1923 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Tilbury Landaulette
1923 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Tilbury Landaulette
Coachwork by Willoughby & Co for Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work
Registration no. DS 7813
Chassis no. 370HH
Engine no. 22-45
Body no. WC366
• Built by Rolls-Royce of America Incorporated
• One of only four believed built with this body style
• Kept by the first owner for 50 years
• First registered in the UK in 1988
• Displayed at Pebble Beach in 2004
This Silver Ghost was offered - and sold - at the recent Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale in September 2023. The buyer at that sale was unable to complete the purchase and it thus presents another opportunity to the many collectors who expressed an interest at Goodwood.
Although the 40/50hp model would have earned its 'The Best Car in the World' sobriquet in any event, Rolls-Royce's decision to drop all other types only served to focus attention on what would become known as the 'Silver Ghost'. Prior to 1908, when it relocated to a new factory in Derby, the company founded by engineer Frederick Henry Royce and entrepreneur the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls had manufactured a variety of models at its Manchester premises. Cars with two, three, four and six cylinders were made, and even an abortive V8, before Managing Director Claude Johnson's decision to concentrate on the range-topping 40/50hp. The latter had first appeared at the 1906 Motor Show and became known as the 'Silver Ghost' the following year when chassis number '60551' was exhibited wearing silver-painted tourer coachwork by Barker.
The heart of the Silver Ghost was its magnificent engine, a 7,036cc (later 7,428cc) sidevalve six equipped with seven-bearing crankshaft and pressure lubrication. A sturdy chassis comprised of channel-section side members and tubular cross members was suspended on semi-elliptic springs at the front and a 'platform' leaf-spring arrangement at the rear, though the latter soon came in for revision. The transmission too was soon changed, a three-speed gearbox with direct-drive top gear replacing the original four-speed/overdrive top unit in 1909. In the course of its 20-year production life there would be countless other improvements to the car, one of the most important being the adoption of servo-assisted four-wheel brakes towards the end of 1923.
After a successful 2,000-mile trial under RAC supervision, the factory demonstrator - chassis '60551', 'The Silver Ghost' - was entered in the Scottish Reliability Trial, completing the 15,000-mile run with flying colours to set a new World Record. From then on the car's reputation was assured, not the least in North America where the wide-open spaces placed a premium on reliability and comfort. 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. The Silver Ghost remained in production in England until 1925 and at Rolls-Royce's Springfield plant in the USA until 1926, the longest production run of any model from that celebrated company. Cars were right-hand drive up to 1925 and left-hand drive thereafter.
Unlike its British-built counterpart, the American product could be ordered with 'factory' bodywork, usually by Brewster, which would be taken over by Rolls-Royce in December 1925. Before Brewster's acquisition, bodies supplied under the 'Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Works' programme were built by various independent coachbuilders, while from 1923 some bodies were built in the company's own coachbuilding facility in the old Knox Automobile Co factory; the latter, though, was mainly employed in finishing bodies built by outside contractors to Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Works' designs.
Like their British counterparts, the majority of US-made Silver Ghosts carried closed formal bodies including this example, which carries Tilbury landaulette coachwork by Willoughby & Co. Rolls-Royce of America Inc built Silver Ghosts between 1921 and 1926, and it is believed only three other examples of this model were made.
Known as 'Gilbert', after its first owner, '370HH' was delivered new to John O. Gilbert of Jackson, Michigan on 2nd May 1924. It cost him $13,108.50, which, at the 1923 exchange rate of $4.36/£1, meant the equivalent Sterling price was £3,006. l0s. l0½d.
Sold by his estate in 1971, the Ghost has never been restored.
On file is a newspaper cutting dating from February 1990, which reveals that Mr Gilbert had owned the Ghost for 50 years and drove it only 42,000 miles. On his death the Rolls-Royce was sold to the Craven Foundation in Toronto, Canada, which passed it on to Brian Cauthery. Mr Cauthery advertised the Ghost for sale and it was purchased and shipped to the UK by Clive Jacobs, presenter of BBC Radio 4's 'Going Places'. The car was first registered in the UK on 5th October 1988. In the aforementioned newspaper article Jacobs recalled: "We did 1,400 miles in France with it last year and it never missed a beat. The only trouble was when a fan blade became detached. It came right through the aluminium bonnet, which took £250 to put right."
The Silver Ghost was subsequently owned by John Austin of Sussex (from 26th August 1997) followed by Terry Lister (from 29th November 2002) and then the current vendor. There is a photograph on file of the car at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2004. According to our vendor, Gilbert will travel in top (fourth) gear from 3mph to a top speed of 64mph, with a fuel consumption of approximately 9mpg.
A fine example of a Silver Ghost, and featured in Edward Eves' book, Rolls-Royce - 80 Years of Excellence, this example would enhance any prestigious private collection.
Interested parties should note that this example had been subject to restoration works.
