1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Ascot Tourer
Among the catalogue of bodies produced under the Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work label for Springfield-built Phantom Is, the Ascot Tourer stands as one of the most visually distinctive.
Only 28 were produced between Brewster of Long Island City and Merrimac, and the design is immediately recognizable: flowing fenders, a nearly horizontal concave polished beltline, and a raked one-piece windshield give it a sporting proportion that sets it apart from the more formal Springfield offerings.
Rolls-Royce first began building automobiles for the American market in 1921 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and after acquiring the Brewster Body Company in 1926, offered a selection of standard Brewster-built coachwork on its New Phantom (later known as the Phantom I).
These cars differ from their Derby counterparts in several particulars, including a three-speed center-change gearbox and a long wheelbase of 150½ inches. The 7.7-liter (7,668 cc) inline six-cylinder engine uses pushrod-operated overhead valves, a step forward from the Silver Ghost’s side-valve arrangement.
Later Springfield examples gained an aluminum cylinder head, chrome-plated exterior brightwork, servo-assisted four-wheel drum brakes, and thermostatically controlled radiator shutters. Total Springfield Phantom I production reached 1,243 units between 1926 and 1931.
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