Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Roi des Belges in the style of Barker, 1912
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost•
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Chassis No.: 2232E
Engine No.: 79T
Location: Amelia Island, Florida
$605,000 USD | Sold
- An original “parallel bonnet” Silver Ghost
- Formerly owned by the Duke of Sutherland and Millard Newman
- Handsome, period-correct Roi des Belges coachwork
- A proven tour car with excellent road manners and reliability
50–60 bhp, 7,428 cc side-valve inline six-cylinder engine with a two-jet type carburetor, steering wheel quadrant controls and an automatic air valve, three-speed manual gearbox, semi-elliptic front springs and cantilever springs mounted over the axle with friction-type shock absorbers, and two-wheel mechanical brakes with handbrake-operating rear drums on the rear hub. Wheelbase: 135.5 in.
The Silver Ghost was created in 1906, and at the time, it was the most advanced automobile that money could buy. At a time when cars were either powerful or refined, agile or sturdy, fast or comfortable, the Silver Ghost was all of that and more.
Credit for the inherent capability of the chassis must go largely to the engine and its exceptional flexibility and refinement. Other six-cylinder designs suffered from long and flexible crankshafts that induced vibration and created harsh noises. Royce’s new engine featured much larger bearings and the pressurized oiling system they needed, which was secured by seven main bearings that were contained within a strong and rigid crankcase.
Rolls-Royce’s advanced foundry capabilities allowed for removable cylinder blocks with fixed heads, which eliminated leaks and cooling problems, and casting them in triplets helped shorten and lighten the engine. Twin ignition, via magneto and distributor and coil, helped ensure both reliability and thorough combustion. Superior breathing resulted from carefully designed manifolds and a new twin-jet carburetor developed by Royce. All of this, combined with low compression, at just 3.4:1, allowed the Ghost engine to develop prodigious torque while turning at just 1,250 rpm.
In an engineering sense, the Silver Ghost was a mechanical masterpiece, with its aluminum alloy crankcase and the timing drive and ignition being driven by gears, not chains. The timing gears were made of phosphor bronze and nickel steel, which were ground and polished by hand. The crankshaft was ground to an accuracy of .00025 on its bearing surfaces and then hand-polished to remove any minute scratches left by the grinder. The result was an automobile that ran in complete silence without a puff of smoke, which was a feat that was unmatched at the time.
In the day, the hallmark of a fine car was its top gear capabilities, partly because the drivers were unaccustomed to shifting but also because running in top gear only gave a smooth ride, particularly when the owners were generally the rear passengers. And it was such top gear flexibility that earned the Ghost its admirable reputation. It was capable of accelerating from a standing start to top speed without shifting, and it did so silently, giving the operator the impression of being pulled along by an unseen hand. While other cars were faster or more powerful, none could match the serene and somewhat surreal experience of “ghosting” along a quiet road.
CHASSIS NUMBER 2232E
A new Silver Ghost chassis in 1912 sold for £1,850, or around $4,000 U.S., which was a price that frequently doubled with its owner’s selection of custom coachwork. As chassis regularly outlasted their bodies, it was not uncommon for a Silver Ghost to change coachwork when passing from owner to owner, often being repurposed for various uses.
When delivered new in January 1913, the chassis offered here, number 2232E, carried a torpedo body by Thrupp & Maberly. In 1988, it was rebodied into its present touring style, a Roi des Belges or “Tulip Phaeton,” which was a popular Barker style in the early 1900s that was created by Wilkinson, a well-known modern British coachbuilder. It is important to note that because so few Edwardian Silver Ghosts survive with their original coachwork, a properly rebodied example such as the car offered here is fully accredited by all major Rolls-Royce societies, and it is fully welcomed into the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club, and the Silver Ghost Association for all of their events and tours.
Over the years, the car has been enjoyed by several collectors in England, the United States, and Canada, including ownership in the 1920s by His Grace the Duke of Sutherland, as well as more recent ownership by the late, highly respected American enthusiast of Silver Ghosts, Millard Newman.
For more recent owners, the car has been well-sorted mechanically and enjoyed as a regular touring and event car. It is offered with a collection of archival documentation from the Rolls-Royce Foundation, including copies of original build documentation, and it is, of course, listed with a complete roster of bodies and owners in John Faisal’s standard reference work, The Edwardian Silver Ghost.
This car, being offered from its most recent enthusiast owner, would be ideal for any number of tours and driving events. In the words of marque historian Diane Brandon, “The charm of driving a very high-geared Edwardian Ghost is addictive.” As an example, in the summer of 2004, Mermie Karger, the owner of a 1913 Silver Ghost, drove her car alone from her Pennsylvania home to Pebble Beach and back, a round trip of over 5,000 miles, without incident.
For the enthusiast seeking a proper Edwardian Silver Ghost with the desirable “parallel bonnet” and all the flamboyance that a vast, powerful Brass automobile can provide, there are few better choices than this handsome car, as it has been the choice of royalty and prominent American collectors alike.
Mileage
8,047 km
Cost
2,221,863 AED
