1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost (parallel bonnet tourer)
- Engine
- 7.2L side-valve inline-six (cast in pairs), 48 bhp
- Colour
- Cream with polished aluminum bonnet
Chassis 1544 is a 1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost of the sought-after early 'parallel bonnet' type, retaining its original engine, Lawton-built tourer coachwork, and Rudge-Whitworth wheels. Delivered new through dealer A.B. Wardman to a Frodsham owner, it passed through distinguished British and American collections, including that of New York collector Dr. Samuel Scher, under whose ownership it underwent a meticulous nut-and-bolt restoration at Jack Barclay in London and subsequently won major AACA and Rolls-Royce Owners Club honours in 1963. One of roughly twenty early parallel-bonnet Ghosts surviving with original body, engine, and chassis.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$2,500,000 – US$3,500,000
- 1911 →Factory deliveryA. Harrison of Frodshamfull documentation
Took delivery via dealer A.B. Wardman; likely commissioned the open tourer bodywork from Lawton directly, as no coachbuilder appears in the build records.
- 1919 →Acquisition unknownSir John Wormaldpartial documentation
Based in Berkshire; held a senior position at a company that pioneered fire-suppression manufacturing. KBE-decorated individual.
- 1959 → 1960Acquisition unknownR.H. Stothart of Myddletonpartial documentation
Held the car for what appears to have been a brief tenure before it was sold on.
- 1960 → 1969Private saleDr. Samuel Scherfull documentation
New York City plastic surgeon and prominent collector of brass-era and classic automobiles; arranged a comprehensive restoration at Jack Barclay in London, supervised by Harry Fergusson Wood, including fabrication of replacement fenders.
- 1969 →Private saleHarry Resnickpartial documentation
Housed the car at the Ellenville Motor Museum in New York as part of what was considered the finest Rolls-Royce collection in the United States at that time.
- → 1986Private saleCraven Foundationpartial documentation
Oshawa, Ontario institution regarded as a Canadian counterpart to Harrah's for restored-car quality; exhibited the car at a Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club event in Mississauga before the foundation was dissolved in 1986.
- 1986 →Acquisition unknownCalifornia collectionpartial documentation
Well-known California-based collector who refinished the bodywork in its current cream colour while retaining the polished aluminum bonnet from the earlier restoration.
- Date unknownJ. Evans of Southportpartial documentation
Listed as a subsequent custodian in Fasal's reference work; no dates or acquisition details provided.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownS.J. Skinner of Basingstokepartial documentation
Acquired the car after the Second World War for £27.10, drawn to it by the original lamps; described the vehicle as well-preserved at time of purchase.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownG. Frank of Little Wenlock, Shropshirepartial documentation
- Date unknownPrivate saleCurrent ownerpartial documentation
Acquired the car from the California collection some years after 1986; has maintained it in his personal stable for more than two decades.
Competition
- 1963AACA NationalAACA National First Prize judgingNational First Prize
Car also received the AACA Foo Dog Trophy for top Rolls-Royce entry at the same national event.
- 1963AACA NationalAACA Foo Dog TrophyFoo Dog Trophy — best Rolls-Royce
Awarded in the same competitive cycle as the National First Prize.
- 1963Rolls-Royce Owners ClubRolls-Royce Owners Club National Meet, WilliamsburgRolls-Royce Trophy — Best of Show
National meet held in Williamsburg, Virginia; car judged against the full RROC membership entry.
- —Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts ClubRolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Rally, Mississauga
Exhibited while under Craven Foundation ownership during the 1970s or early 1980s; no competitive result recorded.
Maintenance & restoration
- —RestorationJack Barclay
Comprehensive nut-and-bolt disassembly and restoration carried out at the Jack Barclay workshops in London, supervised by Harry Fergusson Wood, then head of the Barclay service depot. The car was found to be largely complete on arrival; all major components were retained except the front wings, which were remade new (the originals having been transferred to chassis 1298). The original Lawton body was refinished using brushed lacquer applied by a former coachbuilder. Progress and results were documented in articles in The Flying Lady.
Commissioned by Dr. Samuel Scher; the car was crated and shipped from the US to London for the work, then returned to the US on completion.
- —Bodywork
The car was refinished in its current cream livery; the polished aluminium bonnet dating from the Scher-era restoration was retained.
Carried out during the ownership of the unnamed California collection, sometime after 1986.
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