Black Horse Racing Header

“If you’re not moving, you’re standing  still.”

 

Steve Trafton

Rolls-Royce Roadsters Run Rampant

As a car collector, you can never overlook the classic Rolls-Royce. Black Horse
Racing added four of them to its collection in 2023.

Rolls-Royce Logo

A 1976 green “Silver Shadow” (shown below)…

Collage of Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

…and a 1984 silver and black convertible “Corniche.”

Rolls-Royce Corniche
Collage of Rolls-Royce details

Steve and Katherine Trafton wanted to insure that the timeless luxury forever associated with the English brand of Rolls-Royce, is preserved for all to see.

Traftons drive rural roads with RR

The Traftons liked the new automobiles so much that they added two more to the car collection. These two pre-war vehicles, in mint condition, joined the collection to share spaces next to other classic vehicles at Black Horse Racing (some of which are shown in other pages of this website). The newest additions, both Rolls-Royce Phantom I models, were acquired in July of 2023, and they both have intriguing histories.

The Two Newest Rolls-Royce Additions

1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I
1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I / Hyman LTD
1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I / Regent DHC by Brewster

The 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Dual Cowl Phaeton was actually built at the (now closed) Springfield, Massachusetts Rolls-Royce plant. Both vehicles are nearly a hundred years old. The U.S. plant was originally built to accommodate Americans who asked for faster delivery, custom changes, and lower import taxes on their vehicles.

Rolls-Royce Original Receipt

Originally delivered to Samuel Jaskow in 1932, five East Coast owners from New York to Palm Beach, gave title to this vehicle over the next nine decades. Typically, they spared no expense to regenerate its upkeep. Over the past 25 years, this 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom I has been the crown-jewel of the Howard “Dutch” Darrin collection before it was shipped to Trafton’s shop. Red Car Restoration of Rockwall Texas refreshed the undercarriage and restored the fuel system of the car before delivering it to Black Horse Racing on Whidbey Island, Washington.

RedCar Testing Video
Rolls-Royce 1929 Phantom I

This car’s front and rear fenders are the only body pieces composed of steel. The rest was hand-formed sheets of aluminum wrapped around a wood structure. Of course, the Rolls cabin and exterior are highly detailed with exquisitely fine hardware and inlaid woodwork throughout.

Additional views of 1929 Rolls-Royce

This rare Rolls Royce convertible sedan is a six cylinder 3 speed manual drive. The new model line was launched in 1925 and followed the previous 20 years of production for the famous Silver Ghost model. The new model-upgrades showed a third more power and better braking ability. Specialist coachbuilders of the day gave it a handsome, elegant body style with a red leather interior that matched the exterior hue.

Rolls-Royce Hub Cap

This vehicle went through a full restoration in the mid 1970’s and like all Rolls-Royce in collections, it’s had regular maintenance to keep it in perfect condition.  

Collage of 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

The second delivery, a 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom I / Regent Roadster by Brewster, is a strikingly comfortable and practical touring car. 

1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Collage

In fact, using it as his personal touring car, the previous owner drove it all the way from the Netherlands to Cairo, Egypt, a distance of about 3200 miles!

Map of Rolls-Royce Tour

His son wrote this letter to Steve upon Black Horse Racing’s purchase:

 

My father was an absolute Bentley and Rolls Royce enthusiast. Many cars have come and gone. However, the P1 was his most personal car by far.

 

When I was 19 (in 1999) and had my driver’s license for a month or so, he sent me to London to trade in a Bentley Mulasanne and pick up this car at Frank Dale’s and drive it home, to the Netherlands, a nerve wrecking and great way to gain experience as a young driver.) A few years later, he took the car on an adventurous trip: to drive it from Amsterdam to Cairo, Egypt. This was in 2001, and he drove the car through Europe into Serbia, Bulgaria, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Countries you would think twice to drive nowadays. As much as he was into cars and sailing, so small was his interest in photography, which is even an understatement. He took a picture at the start of this trip in boring old Holland, and a few pictures at the end of the drive in Egypt, nothing in between.

 

It makes me happy to know that the car will be in the hands of an even bigger adventurer after all these years, and I wish you many happy trips with the P1. I have attached a photo of this car next to a Pyramid, which I thought was quite unique.

 

Proof of this feat was established by a photograph of the car next to some vaguely familiar rock piles. 

1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I in Egypt
Collage of 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

Like the 1929 vehicle before it, some restoration and sorting was performed by Red Car Restoration in Texas. Then it was shipped to new owners at Black Horse Racing.

 

Undercarriage of 1930 Phantom I Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce 1930 Phantom I
Convertible 1929 Phantom I Rolls-Royce

Welcome Home!

ALF at Classic Auto Show in LA

.

.

The Classic Auto Show in Los Angeles played host to one of our two ALF (American LaFrance) vehicles on January 27-29, 2017. Some of the Black Horse Racing Team was in attendance to answer questions put to them by attendees. Steve Trafton was also interviewed for the podcast at HorsePower Online.  (The podcast is also available online for both the iPhone and Android.)

 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

See some of the photographs from that event in our Gallery.

.(Click to view in close-up.)