1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

Following the hugely successful 18-year production run of the Silver Ghost, Rolls-Royce was firmly at the forefront of luxury and sporting motorcar production. The Silver Ghost deservedly earned the title 'The Best Car in the World', thanks to the soundness of its design and the painstaking lengths the Rolls-Royce engineers and workmen went to during construction, and it's fair to say that the Ghost’s efficiency, reliability, and superb performance were unmatched at the time. Its reputation laid the foundations for the continued success of the company and, following seven years of development, a new chapter in Rolls-Royce’s story commenced. The 2nd May 1925 saw the arrival of the New Phantom, which later became known as the Phantom I, and featured the introduction of the pushrod-operated, overhead valve engine replacing the side-valve Ghost engine. It produced 33% more horsepower at just over 2,000rpm than its predecessor, thanks to a host of mechanical improvements. Three groups of two-cylinders with detachable heads powered the 7.7-litre six-cylinder offering rapid acceleration and the ability to maintain high speeds for long periods of time 'undreamt of before'. The New Phantom was a great success and was a very worthy successor to the Silver Ghost. Production lasted until early 1930, with a total of 2,269 chassis being produced here, while a little more than 1,200 further chassis were completed at the Rolls-Royce factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. The standard chassis was listed with a price tag of £1,850 and then it was up to the new owner to instruct the coachbuilder of his/her choice to construct coachwork to their taste.

This important motorcar, #37LC, has been confirmed by the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in London in 1985 as being formerly owned by His Late Majesty, King Mohammed V of Morocco. According to correspondence with the Ambassador, the chassis was specially prepared in Paris by James Radley, a phenomenally talented driver for Rolls-Royce who had a series of spectacular wins in Alpine Rallies in a self-prepared Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. It was fitted with a fabulous cabriolet body by Carrosserie L Gallé before having a later body, based loosely on a paper design by Gallé again, originally for a Bugatti, but built on to #37LC. It was considerably lighter which consequently unlocked huge performance improvements, making the Phantom far more 'racy' with a turn of speed that now matched its looks. The car was owned by His Majesty from 1925-1932 and resided in Paris but is known to have visited London at least once during this period.

#37LC was discovered by renowned Rolls-Royce guru Michael Forrest in the early-1980s, and through his knowledge and research into its historical importance, set about restoring the car to its former glory. As with many projects and restorations, the pursuit of perfection can dominate the process, and whilst the project was started in the 1980s, the car wasn’t finished until after Michael Forrest's unfortunate passing when the mantle was picked up by the current custodian with the final touches being made in 2023. A 40-year restoration is extraordinary, but when looking at the car and the exquisite level of detail one can understand why it took so long.

The history file is fairly minimal due to the nature of an enthusiast restoration, with the bulk of the paperwork being copies of the original Purchase Order from Rolls-Royce including all specifications as well as parts ordered and required at the time with a huge amount of photos documenting the restoration process.

Upon completing the restoration, the car was run up to temperature to check for any leaks or issues and, thankfully, there were none, with the engine reportedly running and driving as beautifully as it looks. Presenting in simply outstanding condition, this fabulous, early Rolls-Royce Phantom I has been restored and rebuilt with absolute perfection in mind. A collage of Dove Grey, Navy Blue, Bakelite, chrome, brass, copper and polished steel, it's simply exquisite, a work of art and an image from the time when men of impeccable taste and unlimited funds met passionate craftsmen with hard-won skills in order to create an automotive statement.

With the mammoth restoration completed after 40-years, the car was then displayed with justifiable pride in our vendor's office entrance, with the doors built in afterwards. Unfortunately, this meant that to extract the car in order to prepare it for the sale, the whole front of the office had to be deconstructed, which is a new one for us!

Our vendor's goal with #37LC was to complete the restoration correctly to Michael Forrest’s standards, which we can comfortably say has been achieved and with this fabulous project completed, it's now time for this glorious Phantom to move on to its next home. Its sheer style, elegance and unique Royal provenance mean that #37LC would be welcome in any collection of important motor cars, but after 40-odd years of not going anywhere, it would be wonderful to see it out and about enjoying the English countryside.