Rolls-Royce · 1925–1931

Rolls-Royce Phantom I

The Rolls-Royce Phantom was Rolls-Royce's replacement for the original Silver Ghost. Introduced as the New Phantom in 1925, the Phantom had a larger engine than the Silver Ghost and used pushrod-operated overhead valves instead of the Silver Ghost's side valves. The Phantom was built in Derby, England, and Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States. There were several differences in specification between the English and American Phantoms. The Phantom was replaced by the Phantom II in 1929. The designation Phantom I was never used by Rolls-Royce; it is a construct of enthusiasts applied to help distinguish it from other generations with the same model name.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost · Successor: Rolls-Royce Phantom II

All Rolls-Royce Phantom I data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Description

=== Name === Introduced in 1925, the New Phantom was Rolls-Royce's second 40/50 hp model. To differentiate between the 40/50 hp models, Rolls-Royce named the new model "New Phantom" and renamed the old model "Silver Ghost", which was the name given to their demonstration example, Registration No. AX201. The name Phantom was a nod to the previous "Silver Ghost", remarking on the vehicles "extraordinary stealth" and quietness in comparison to other vehicles offered at the time. When the New Phantom was replaced by another 40/50 hp model in 1929, the replacement was named Phantom II and the New Phantom was commonly referred to as Phantom I to this day. While Rolls-Royce themselves did not use the term "Phantom I" until their recent acquisition by BMW Group, New Phantoms were referred to as such in period and are commonly called Phantom I by enthusiasts, concours events, and owner's clubs. Drivetrain. One major improvement over the Silver Ghost was the new pushrod-OHV straight-6 engine. Constructed as two groups of three cylinders with a single detachable head, the engine was described by Rolls-Royce as producing "sufficient" power. The engine used a 4+1⁄4 in (108.0 mm) bore and undersquare 5+1⁄2 in (139.7 mm) stroke for a total of 7.7 L (7,668 cc (467.9 cu in)) of displacement. In 1928, the cylinder heads were upgraded from cast iron to aluminium; this caused corrosion problems. The separate gearbox connected through a rubberised fabric flexible coupling to the clutch and through a torque tube enclosed drive to the differential at rear, as in the Silver Ghost. Chassis. The New Phantom used the same frame as the Silver Ghost, with semi-elliptical springs suspending the front axle and cantilever springs suspending the rear axle. Four-wheel brakes with a servo-assistance syst

Coachwork

Only the chassis and mechanical parts were produced by Rolls-Royce. The body was made and fitted by a coachbuilder selected by the owner. British coachbuilders who produced bodies for New Phantoms included Barker, Park Ward, Windovers, Thrupp & Maberly, Mulliner, Hooper. Continental houses such as Saoutchik, Henry Binder and Kellner in Paris, Erdmann and Rossi in Berlin, Baltasar Fiol in Spain, Nordberg in Sweden and the Italian coachbuilder Zagato also produced coachwork for the New Phantom, just to name a few. Despite the availability of a US-built chassis, a handful of British-made Phantoms were outfitted with American coachwork. American Phantoms could be bought with standardized bodies from Brewster & Co., which was owned by Rolls-Royce after 1926, and additional coachwork choices were available from Fleetwood. Several coachwork choices were listed, or just a plain chassis could be provided for US$13,335 ($250,031 in 2025 dollars ) A fendered chassis was also available, while coachwork choices were listed by different city names in England: These include the Derby Touring Sedan, Ascot Phaeton, York Roadster, Huntington Limousine, Henley Convertible, Avon Sedan, Newmarket Convertible Sedan, Chatsworth Town Car, and the French city of Trouville Town Car. A convertible sedan with coachwork from Hibbard & Darrin was also offered, as were other French-made bodies by the same coachbuilder. They were shipped to the United States and subsequently mounted on Springfield Phantom chassis.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Rolls-Royce New Phantom
Manufacturer: Rolls-Royce Ltd (UK), Rolls-Royce of America (US)
aka: 40/50 Phantom, Phantom I
Production: 1925–1931, 3,512 produced, 2,269 at Derby, 1,243 at Springfield
Assembly: United Kingdom: Derby, England, United States: Springfield, Massachusetts
Class: Luxury car
Body style: 4-door saloon
Layout: FR layout
Engine: 7668 cc I6
Transmission: 3-speed manual, 4-speed manual
Wheelbase: 143+1/2 in, US LWB: 146+1/2 in, UK LWB: 150+1/2 in
Predecessor: Silver Ghost
Successor: Phantom II

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q973232CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Phantom_ICC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1368955741 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1927_Rolls-Royce_Phantom_I_2.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: see file page · retrieved 2026-10-01
Manufacturer website (link only) — http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.comLink only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.