1926 Rolls Royce Phantom I (English Chassis with Brewster Coachwork)

[John_Mereness]

Here is a  British/American RR - A 1926 European PI Chassis with Brewster Coachwork/updating.  I believe the body style is called a "Prince of Wales".   The car is being sold by a friend for an Estate and he asked me if I would post a few photos on his behalf.  They are looking for as near to 59K as possible.  Runs & Drives, 1970's rebuilt engine with about 5K miles on it since, incredibly solid, very complete, GREAT "unobtainium" Carl Zeiss Headlamps/Fender/Cowl/Lamps (with ancient plastic covers over lenses) & Springfield taillamp, crank, wheel wrench, jack (and maybe more in tool box and trunk) that had quite a bit of stuff in it.  Unusual trunk built into rear body.  Needs a lot of german silver scrubbing and detail attention.     George Thielen, Dayton, OH 1-937-671-0768

Edited October 28, 2022 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[Fossil]

Oh if that car could talk. 

 

 

[prewarnut]

Fantastic!

[58L-Y8]

de Campi identifies this style close-coupled sedan with the integrated trunk and the hidden vents in the sail panel as the Torpedo sedan.  The 'skeleton' interior trim of exposed bows was typical.

[63RedBrier]

I like this Rolls; however, I wonder how well my 6'3" body would fold into that driver's compartment?  I wonder if the seat even adjusts?  The interior skeleton/woodwork is really appealing to me...

[prewarnut]

   In addition to the above question, I initially thought the roof had holes in it but on closer look there are some sort of brackets mounted up there. Any idea what these are for? They seem centered over the rear occupants doors.

[Lahti35]

3 hours ago, prewarnut said:

   In addition to the above question, I initially thought the roof had holes in it but on closer look there are some sort of brackets mounted up there. Any idea what these are for? They seem centered over the rear occupants doors.

I was looking at those this afternoon and was wondering what they were for also...Luggage rack? Inquiring minds want to know!

Edited November 4, 2022 by Lahti35 (see edit history)

[Buick35]

If I win the next Powerball I'll give you a call.

[m-mman]

Fascinating to read the order.  A chassis built in England (RHD) and shipped to Rolls-Royce of America Inc. in Springfield Mass who presumably installed the Brewster body. 

So, I guess the buyer most likely was in the UK (vacation?) when he made the deal in England and paid in Pounds Sterling. RR of America was its own company, certainly they made a profit on the body and finishing this chassis, but I wonder if they somehow made something on the chassis? Which they would have, if it had been ordered in the USA and bought in dollars. . . . 

 

EDIT- I searched the Immigration records. The car order seems to have been made on either the 21st of April or July (4 or 7? not clear) of 1925. Mr. Donnelly arrived with his wife and family back in NY, sailing on the SS. Ohio from Cherbourg France on September 25, 1925.  The chassis was built and shipped in January 1926 so the Sept 1925 arrival may have been the return to USA after buying the car. 

 

Notice that the chassis was shipped WITHOUT tires (tyres?) But was equipped with the Dunlop wires. If built in Springfield I think it would have used Buffalo wires. In any event since it had no tires it was most likely shipped fully crated. 

 

So who bought it?

A little time on Ancestry and it was sold to Thomas E. Donnelly (b 1868 in Illinois so he was 58 when he bought it) He was living in the community of Shields Ill in 1920. In 1930 he was at the Deer Park Rd Lake Forrest address shown in the 1926 order.  Presumably he had money. He had 3 maids in his household and in 1930 his house was valued at $75,000!!!   His occupation was president of a printing company. 

 

Despite his wealth he might not have been that formal of a person.

The body is divided, but it has a cloth front seat so it looks like it might have been intended to be owner driven occasionally. Maybe always, as there is no chauffer listed in his household(?)

 

Still he seems to have been the poor man on his block. One neighbor's house was valued at $200,000 and another at $500,000!!!!  This in 1930 dollars. (FYI they had chauffeurs)

Maybe the Rolls was an attempt to impress his neighbors?

