1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer

The Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP was introduced at the Olympia Motor Show in 1906 and remained in production through 1926 with 6,173 examples built in total. More commonly known as the Silver Ghost, they firmly established the company's reputation as 'The Best Car in the World.'

This particular example initially wore coachwork by Barker as a formal, open-front, seven-passenger limousine. It was shown on the works' show stand at the Olympia Motor Show in 1911 and its first known owner was J.R. Wadsworth of New York. The next owner was actress Billie Burke who acquired it in the mid-1910s. By 1973, it was purchased by aviation engineer and mechanical enthusiast Ed Swearingen of San Antonio, Texas. By this time, the coachwork was beyond repair, so he had a body built in the style of Barker-bodied Tourer, chassis number 1298.

Mr. Swearingen treated 1717 to a restoration, incorporating high-compression pistons and a tall rear-end ratio to enable higher speeds.

In 1987, this Rolls-Royce was awarded Most Silent Silver Ghost at the RROC National Meet. That same year, the Silver Ghost was acquired by the former chairman of the Silver Ghost Association and Pebble Beach judge, Roger Morrison. It later became part of the Nic Moller's collection in New York, who refinished the Ghost in dark green with a polished bonnet and firewall.

The current owner acquired the car in 2015, who immediately sent it to Silver Ghost restorer Steve Littin, founder of Vintage & Auto Rebuilds in Chardon, Ohio, for extensive restorative work. The body was removed from the chassis, the suspension was thoroughly serviced, the gearbox was rebuilt, and a new clutch and water pump were fitted. The car was changed to its present color combination and a new top mechanism was crafted and installed. The car has been driven only a few hundred miles since the work was completed.

The engine is a 7,428cc inline L-head six-cylinder unit with a single Updraft carburetor and delivering 50 horsepower at 1,500 RPM. It is backed by a three-speed manual gearbox and stopping power is by rear-wheel mechanical drum brakes. In the front is a beam-axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs, while the rear employs a live-axle with three-quarter elliptical leaf springs.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2021