Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Roi des Belges Tourer, 1909
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost•
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Chassis No.: 1175
Engine No.: 1175 (see text)
US$621,000 USD | Sold
- Coachwork in the style of Barker & Co.
- 7,428cc L-Head Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
- Single Updraft Carburetor
- 50bhp at 1,500rpm
- 3-Speed Manual Transmission
- 4-Wheel Leaf Spring Suspension
- Rear Drum Brakes
- An exceedingly rare pre-1910 Silver Ghosts
- Multiple Best of Show award winning restoration by marque experts
- Mechanically restored by Steve Littin
Henry Royce's fastidious attention to detail ensured that where a certain level of build quality was necessary for a car to work, he would make it far beyond this requirement. One only needs to gaze at the engine or rear axle, each held together with so great a number of bolts that it seems possible that they were intended never to come apart. Indeed, on a few surviving examples they never have! Where one ignition system was enough for some cars, naturally the Rolls had magneto and coil. Throughout the car a 'belt and braces' approach was taken.
Better still as with all the best machinery, the most important element – the motor – is a work of art in itself. The blend of aluminum crankcase, copper and brass piping, brass and aluminum castings and intricate control tubes create such a work of beauty, that even when some cars were scrapped this aspect was preserved and restored. Some adorn collections today in this form. A well rebuilt motor will often start simply on the firing of the spark from the coil to one of the liter capacity cylinders, without the engine having ever been turned over. It is little wonder that they were so appreciated by their chauffeurs!
Similarly, they were coveted by their owners, who frequently named them as one might a yacht. The silence of the company's silver painted trials car earned the 40/50hp model its 'Ghost' title.
Where other manufacturers with products of similar quality faltered, thanks to the marketing genius of Claude Johnson the model sold well. A move to campaign Rolls-Royce motor cars in reliability events such as the 1907 Scottish Trial, which they won, and in doing so brought huge focus to the brand, and with such demand, production was scaled accordingly. From then onwards, production grew dramatically. Deliveries were quickly dispatched to regions far and wide and the reputation was now justly sealed as the Best Car in the World. This continued with wins in the Alpine Trials of 1913 and 1914. With the intervention of the war, production was geared to that effort, but even when it ended, the model continued in production for another six years.
Were it not for the First World War, it would perhaps be a more regular occurrence to find a Silver Ghost from this era of manufacture that still retained the coachwork it had been delivered with. However, so many were repurposed or destroyed in that time, that they are exceptionally rare.
The Rolls-Royce brand was undeniably founded on the quality, refinement and resilience of the Silver Ghost. Similarly, Barker were always in the front line when it came to coachwork.
THE CAR OFFERED
This stunning 'parallel bonnet' Silver Ghost is among the few surviving examples of the machine that made Rolls-Royce the household name today. Documented by copies of its original build sheet and included in John Fasal and Bryan Goodman's seminal work on these early Ghosts, The Edwardian Rolls-Royce
, chassis no. 1175 was ordered new by Horace Trimmer of Twyford, Hampshire, England in August of 1909. While the chassis was completed before the end of '09, the Barker Landaulet coachwork took a bit long and the Rolls would not be delivered until February 1910, at which point it was no doubt put to use shuttling Mr. Trimmer around the 91 pubs he owned as the director of Farnham United Breweries, Ltd. In addition to brewing, Trimmer also fielded race forces and found the Hockley Golf Club in 1914—a silver anniversary gift to his wife Bessie, who was an enthusiastic golfer.
With Mr. Trimmer's passing in 1920, the now decade-old but still thoroughly capable Ghost would pass into new hands. Passing through two English owners by the early 1950s, by which time it was devoid of its body, the Rolls would then head west to the United States in the late 1950s or early 1960s where it disappeared from view for over two score of years before it was discovered, mostly intact and but sold piecemeal in the late 1990s and early 2000s, by Steve Littin, the renown early Rolls authority and proprietor of Vintage & Auto Rebuilds of Chardon, Ohio.
Seeking a custodian to bring it back to its former glory, the project was purchased by Robin Onsoien in 2017 and commenced a full restoration of 1175 including refitting the Rolls with iconic Roi des Belges coachwork inspired by the body gracing
Silver Ghost, AX201. The Roi des Belges body-style was popularized by Belgian King Leopold II and originally fitted to a Panhard et Levassor. Distinguished by elevated seating position of the rear seat passengers and gently curved rear bodywork, the style was popularly found on a number of luxury cars prior to WWI.
An expert in his own right as the proprietor of Early Motors in Nipomo, California, Osoien meticulously recreated the coachwork and restored the chassis while Littin was entrusted with mechanical restoration and machine work—as well as sourcing many hard-to-find parts. An exhaustive list of original parts was abetted by remade bits to fill in the gaps. As was often the case with these early Ghosts, the crankcase had broken so the car currently has an example that was expertly cast in the 1960s by Jonathan Harley and currently carries the 1175 motor number that originally was in the car.
Since completion in 2021, the Rolls debuted at the 2022 Rolls-Royce Owners Club Annual Gathering in San Diego, California and has been met with acclaim wherever it goes. Outfitted with numerous hard-to-find details such as Lucas King of the Road cowl lamps, Elliot Bros. speedometer and odometer, Tiffany & Co. clock, and much more, it is easy to see why it stuns the judges and crowd.
Acquired by the present owner in October 2023, it has since gone on to win both Best Silver Ghost and Quietest Silver Ghost at the 2024 Rolls-Royce Owners Club National and has taken numerous Best of Show awards at the 2024 British Invasion, 2024 British Motorcars of New England show, and
at the 2024 St. Michael Concours d'Elegance.
Now ready for its next, enthusiastic owner, it would be a welcome entrant to any number of shows and Concours, as well as a phenomenal tour car eligible for countless Brass Era and Edwardian tours around the world. Tastefully updated for touring and use with an electric started, hidden alternator, and lighting that can be both operated electrically or with gas – the reversible niceties make it a fine machine to enjoy with ease. A rare chance to own an example of an early Rolls 40/50hp, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Стоимость
2 280 623 AED
