The early history of Rolls-Royce in America is inextricably
entwined with that of the Brewster & Co. Coachworks who
contributed some of the most elegant, sporting and attractively
proportioned bodies fitted to any Rolls-Royce chassis ...
The early history of Rolls-Royce in America is inextricably
entwined with that of the Brewster & Co. Coachworks who
contributed some of the most elegant, sporting and attractively
proportioned bodies fitted to any Rolls-Royce chassis in the world.
In 1925, Rolls-Royce bought Brewster & Co., making Brewster its
primary supplier of coachwork in America. Eventually, well over 400
Springfield-built Rolls-Royces were Brewster-bodied. Phantom I
production continued in Springfield, Massachusetts after the
Phantom II was introduced in England in 1929, but the Springfield
Phantom I was then phased out in 1931 in favour of the Derby-built,
lefthand drive Phantom II. The Phantom II offered a more refined,
updated chassis with an improved engine and cylinder head, with the
engine now mounted in unit with the gearbox. Chassis improvements
included hydraulic shock absorbers and semi-elliptic leaf springs.
A considerable reduction in ride-height resulted, lending itself to
sleeker and more modern body designs. In 1930, the Rolls-Royce of
America operation in Springfield knew it was in trouble. The
magnitude of the Depression was becoming obvious and the
Springfield manufacturing operation was closed with Brewster now
becoming an importer-distributor for Rolls-Royce in the US. The
problem was that the new Phantom II, as introduced in the UK, was
not considered suitable for the US market; for example, the
Springfield Phantom I was left-hand drive, had thermostatic
radiator shutters, a complete 'one-shot' chassis lubrication
system, easier to maintain chrome brightwork and smaller, more
stylish 20-inch wheels. Springfield agreed to buy 200 lefthand
drive Phantom II's if the British factory would make all the
improvements considered necessary for the US market. Rolls-Royce
agreed and the result of the development program was a delightful
car with an improved top speed, a lower chassis and quieter
operation than the Springfield-built Phantom I. In fact, the
improvements inspired Derby to incorporate all of them (except
lefthand drive) into all Phantom II's, commencing with chassis JS1.
The first deliveries of the lefthand drive Phantom II chassis began
in the spring of 1931. The Brewster coachworks were ready with its
designs for the new Phantom II chassis when it arrived. Whilst some
of the designs were warmed-over Phantom I body styles, some were
indeed fresh. The Newport Town Car for traditional chauffeur-driven
use and the Henley Roadster for the owner-driver, represented the
first of the new designs. Ultimately, the contract for 200 lefthand
drive cars from Derby was never fulfilled but 116 were sold in
North America, three into Canada and six in Europe.
This lefthand drive, Derby built Rolls-Royce Phantom II chassis
was delivered to the Brewster Coachworks, New York, to have this
beautiful Keswick Town Car body fitted and subsequently supplied,
in April 1931, to the first owner. Having never been
restored, this car is in very original condition. The vendor tells
us that the car is in good order and recently passed an MoT test
for registration in the UK. It is finished with the original black
exterior paint with the bespoke 'Brewster' front and rear bumpers
while the interior is also completely original with leather front
seats and tan cloth to the rear and, on inspection, the rear
occasional seats appear like new, having had very little use in the
past eighty years. As with all the cars that came from Brewster
& Co., this one is very well appointed; in the rear compartment
there are blinds to the side windows as well as the back window
giving the occupants complete privacy. An eight day wind up clock -
still keeping excellent time - is fitted to the wood facia below
the driver's division glass. This car is supplied with a V5C
registration document and an MoT test certificate which expires in
March 2013. A rare opportunity to buy a lefthand drive Rolls-Royce
with such an eleg