Edited November 5, 2022 by m-mman (see edit history)

[58L-Y8]

"The body is divided, but it has a cloth front seat so it looks like it might have been intended to be owner driven occasionally."

 

A sedan upholstered throughout in broadcloth but also fitted with a partition window was referred to as a berline.  As such, they were could appropriately be owner driven as well as by a chauffeur when the occasion demanded such. 

[Sal Hepatica]

M-mman oh Manischwitz,  what a fine....

...backstory. With apologies to the wine jingle.

[BucketofBolts]

Three maids? Lucky duck !!!

[oldIHtruck]

Thomas Donnelly was the heir to the R.R. Donnelly press in Chicago, massive 9 story building with floors 3' thick for the printing presses.  S. Indiana Ave & 21st street.

Converted into a 'dot com data hotel in 2000. Equinix.

These folks used to print ALL of the telephone books.

[oldIHtruck]

Note, Shields Illinois is a township in Lake County Illinois. So early on Thomas may have lived in an unincorporated area before moving to Lake Forest, which also is within Shields Township.

[John Bloom]

On 11/4/2022 at 8:28 PM, m-mman said:

 

So who bought it?

A little time on Ancestry and it was sold to Thomas E. Donnelly (b 1868 in Illinois so he was 58 when he bought it) He was living in the community of Shields Ill in 1920. In 1930 he was at the Deer Park Rd Lake Forrest address shown in the 1926 order.  Presumably he had money. He had 3 maids in his household and in 1930 his house was valued at $75,000!!!   His occupation was president of a printing company. 

 

Despite his wealth he might not have been that formal of a person.

The body is divided, but it has a cloth front seat so it looks like it might have been intended to be owner driven occasionally. Maybe always, as there is no chauffer listed in his household(?)

 

Still he seems to have been the poor man on his block. One neighbor's house was valued at $200,000 and another at $500,000!!!!  This in 1930 dollars. (FYI they had chauffeurs)

Maybe the Rolls was an attempt to impress his neighbors?

That area in Lake Forest is about 5 miles from me.  It is a fabulous, old money area with some dynamite estate homes that spared no expense.  Plenty of "Newport Rhode Island" type of mansions with 30,000 square feet of craftsmen details done at the turn of the century with Lake Michigan as a backdrop.  No doubt some interesting automobiles housed in those places and their carriage houses back in the day (and fun to dream about a few that may still be tucked away in there covered in dust waiting to come out into the light)

[prewarnut]

   In looking this up I can't find a listing for the Deerpath residence. It could have been a business address or perhaps the house was razed or perhaps I haven't looked hard enough.... I can find an estate at 902 N. Green Bay which was owned by Thomas Donnelly in the phone records and from a recent real estate transaction. The home is said to have been in the family for decades and recently was nominated for a historic preservation restoration honor. The house has formal gardens behind and large formal gates at the street so I can see the RR coming and going from here (the architecture is classic Georgian/English as well so that fits). From the 1930 and '40 phone records Mr. Donnelly had a chauffeur and gardner listed so these may be 2 of the three staff memvers mentioned from above. I am not 100% on this but at least this represents a local estate for reference if not the actual one....

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by prewarnut (see edit history)

[sanmanjon]

Hello; I am a little late getting into this discussion ; but here goes. This is an early English PI chassis as most likely Mr Donnelly  knew that RR was coming out with the New Phantom (original name for the PI) but not on this side of the pond just yet. Build sheet says it was shipped 1/26 to New York. Springfield was still building Ghosts then. It went to New York because Brewster and Co. were located across the river in Long Island City. Brewster was still independent from RRoA at that point.The body has definitely had some sort of update as in 1926 it would have had drum headlights  and no apron over the front below the radiator and the dumb irons. Since it is not a Springfield PI there may not be any real records about the car. The body is very unusual in that it really looks like a torpedo sedan which Soutter in his book lists as " Special coachwork types" I would be very interested in seeing the the car up close and personal as I own William Brewsters last Rolls Royce a Torpedo sedan  bodied SPI