1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
Coachwork by Barker & Co

7,428 cc L-Head Inline 6-cylinder Engine
Single Side Draft Carburetor
75hp at 1,500rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Leaf Spring Suspension
Rear Drum Brakes

*Original bodywork by Barker and Co.
*Well documented history
*First year of the larger rear drum brakes with foot actuation.
*Matching numbers example
*Great for CCCA, RROC, Silver Ghost Association, and HCCA events.


THE ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER GHOST

The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, British gentleman adventurer, aviator, racing driver, and astute businessman and Frederick Henry Royce, engineer and innovator, were indeed an indomitable partnership, creating a motoring legend with a reputation for unsurpassed excellence. It says much for the business acumen of Rolls that, despite his inborn desire for things to happen quickly, he tolerated the pedantic and at times frustratingly slow attention to detail of his mechanical genius partner. From this pedantic attention, the Rolls-Royce 40/50hp, "The Silver Ghost", was to emerge and to earn for itself and the company the accolade "The Best Car in the World".

In production from 1907, the Rolls-Royce 40/50hp, (only later named 'The Silver Ghost'), was powered by a 7,036cc, six-cylinder engine from 1907-1909, later enlarged to 7,428cc. The 40/50hp car passed every test to which it was subjected, whether in service as a formal town carriage in the Capitol, sprint racing on Saltburn Sands or competing in the arduous Scottish Trials.

Royce's uncompromising engineering standards demanded only excellence of his staff in Manchester, and later Derby, and no chassis was delivered until it had been rigorously tested. Rolls-Royce, unlike other contemporary manufacturers, steadfastly refused to build their own coachwork, taking the view that their specialty was engineering excellence and leaving the coachwork to the exclusive group of dedicated coachbuilders who had made the seamless change from carriage manufacture to motorcar body building.

Contemporary Rolls-Royce advertising in 1911 featured Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost chassis no.1701 and its remarkable London to Edinburgh and return journey that year, describing the feat in the following terms:

"The car.... was a standard Six-Cylinder Rolls-Royce chassis of 40/50hp. The trial... was to demonstrate that the car could travel from London to Edinburgh and back entirely on the top gear, that at the same time it could show an exceptionally economical petrol consumption, and yet attain considerable speed when required. The result...... the car traveled from London to Edinburgh and back on top gear on a petrol consumption of 24.32 miles per gallon, afterwards without alteration or adjustment attaining a speed of 78.26 miles per hour on the Brooklands track."

Some factory wag mischievously noted the factory records for 1701 with the words 'The Sluggard' but clearly nothing could have been further from the truth for here was an up-to-the-minute and very fast model of the 40/50hp car which had already earned for Rolls-Royce the soubriquet – 'The Best Car in the World'.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This particular Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was ordered by Mr. T.A. Williams of Harewood Garage at the 1913 London Motor Show. The original factory records indicate that it was to be a Limousine-Landaulet by Barker & Co., very similar to the show car they had just completed. It was specified with a nickel finish and numerous extras including Dunlop wire wheels, CAV Dynamo, and CAV lights. Mr. Williams was also very specific about the windows and other features on the car including the fitment of a colonial-specification 3-speed gearbox. Being a 1914 specification chassis, it was also fitted with the larger, foot actuated rear drum brakes.

Records indicate that the car was delivered to Barkers on May 1st and was completed on August 15, 1914. It is unknown how long the car stayed with its first owner. At an undisclosed date the car was sold to Mr. E.F. Morris of The Morris Repair Work and eventually ended up, along with six other Silver Ghosts, with D.W. Beale of Worcester. 54AB remained in his possession until 1964 when it was sold to Percy Markham of Western Australia. A score of years later, the car was purchased by the well-known York Motor Museum, also in Western Australia, and was subsequently acquired by its current custodian in August of 2015.

Since joining the present collection, the Rolls has been serviced by noted Silver Ghost expert Steve Litton at Vintage & Auto Rebuilds, Inc in Ohio. To aid in touring, an electric starter, modern turn indicators, and a brake light were installed while a new radiator was also fitted. After this work was completed the Ghost was driven from Amelia Island, Florida to Virginia, and then back to South Carolina, all without missing a beat. It was shown at the RROC National Meet in Asheville, North Carolina.

The front and rear upholstery appears to be very old and is believed to be the original. Unfortunately, a recent climate control failure in the owner's garage caused the rear folding top to buckle. Reported to be an excellent driver, it would be a great car for any number of touring events.

Prewar Silver Ghosts are seen by many as one of the finest and most refined cars produced before World War I, and anyone who has had the privilege of driving one will tell you that they are a true delight on the road. This Silver Ghost, complete with its original tool kit and in delightfully preserved order, is made even more special as one of the few pre-1915 Ghosts that retain its original coachwork. The opportunity to acquire this wonderful example should not be missed.