| 1929 Rolls-Royce P-I - Fleetwood Convertible Coupe |
The vehicle on display was originally delivered to Mr. John Weiz of Brooklyn, NY on 9/29/29. Originally fit with a Brewster,
Lonsdale limousine body, Mr. Weiz had the Phantom I re-bodied in 1930 with its current Fleetwood drophead coupe coach
that had been removed from a Cadillac. The Fleetwood coach was a rarity because this coachbuilder had been acquired by
General Motors in 1925 for the purpose of building coaches for Cadillac and LaSalle motorcars. Although Fleetwood was
committed to building coaches for Cadillac, the coachbuilder occasionally bodied the chassis of other manufactures until
1932.
Viewing the Phantom I Coupe, one can picture its driver arriving at his county club on a Saturday for a round of golf. The
small door located behind the passenger side door was specifically designed for storing with easy access a bag of golf
clubs. The difficult part to imagine is that this pastoral day may have occurred during the Great Depression. Although
millions of Americans waited in breadlines; this wealthy individual apparently unaffected by the economic tribulations of the
time, leisurely motored to the club in his Rolls-Royce.
Chassis No S317LR was owned by several individuals including a Mr. Edward T. Billings who had the car restored and went
on to win first place at the 1962 Rolls-Royce Owners Club Annual Meet in Buck Hill Falls, PA. In 1965 the Phantom I was
sold to a Mr. Charles Buck of Cleveland, OH who owned the car until his death in 1976. During Mr. Buck’s ownership the
Phantom I took First Place at the 1966 Rolls-Royce Owners Club Annual Meet in Natural Bridge, VA with a score of 98
points. The Phantom passed through several owners including a ten year stint in Holland before returning to the United
States and its current owner in 2002.
The Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I is certified by the Classic Car Club of America.
Lonsdale limousine body, Mr. Weiz had the Phantom I re-bodied in 1930 with its current Fleetwood drophead coupe coach
that had been removed from a Cadillac. The Fleetwood coach was a rarity because this coachbuilder had been acquired by
General Motors in 1925 for the purpose of building coaches for Cadillac and LaSalle motorcars. Although Fleetwood was
committed to building coaches for Cadillac, the coachbuilder occasionally bodied the chassis of other manufactures until
1932.
Viewing the Phantom I Coupe, one can picture its driver arriving at his county club on a Saturday for a round of golf. The
small door located behind the passenger side door was specifically designed for storing with easy access a bag of golf
clubs. The difficult part to imagine is that this pastoral day may have occurred during the Great Depression. Although
millions of Americans waited in breadlines; this wealthy individual apparently unaffected by the economic tribulations of the
time, leisurely motored to the club in his Rolls-Royce.
Chassis No S317LR was owned by several individuals including a Mr. Edward T. Billings who had the car restored and went
on to win first place at the 1962 Rolls-Royce Owners Club Annual Meet in Buck Hill Falls, PA. In 1965 the Phantom I was
sold to a Mr. Charles Buck of Cleveland, OH who owned the car until his death in 1976. During Mr. Buck’s ownership the
Phantom I took First Place at the 1966 Rolls-Royce Owners Club Annual Meet in Natural Bridge, VA with a score of 98
points. The Phantom passed through several owners including a ten year stint in Holland before returning to the United
States and its current owner in 2002.
The Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I is certified by the Classic Car Club of America.
