1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Sedanca (40/50 New Phantom)

This stately looking Phantom is a Hooper bodied example exhibiting body number 7293. Hooper had an illustrious history having been founded as far back as 1805 and had become synonymous with producing luxurious carriages with no concern for cost. In this case a coupé de ville, town car or sedanca de ville style is used where the long-suffering driver sat in an open topped compartment separate from (and decidedly less well-appointed than) the luxuriously appointed passenger compartment. In our example a retrospectively fitted, removeable rain hood has been fitted.

As is often the case with such long lived vehicles, this is a 95-year-old car remember, very little is known of the bulk of the car’s history. We know that the car is a Derby built model and was first registered on the 28th February 1929. The Phantom underwent a full, professional restoration around 20 years ago and, clearly, diligent care since then has maintained that recently restored condition.

This right-hand drive Rolls-Royce today resides near Antwerp in Belgium. Owner Denis has the car’s every need taken care of by a Rolls-Royce specialist garage. He reports that the car drives very smoothly and fully belies it’s 95 years.

With the time-honoured Rolls-Royce tradition of deferring the production of bodywork to a wide range of coachbuilders, no two Phantoms will be the same. The preeminent coachbuilders did keep a numbered catalogue of body designs that the buyer could choose from, but each style remained highly bespoke and configurable. This example is clothed in Hooper’s body style number 7293. A sedanca de ville body, the driver’s compartment remained open to the elements with the, undoubtably, prestigious passengers enjoying a fully enclosed and sumptuously appointed compartment.

The striking Phantom is finished in a combination of cobalt blue and black paintwork. The lower portions of the body, huge running boards, wheels and mudguards, are finished in an inky gloss black as are the window frames and windscreen scuttle. The passenger comportment roof is covered in taut black vinyl. The middle sections of the body are finished in an eye-catching cobalt blue shade. The tall, centrally hinged bonnet remains in an attractive polished alloy, rivetted finish. It all makes for a beguiling combination of shades, textures and substrates and the overall condition appears excellent.

In this application, the iconic Pantheon grill looks remarkably tall and a full sixteen vertical slats wide. When this car left Derby, Charles Robinson Sykes’s Spirit of Ecstasy had just turned 18 years old but looks just as enigmatic as ever despite her tender years. Huge Lucas, chromed backed headlamps vie for attention with the grill and accompanying sprite. A deeply chromed, double bar bumper finishes the look. An identical looking bumper graces the rear profile and sits below a charming leather covered, chrome fitting adorned, steamer style trunk which provides storage for hampers, outlandishly large hats and the like.

The 20-inch, cross-spoked wheels are finished in black and are centred with Rolls-Royce embossed alloy centres. These are shod with a matching set of Excelsior radial type tyres. These were fitted in January 2023 and two spare wheels and tyres are mounted to each front mudguard. The chromed wing mirrors are charmingly attached to these via leather straps. 

Despite the driver’s compartment seeming austere and basic by the standards of 1929, it looks surprisingly smart in the context of today’s minimal aesthetic. A large pair of well stuffed seats predominate, finished in smooth black leather. The dashboard and door tops are finished in deeply varnished wood veneer. The instrument panel is well equipped with a family of brass rimmed dials. Only the all-important clock is finished in a white alloy – a crucial aid for the driver to arrive and depart exactly on time. The four spoked alloy and Bakelite steering wheel is centred with a brass, sextant style control unit. This allows the driver to manage the fuel mixture, ignition timing and governor speed by way of three levers.

However charming the front cabin is, it can’t hold a candle to the passenger compartment! Opening a rear hinged door reveals an aesthetic that wouldn’t look out of place in the Palace of Versailles. It’s possibly the heavily pleated fabric headlining that grabs the attention and takes the breath away first. It faces strong competition, however, from the Damask silk, sunrise pleated, padded door panels. Seating is courtesy of a button backed and heavily pleated, chaise stye bench which looks invitingly cosseting. Deeply varnished walnut veneer adorns the door panels an waistline of the cabin.

A stand-out detail is the corded, brass speaking horn which allowed the passengers to convey spoken instructions to the driver. The driver had an equivalent receiver mounted adjacent to their right ear making it impossible for them to pretend they didn’t hear their master’s or mistress’s perfectly enunciated missives.

The huge 7.7-litre straight six engine was thought to develop around 95 hp which was impressive by the standards of the day. Power is relayed to the rear wheels by a four-speed manual gear box with a synchromesh on both third and fourth. In traditional style for the period, the gear selector is located to the right of the driver. Apparently the optimal driving style is to get into top gear as quickly as possible and then use the ignition advance and mixture control to let the big engine do the rest. With each aluminium piston displacing almost 1.3 litres, pulling power is reportedly not an issue.

The alloy bonnet lifts both sides to afford generous access to that behemoth of an engine. The condition is really nothing short of amazing given the vintage of this….vintage Rolls-Royce. Plenty of polished alloys and brass mingle with black treated surfaces. The interesting twin sparkplug arrangement is just one of the fascinating details under here.

Current custodian, Denis, reports that the Rolls-Royce drives very smoothly with no known mechanical issues reported. What a thrilling, completely involving experience driving this car must be, too.

There is not too much to report, here. The Phantom is currently registered in Belgium and the requisite documents associated with that status are present. There are a couple of invoices also photographed. One from January 2023 corresponds to the fitment of a new set of period correct, radial type tyres. The other from October 2022 appears to relate to a service and oil change at the hands of specialists Oldtimer Farm.

The “New Phantom” had some very big shoes to fill by following the accomplished and revered Silver Ghost. However, with not too much changing between the models, other than a significantly improved engine, the Phantom was essentially a Silver Ghost Plus. Any luxury conveyance which is still useable and in use 95 years after its manufacture is by definition remarkable and none are more so than Rolls-Royces from this period.

This example has every base covered. Its earlier restoration has aged very well, and the condition is frankly breathtaking for a vehicle of this age. The mechanical condition is reportedly equally outstanding and the myriad of period details on Rolls-Royces of this vintage are as fascinating as they are charming. What an amazing opportunity to own a Rolls-Royce “New Phantom” and possibly remain its keeper as it passes its 100th birthday. A rare and thrilling privilege. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Antwerp. Viewings are strictly by appointment, so please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing to arrange a day/time. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.