The first Rolls Royce to come to the United States since the beginning of WWI arrived on October 4th 1919. In December of 1919 Rolls Royce announced that Rolls-Royce of America would begin building automobiles in Springfield, Massachusetts.
At first, Rolls Royce shipped the engines and chassis to America for assembly. Emphasis was placed on the fact that cars built in America were produced by British mechanics under British supervision. Eventually, American mechanics were used and the cars became left hand drive and utilized foot brakes. The American cars had different suspensions because the roads were so poor.
The first American produced Rolls Royce was the Silver Ghost in 1921. Total 1921 production was 135 cars. Production grew to 320 cars in 1924. The Phantom I was added in 1926. 2,212 Phantom I’s were built between 1926 and 1928 and prices varied depending on options. This Phantom I Phaeton cost $13,825 which would be approximately $163,790.20 today.
