Steve_Mack_CT Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Silverghost was asking about an Auburn BTS in another post, and if anyone had stories to relate on the car. It made me think of this RR and it's ORIGINAL owner until his death at age 102, in the town I grew up in here in CT.Apologies in advance if I posted this a couple years ago, but it is a great story. I actually would see this car around West Hartford, CT over the years. Once on a drizzly afternoon in late November the owner had it out and it looked like, well a phantom! He was not shy about using his pride and joy:Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster Still a Classic - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock_steve Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Pretty amazing. Someone drove a 1928 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 "Piccadilly Roadster" to an antique auto show in Stratford, CT that I attended in May of this year. It was quite the machine and overshone every other car there. Here is my report about the event, with a couple of pictures: SAAC:Boothe Park Antique Car Show, 5/16/2010, Stratford, CTHow many of these are around? Is it possibly the same car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted October 1, 2010 Author Share Posted October 1, 2010 Steve, great coverage of the shows you attend, sir. The RR the Dragone Bros. brought out is not the same car. (but they always bring fantastic cars to the local shows here in CT, and are really nice guys) The Swift car was actually left with a trust fund to support it when it was donated to a museum in Springfield! After I posted this I see Silverghost made mention of the car in another post so he is familliar with the story. We are lucky as it seems like there are a fair number of Springfield RR cars here in Southern New England.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Silverghost Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) I had the pleasure of meeting Allen Swift & his Springfield R~R roadster when he was 100 years young !He loved showing the car and talking about it !His father gave it to him as a graduation gift when it was new ! The car is in original shape with the exception that the left running board rubber matting is worn through the rubber and burlap backing to the wood board itself where Allen stepped inside. Allen was the oldest original Springfield Rolls~Royce owner. It was a joy to meet Allen and his Rolls~Royce ! Many collectors offered Allen truckloads of cash for the Rolls~Royce over the years~He said he would never sell her ~In the end he gave her away along with a large trust fund to care for her in the future ! Edited October 1, 2010 by Silverghost (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock_steve Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 A car with its own trust fund--that's neat!Thanks guys for the most interesting followup info!Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Silverghost Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 (edited) Allen Swift once told me that his father at graduation offered to send him to university , or cash to send him on a trip, or the Springfield Rolls~Royce Roadster~ He chose the roadster; and always said he made the correct choice ! Allen did use this auto on a regular basis around town in nice weather for decades !He had all of it's original paperwork & service records from Rolls~Royce of America in Springfild Mass.He visited the factory there many times and saw similar chassis being built.He also had them up-grade various systems on his Phantom roadster in the early years. He knew Arthur Souter the customer service manager very well.Arthur Souter claimed to be the very first person hired at Springfield R~R when they set-up this 100% American operation. Arthur was also the last person to leave when Rolls Royce of America Inc. shut-down operations and closed it's doors. Arthur Souter later wrote the book The American Rolls_Royce and helped my old friend John De Campi research the book Rolls Royce in America ! Many people who don't know it's history say that the Springfield Rolls Royce was a Brittish built car~Not so !!! Rolls Royce of America Inc was a totally new independant 100 % American company ! It all started when Rolls~Royce of England had a hard time selling & importing their fine and costly cars into the USA market.. US Congress had instituted a 40% import tarrif tax on all Foreign car imports to protect the US auto builders. A group of US business men decided to start a totally new independant US corporation to build Rolls~Royce autos here after WW ISpringfield Mass. was chosen because there was a factory there; the old Buffalo Wire Wheel factory & Indian motorcycle buildings. Springfield Mass was the hub of WW I military rifle production. After the war there were many out-of-work machinists and very skilled workers in Springfield.They were rehired ! At first the US Springfield & Brittish cars were almost identical. Soon the US-built cars were radically changed and were nothing like the Brittish-built units ! So now you know that the Springfield Rolls~Royce Silver Ghosts & Phantoms were American Car~Built & Designed 100 % in the USA !They are an AMERICAN AUTO> Back to Allen Swift~He was a regular fixture at Rolls~Royce owner's events for decades !Late in his life he loaned his roadster to the Rolls~Royce Owners Club & Foundation for their museum displays here in PA.. I saw it there.They had hoped he would donate it to them~But it appears that Allen wanted the Springfield Rolls Royce Phantom I to go back to it's birthplace in Springfield Mass !By the way~ Allen Swift's great roadster cost $16000. in 1928 !!!What would that be factored into today's money? ANDThe Springfield R_R factory still stands to ths day with their sign still on an outside wall ! Now~how many here really knew that the Springfield Rolls Royce cars really were 100% American Cars ??? Edited October 1, 2010 by Silverghost (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Silverghost Posted October 1, 2010 Share Posted October 1, 2010 Allen Swift was not the only older original owner of a Springfield R~R auto~ There was an original owner well up into his 90s that had a similar Rolls~Royce roadster~This one was was a Silver Ghost the model prior to the "New Phantom" It was used on this man's estate by the owner in his later years to carry his two big dogs around his property.When he passed-on the car sat in the carriage house until being discoverd and it is now in the hands of a husband & wife team who are taking very good care of it and use it to tour all over the world today !I met these fine folks & have seen the Ghost Roadster many times ! Allen Swift's family owned several large buinesses in that area~The primary business was a printing ink & rubber stamp & ink pad business started by Allen's Father . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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