1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Tourer

It was the 40/50 horsepower model of 1907-25 that established Rolls-Royce as 'the best car made in the world.' Factory manager Claude Johnson built one with sterling silver trim, ordered a Barker touring body painted silver, and drove that car 15,000 trouble-free miles. To a very impressed public, all 40/50's became 'Silver Ghosts.'

The pioneering inline-six grew from 7.0 to 7.4 liters in 1909. The suspension and transmission were revised and electric starting was standardized after WWI. Four-wheel brakes arrived in mid-1924 (in Britain, but not America), along with a gearbox-driven friction servo.

In November 1923, Mathias Astoreca, purchased No. 23 EM. His brother owned a cabriolet with coachwork by Million-Guiet. Mathias had the Barker coachworks swap that body onto his new chassis and drove it extensively until his passing in 1926. His widow then shipped the car to Santiago, Chile where its history is unclear until 1972. It was found as a stripped and rusted hulk that had been used to haul fruit on the Valparaiso waterfront.

The original owner of this Silver Ghost was Mathia Astoreca, who maintained homes in London, Paris, and Santiago, Chile. The vehicle was purchased in November of 1923, and Mr. Astoreca requested four-wheel brakes, but since they were not yet available, he was told they would be installed when they became available. Four-wheel brakes were installed around 1925. Mathia's brother owned chassis number JG6, the 1921 Paris Salon car, and it was this car's Million-Guiet cabriolet body that was relocated to the new chassis by London coachbuilders Barker.

Chassis number 23 EM with the Million-Guiet cabriolet coachwork was driven by Astoreca exenextensively in the UK and on the European continent until his passing in January of 1926. It remained with his widow until later in the 1930s.

The Rolls-Royce was discovered in 1972 being used to haul fruit along the waterfront in Valparaíso. Mr. Richard Dye of Santa Barbara, California acquired the vehicle and sold it to Neil Collins of Double Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Australian craftsman Peter Lamb built a new body for the vehicle, using design specifications from an original car. The inner frame was built of New Zealand Beachwood, covered in outer panels of aluminum. The recreation of the Hooper Tourer body took two years to complete, and after the work was done, the car was sold to a new owner in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Raymond Lippiatt acquired the vehicle in 1994 and immediately had the vehicle service, including work on the engine and brakes. It was sold in 1999 to Matthew Sysak of Pennsylvania. The engine was completely rebuilt around 2005 with new cam followers, valve guides, pistons, an exhaust cut-out, and a new gas tank, as well as installing an overdrive unit and new gears for the transmission.

In 2009, the vehicle was driven on a Rolls-Royce tour in South Africa.

The car entered new ownership, and in 2016, was brought to RM Sotheby's Arizona auction, and sold to new owners.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021