, whose Certificate of Title (issued 2006) is in the history file. It appears that the couple had owned the car since at least 1999. In March 2007 '92UF' returned to the UK (C&E Form 386 on file) and after a very brief period in the ownership of Charles Anthony Howard of Gloucestershire was acquired by the current vendor on 20th May of that same year. Shortly thereafter, in September 2007, the mammoth task of completely restoring the car commenced. Co-ordinated by Brigade Motors Ltd of Stroud, Gloucestershire, the restoration is recorded in their accompanying Customer Reports (most recent dated October 2013) listing work carried out by various specialists since September '07 and totalling £365,314.05. These include the highly respected Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations, which undertook the bulk of the work; T A & J M Coburn; Autoshop; Vintage & Classic Restorations; Thornley Kelham; and The Vintage & Classic Paint Shop. The rebuild is recorded photographically in an accompanying ring binder while the other binder's invoices section is approximately 1½" thick. Close inspection is essential to fully appreciate the vendor's fastidious, no-expense-spared approach to the rebuild. Additional history on file includes copies of old V5C registration documents; assorted correspondence; SORN paperwork; and a quantity of old MoTs (most recent expired February 2013). Since completion, '92UF' has amassed an impressive haul of concours trophies at the R-REC's Annual Rally, winning the 'Touring Class 2' and 'Elegance' awards in 2012 and picking up a second-place award in the 'Class 2, Phantom I' category in 2013. Finished in blue with matching leather interior, the car comes equipped with cocktail cabinet and full wet-weather gear, and is presented in quite exceptional condition, wanting for nothing and ready for the fortunate new owner to enjoy.