1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Ascot Tourer
Among the catalog bodies available for the American-built “Springfield” Phantom I, the Ascot Tourer was part of a family of sporting open models that set the Springfield cars apart from their Derby-built counterparts.
The five-passenger body carried flowing fenders that anticipated the roadster aesthetics of the following decade, a concave-polished brightwork strip running nearly horizontal across the beltline, and a raked one-piece windshield (a combination that gave the open Phantom I a notably more athletic presence than anything the British factory offered).
Brewster, integrated with Rolls-Royce’s American operations following its 1925 acquisition, produced the great majority of Ascot bodies alongside related open styles including the Derby and the York Roadster.
Many examples served as “trial cars” (put in the hands of prospective buyers as the style thought to best show what a Springfield Rolls-Royce could offer), and the body drew a following among socialites and film stars on both coasts.
The long-wheelbase Springfield chassis stretches 146.5 inches and is powered by the 468 cu in OHV inline six, backed by a three-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel servo-assisted drum brakes. Of the 1,241 Phantom Is produced at Springfield through 1931, approximately 25 carried the Ascot Tourer body.
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