1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Pall Mall Tourer
- Colour
- Cream and black
Springfield-built Rolls-Royce Phantom I chassis S145RP, one of 33 originally fitted with the elegant Pall Mall tourer coachwork, was delivered new in June 1928 to Chicago financier Paul B. Skinner. Rebodied as a sedan in the 1930s, the chassis was later reunited with a correct Pall Mall body crafted by noted coachbuilder Doug Chalmers. Following a careful restoration, the car earned multiple honours at the RROC Annual Meet including the Guerrero Award, the Virgil Millet Award, and First in Class in 2010, and the Lord Montagu Award in 2015.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$137,500
- 1928-06-22 →Factory deliveryPaul B. Skinnerpartial documentation
Investment partner and former Chicago Stock Exchange president; took delivery at his Chicago Gold Coast residence. Car was later rebodied with sedan coachwork during his or a subsequent ownership period.
- 1991 → 1997Acquisition unknownDavid Noranpartial documentation
Acquired the car in an unfinished state; noted that the chassis had previously been fitted with a replica Pall Mall body built by coachbuilder Doug Chalmers as a stand-in for the original.
- 1997 →Private saleCurrent long-term private collectorfull documentation
Purchased the car in a partially completed state and personally undertook a full restoration; has maintained it for approximately 27 years with documentation including restoration photographs and Rolls-Royce Foundation ownership records.
Competition
- 2010Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Annual MeetRROC Annual Meet 2010Guerrero Award for top personal mechanical restoration, Virgil Millet Award for best American-bodied concours entry, and First in Class
Three distinct awards were received at a single gathering, recognising both the mechanical restoration quality and the coachwork presentation.
- 2015Rolls-Royce Owners' Club Annual MeetRROC Annual Meet 2015Lord Montagu Award
Shown again at the national meet five years after its previous award sweep, receiving a further distinguished club honour.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Modification
Original Pall Mall tourer coachwork was replaced with a sedan body during the 1930s; the car subsequently accumulated low mileage in this configuration.
- —BodyworkDoug Chalmers
Following the car's rediscovery, the sedan coachwork was removed and a correct replacement Pall Mall tourer body was fabricated and fitted to the chassis as a faithful duplicate of the original.
Chalmers was a recognised Rolls-Royce coachbuilder; this body was constructed as a period-correct duplicate rather than a period survivor.
- —Restoration
A thorough restoration was completed after the current owner acquired the car in partially finished condition in 1997, with significant work carried out by the owner personally. Finished in cream and black with coffee brown upholstery.
Restoration photographs are retained with the car; the quality of finish was recognised with multiple RROC concours awards in 2010.
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