Rolls Royce Phantom 1

Rolls Royce Phantom 1 History

The Phantom 1, like the well-known Ghost, was built in both the United Kingdom and the United States, with the US model being introduced one year later. The new pushrod overhead valve straight-6 engine was a significant upgrade over the Silver Ghost. The enormous engine, built as three groups of two cylinders with removable heads in extremely sophisticated and state-of-the-art technology for the time, generated excellent power to draw the large heavy automobile. The engine had a 414-inch bore and a 512-inch stroke for a total displacement of 7.7 Litres. In 1928, aluminium was used in place of cast iron in the cylinder heads.

Front suspension was provided by semi-elliptical springs, while the rear suspension was provided by cantilever springs. 4-wheel servo-assisted brakes were also required, however, some early US vehicles did not have these. The available wheelbases differed between the US and UK versions; both were specified with the same 143.5 base length, but the UK long-wheelbase model was longer at 150.5 inches than the 146.5-inch American version. Other distinctions included the gearbox, with UK versions employing a 4-speed manual gearbox and American models employing a 3-speed manual gearbox, both with a single dry-plate clutch. The UK Phantoms were constructed in Rolls-Derby Royce's plant, whereas the US Phantoms were built in Springfield, Massachusetts.