1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost London to Edinburgh Tourer

The stated goal of Rolls-Royce early on was to take on and defeat all comers, in speed, endurance and in hill climbing competition. The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was a marvel of build-quality and sophisticated engineering, offering near silent operation and a luxurious experience. In case after case, they proved their point and were soon declared to produce 'The Best Car in the World.' On such competition, run by the Royal Automotive Club, was a top gear run between London and Edinburgh followed by a timed speed trial. In preparation, Rolls-Royce fitted a lightweight aerodynamic body to a chassis with a modified engine. It had a stronger torque tube for the prop shaft, strengthened rear-axle casings and, in the case of the first two cars in the series, inverted semi-elliptical rear springs to allow the car to sit closer to the road. This became known as the LtoE. In September of 1911, an LtoE bested the competition by attaining a speed of over 78 MPH and recording fuel consumption of over 24 MPG. The first car (chassis number 1701) was finished with an elegant lightweight tourer body by Holmes of Derby.

Rolls-Royce built 88 London to Edinburgh Specification Silver Ghosts and 35 are known to still exist.

This London-Edinburgh chassis number 2380 was delivered to Charles G. Walker of Boston, Massachusetts on June 11, 1913. It wore coachwork by Barker at that time. The second owner donated this car to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, in 1941. The museum removed the body and displayed it as a chassis. In 1968, well known collector Sam Scher acquired the car and had the current replica Barker touring body fitted. After ownership by three other prominent collectors, the present owner acquired it in 2005, and did extensive restoration work. The current caretaker acquired the car in 2017.