1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Piccadilly Roadster

S285RMroadUnited States

Engine: 7.7L straight-six, numbers-matching
Colour: Claret with black wings

The Springfield-built Rolls-Royce Phantom I Piccadilly Roadster (chassis S285RM) is among the rarest of the American-produced Phantoms, retaining its original Merrimac-bodied open coachwork — one of only 45 such bodies fitted to a Phantom I, and unusually an original rather than a replacement fitment. Delivered in December 1927 to a prominent New England department-store founder, the car passed through several noted enthusiast owners across the mid-twentieth century before receiving a restoration that earned recognition at the 1998 Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Annual Meet. It retains its numbers-matching 7.7-litre straight-six engine and period Springfield accessories.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$280,000
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1927-12-13 → 1929-09-01Factory delivery
Colonel Joseph Samuels
full documentation
Samuels was a prominent New England department store founder, philanthropist, and repeat Rolls-Royce buyer based in Providence, Rhode Island.
1929-09-01 → 1939Acquisition unknown
Frederick Schloss
partial documentation
Held the car for approximately a decade before it was returned to the New York dealer for resale.
1939 →Private sale
J.S. Inskip
partial documentation
New York-based dealer who received the car back for resale purposes.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Walter Hanson
partial documentation
One of several enthusiast owners in the subsequent ownership chain; exact dates not recorded.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Hathaway Weekes Scully
partial documentation
Part of the documented enthusiast ownership succession; no specific dates provided.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Ted Bartlett
partial documentation
Part of the documented enthusiast ownership succession; no specific dates provided.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Lewis L. Smith
partial documentation
Part of the documented enthusiast ownership succession; no specific dates provided.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Oliver Merrill
partial documentation
Owner at the time the car was featured in the February 1963 edition of The Flying Lady magazine.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Barry Randell
partial documentation
Sparta, New Jersey-based owner who commissioned or oversaw the restoration to the car's current condition, resulting in a club award in 1998.

Competition

1998Rolls-Royce Owners' Club
1998 Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Annual Meet
Award winner
The car earned a concours award following its restoration, while in the ownership of Barry Randell.

Maintenance & restoration

—
Restoration
Comprehensive restoration carried out under Barry Randell's ownership, bringing the car to the condition in which it was presented at the 1998 RROC Annual Meet. The finished result is a Claret exterior with black wings and colour-matched wire wheels, complemented by well-preserved black leather trim.
Exact dates and workshop details are not stated in the catalogue. Restoration predates the 1998 concours appearance.

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