Beschreibung:

Today, we can only imagine a world where a great Classic car might be discovered languishing beside a roadside garage, in the care of a proprietor who would be only too happy to hand the magnificent vehicle off to us, for a relative pittance. But such a world did exist, if only briefly, in the formative years of the car collecting hobby. It was during that period, now nearly sixty years past, that the consignor’s father encountered and bought this exceedingly rare and desirable 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Derby Speedster… In 1926, Rolls-Royce introduced the “New Phantom” (later known at the Phantom I), to at last replace their truly world-renowned Silver Ghost. The Roll-Royce of America factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, which had been producing Silver Ghost chassis since 1921, would now build Phantom chassis for the burgeoning American market—by the mid-1920s, Rolls-Royce had become the car of choice among America’s Jazz Age super-elite. (One famous, albeit fictional, Rolls-Royce owner was Jay Gatsby, protagonist of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, ,iThe Great Gatsby.) Brewster & Co. bodied many of the 1,235 Springfield Roll-Royces built between 1926 and 1931-Rolls-Royce of America had acquired the long established and highly esteemed New York coachbuilder while the Springfield factory was being set up and it would remain part of that organization until the American Rolls-Royce unit was disbanded in 1934. One of the most unusual and sporting styles Brewster created for the Phantom I was the Derby Speedster, a stunning sports tourer that was produced in a very limited series. The 4-passenger car could be readily distinguished from other Phantom I open models by its curved door openings and unique fenders—which were reminiscent of the lightweight mudguards found on certain pre-WWI European sports models. Factory records indicate this Springfield-built, left-hand drive Phantom I chassis was equipped with a Brewster Lonsdale Limousine body when it was originally delivered to T M Howell, a Chicago customer in December 1928. The car apparently acquired its present Brewster Derby Speedster body, complete with special fenders unique to the model, sometime prior to 1950. (It was not uncommon for Brewster and other coachbuilders to switch bodies around on lightly-used luxury-car chassis during the tumultuous days of the early 1930s.) The consignor relates that his late father bought the Derby Speedster from an establishment called “Smitty’s Garage” in Miami, Florida, sometime between 1949 and 1951. The new owner drove the car to work daily, continuing to do so until his retirement in the mid-1970s. He reportedly enjoyed maintaining and “tinkering” with the car’s massive 7.6-liter (468cid) 6-cylinder engine. On one memorable occasion in the 1960s, the car was driven from Huntsville, Alabama to Sarasota and back. The consignor recalls that the Derby Speedster was painted black when his father obtained it in Florida. The car was refinished in the off-white and brown tones it yet carries by a Huntsville, Alabama restorer in 1971 (some age cracks are now evident in the paint). The interior was re-done in a dark red synthetic leather material. The Rolls-Royce was garaged for seventeen years prior to being readied for sale here. The seller states that one engine cylinder may have been re-sleeved in the past and notes that two pistons are currently seized. A non-standard electric fuel pump had been fitted. One rear fender shows unrepaired damage. The factory tool kit is not present and the radiator shutters are missing. The seller also notes the following deviations from original specifications: the rear bumper and trunk are non-standard. One dash gauge is a non-authentic replacement and sealed beam units have been installed into the original headlamps’ reflectors. A 1928 factory brochure for the New Phantom promised, “…the aristocratic bearing will never cease to charm you, the lithe performance will never cease to thrill you.” Then as now,