Beschreibung:

1929 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I Newmarket All-Weather Tourer Coachwork by Brewster Registration no. SV 9167 Chassis no. S339LR• One of only circa 60 'Newmarket' bodied tourers • In excess of £70,000 spent over last 7 years • American built • Formerly HR Owen London Display Piece FootnotesRolls-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 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, and the advanced newcomer's arrival only served to emphasise the Silver Ghost's Edwardian origins. However, the 45/50hp 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 20hp model, adopted a disc-type clutch and adjustable radiator shutters. Its chassis though, remained essentially the same as that of the later, four-wheel-braked Silver Ghost and would continue fundamentally unchanged until the arrival of the Phantom II in 1929 brought with it an entirely new frame. Like its '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, the October '29 Wall Street Crash and the introduction of the Phantom II - re-tooling for which the US company could not afford - signalling 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 Americans 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 auto-maker in its own right, using Ford chassis, when US Phantom production finally ceased in 1934 and the company became part of the reconstituted Springfield Manufacturing Corporation. This example of the American-built left-hand drive Rolls-Royce Phantom I is fitted with the most handsome and practical Newmarket all-weather tourer coachwork by Brewster, an $18,800 option at the time. S339LR was delivered new to John F.Dillon in Beverly Hills, via W.C Darling on Boxing Day 1929. According to build records, circa only 60 Phantom 1's were delivered with 'Newmarket' Coachwork. In the early 1950's, the car moved to Texas and was still in Houston by the late 1970's. During 1991, S339LR joined the collection of renowned Swiss enthusiast, Hans Luscher. After restoration by the Real Car Company in 2002, the car passed into the hands of a British collector. During their ownership, the car was used sparingly but subjected to meticulous maintenance including significant work to the engine. The car once again changed hands in 2010 and between 2010 and 2014 was repainted in the resplendent Royal Blue that it presents in today. In 2014, S339LR was acquired by HR Owen where it was used as their main display piece in their central London. S339LR found its way to its most recent and final home in 2015. During the last seven years, o