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1923 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Tilbury Landaulette
Coachwork by Willoughby & Co for Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work
Registration no. DS 7813
Chassis no. 370HH
Engine no. 22-45
Body no. WC366
• Built by Rolls-Royce of America Incorporated
• One of only four believed built with this body style
• Kept by the first owner for 50 years
• First registered in the UK in 1988
• Displayed at Pebble Beach in 2004
This Silver Ghost was offered - and sold - at the recent Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale in September 2023. The buyer at that sale was unable to complete the purchase and it thus presents another opportunity to the many collectors who expressed an interest at Goodwood.
Although the 40/50hp model would have earned its 'The Best Car in the World' sobriquet in any event, Rolls-Royce's decision to drop all other types only served to focus attention on what would become known as the 'Silver Ghost'. Prior to 1908, when it relocated to a new factory in Derby, the company founded by engineer Frederick Henry Royce and entrepreneur the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls had manufactured a variety of models at its Manchester premises. Cars with two, three, four and six cylinders were made, and even an abortive V8, before Managing Director Claude Johnson's decision to concentrate on the range-topping 40/50hp. The latter had first appeared at the 1906 Motor Show and became known as the 'Silver Ghost' the following year when chassis number '60551' was exhibited wearing silver-painted tourer coachwork by Barker.
The heart of the Silver Ghost was its magnificent engine, a 7,036cc (later 7,428cc) sidevalve six equipped with seven-bearing crankshaft and pressure lubrication. A sturdy chassis comprised of channel-section side members and tubular cross members was suspended on semi-elliptic springs at the front and a 'platform' leaf-spring arrangement at the rear, though the latter soon came in for revision. The transmission too was soon changed, a three-speed gearbox with direct-drive top gear replacing the original four-speed/overdrive top unit in 1909. In the course of its 20-year production life there would be countless other improvements to the car, one of the most important being the adoption of servo-assisted four-wheel brakes towards the end of 1923.
After a successful 2,000-mile trial under RAC supervision, the factory demonstrator - chassis '60551', 'The Silver Ghost' - was entered in the Scottish Reliability Trial, completing the 15,000-mile run with flying colours to set a new World Record. From then on the car's reputation was assured, not the least in North America where the wide-open spaces placed a premium on reliability and comfort. 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. The Silver Ghost remained in production in England until 1925 and at Rolls-Royce's Springfield plant in the USA until 1926, the longest production run of any model from that celebrated company. Cars were right-hand drive up to 1925 and left-hand drive thereafter.
Unlike its British-built counterpart, the American product could be ordered with 'factory' bodywork, usually by Brewster, which would be taken over by Rolls-Royce in December 1925. Before Brewster's acquisition, bodies supplied under the 'Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Works' programme were built by various independent coachbuilders, while from 1923 some bodies were built in the company's own coachbuilding facility in the old Knox Automobile Co factory; the latter, though, was mainly employed in finishing bodies built by outside contractors to Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Works' designs.
Like their British counterparts, the majority of US-made Silver Ghosts carried closed formal bodies including this example, which carries Tilbury landaulette coachwork by Willoughby & Co. Rolls-Royce of America Inc built Silver Ghosts between 1921 and 1926, and it is believed only three other examples of this model were made.
Known as 'Gilbert', after its first owner, '370HH' was delivered new to John O. Gilbert of Jackson, Michigan on 2nd May 1924. It cost him $13,108.50, which, at the 1923 exchange rate of $4.36/£1, meant the equivalent Sterling price was £3,006. l0s. l0½d.
Sold by his estate in 1971, the Ghost has never been restored.
On file is a newspaper cutting dating from February 1990, which reveals that Mr Gilbert had owned the Ghost for 50 years and drove it only 42,000 miles. On his death the Rolls-Royce was sold to the Craven Foundation in Toronto, Canada, which passed it on to Brian Cauthery. Mr Cauthery advertised the Ghost for sale and it was purchased and shipped to the UK by Clive Jacobs, presenter of BBC Radio 4's 'Going Places'. The car was first registered in the UK on 5th October 1988. In the aforementioned newspaper article Jacobs recalled: "We did 1,400 miles in France with it last year and it never missed a beat. The only trouble was when a fan blade became detached. It came right through the aluminium bonnet, which took £250 to put right."
The Silver Ghost was subsequently owned by John Austin of Sussex (from 26th August 1997) followed by Terry Lister (from 29th November 2002) and then the current vendor. There is a photograph on file of the car at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2004. According to our vendor, Gilbert will travel in top (fourth) gear from 3mph to a top speed of 64mph, with a fuel consumption of approximately 9mpg.
A fine example of a Silver Ghost, and featured in Edward Eves' book, Rolls-Royce - 80 Years of Excellence, this example would enhance any prestigious private collection.
Interested parties should note that this example had been subject to restoration works.
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