1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Limousine

This 1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost was originally UK-registered LE 7043. It was commissioned by Thrupp & Maberly in November 1911 and delivered in March 1912 to be fitted with Seven-Passenger Landaulette coachwork in similar fashion to the Limousine body currently fitted to the chassis. This was one of the first cars built with a sliding roof panel, allowing an open-air experience for its occupants. Other features include oval rear and division windows, grooved Dunlop tires, and nickel fittings.

The first owner was John J. Musker who had the speedometer calibrated in furlongs rather than miles per hour. The car remained with the Musker family until October 1946, when it entered the care of E.W. Butcher of Suffolk, UK. It was sold in 1954 and purchased by Ewart Bradshaw where it was displayed at Preston Garages for most of his ownership. In 1964, it was purchased by K. Marsden who kept it briefly before selling it to Fred MacDonald from Port Credit, Canada. Mr. MacDonald failed to pay the shipper's fee, so it remained in a warehouse until Gordon E. Smith of Orillia, Canada purchased it.

In 1970, it was purchased by Ben Paul Moser of Santa Barbara, California, through whom it quickly passed to Anthony Michaels of Hampstead, London. Dr. Gerald Moore purchased it in 1973 and exhibited at his Heathfield Park Motor Museum in Sussex until his wife passed away, followed by the auction sale of 1850E at Earls Court in October 1977. Around this time it was given a restoration by Colin Crabbe.

P.F. Green became its next owner, caring for it for a brief time before it was acquired by the Lips Autotron Museum in the Netherlands, where it remained until 1990. From there, it was sold to Manfred Dolleschell of Verl, Germany, who kept the car until 2003 when it was sold to Daniel Sielecki of Argentina, who displayed the car at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2004, receiving the Co-Chairman's Trophy. David Harrison purchased it in 2005, who kept the car in the United Kingdom until May 2014 when the current American owner purchased the Rolls-Royce. In 2016, it was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019