1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster
- Engine
- 7.4L inline six-cylinder, L-head configuration, single carburetor
- Colour
- Original period colors as found on surviving coachwork traces
Chassis S178ML is a 1926 Springfield-built Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost carrying a Piccadilly Roadster body (no. M 1388) coachbuilt by Merrimac under the Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work label — one of roughly 79 such bodies produced. Delivered new in June 1926 to a Massachusetts investment banker, it passed through several documented owners before the body and chassis were separated for over fifty years. A ground-up restoration reunited all original components, returning the car to its original colour and configuration.
Ownership
- 2022-08-19Auction saleSold US$1,200,000
- 1926-06-16 →Factory deliveryA.H. Beckfull documentation
Prominent investment banker and repeat Rolls-Royce of America customer based in Wayland, Massachusetts. Delivery date recorded on Inskip ownership cards held by the Rolls-Royce Foundation.
- 1931-06-06 →Acquisition unknownAdam E. Foxfull documentation
Ownership documented via Inskip records; tenure included a brief theft in Jamaica, Queens in late 1932 and a minor traffic incident on Queens Boulevard in early 1933.
- 1946-07-01 →Acquisition unknownArthur L. Schmidtpartial documentation
New York City resident whose ownership is noted from a service visit to Inskip's on that date; subsequent custody trail is unclear.
- → 1961Private saleSam Adelmanpartial documentation
Proprietor of a well-known parts yard in Mount Vernon specializing in Rolls-Royce vehicles; likely acquired the car through an established parts-buying arrangement with J.S. Inskip. Retained the detached rear sheet metal with the car rather than breaking it for parts.
- 1961 → 2003Private saleFrank Cookepartial documentation
Skilled engineer and Rolls-Royce specialist who founded Vintage Garage; transferred the Piccadilly body to a Phantom I chassis for active use, while restoring the original Silver Ghost chassis separately and nicknaming it 'The Lucky Dog.' Both cars stayed with him until his death.
- 2006 → 2008Private saleWilliam J. Stromanpartial documentation
Rolls-Royce enthusiast from Sterling City, Texas who purchased the original Silver Ghost chassis from the Cooke estate; owned it only briefly before his passing.
- → 2014-10-01Acquisition unknownBruce Papazianpartial documentation
Acquired the Phantom I carrying the original Piccadilly body from the Cooke estate sale; sold it to the current owner in October 2014.
- 2014-10-01 →Private saleCurrent owner from major American collectionfull documentation
Acquired the Phantom I with the Piccadilly body in October 2014, then purchased the original Silver Ghost chassis in early 2015, enabling a full reunion of body and chassis after more than fifty years apart. Commissioned a ground-up restoration overseen by Evan Ide at Historical Vehicle Services.
- → 2015Acquisition unknownHenry Petronispartial documentation
Noted collector from Easton, Maryland who held the Silver Ghost chassis after Stroman's estate; sold it to the current owner in early 2015.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1946ServiceJ.S. Inskip
Car was brought into J.S. Inskip for servicing by then-owner Arthur L. Schmidt.
- —RestorationVintage Garage
Frank Cooke transferred the Piccadilly body from the original Silver Ghost chassis to a Phantom I chassis (S454FL) and restored the combined vehicle. The original Ghost chassis was separately restored and kept as a rolling chassis nicknamed 'The Lucky Dog'. Rear bodywork that had been detached was reattached prior to or during this work.
Work carried out sometime after acquisition in late 1961; exact completion date not recorded in the prose.
- —RestorationHistorical Vehicle Services
Full ground-up restoration reuniting the original Piccadilly body with its original Silver Ghost chassis and drivetrain. Every mechanical component was carefully rebuilt, the engine was overhauled by a specialist, and the body was refinished in its documented original colours, traces of which were still visible on the surviving coachwork.
Project overseen by Evan Ide at Historical Vehicle Services. Engine work performed by Dennison-Jayne Motors of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Final assembly and paint completed by RK Motors of Charlotte, North Carolina. Work began after early 2015 acquisition of the Silver Ghost chassis.
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