1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Tourer

This Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost F-series Colonial model had its on-test date of November 7th, 1914. It came equipped with a four-speed gearbox, a 22-inch radiator, nickel fittings, and C-Type steering. It received the London-to-Edinburgh engine and wore Baker & Company coachwork in a torpedo body configuration. The car's first owner was Edward John Owen Cox of Sydney, Australia who kept it until 1925 when it was sold to Albert Broue of Sydney, Australia, followed by a succession of southern Australia-based owners. Around 1941, the Barker tourer body was removed and sold to aid the war effort.

One of the car's owner - a Mr. Francis Bonsey - had the chassis fitted with a 1928 Delage body. In 1955, the Silver Ghost was sold to Claude Reilly in that configuration. During a forthcoming restoration, a three-door tourer body was created for the restored chassis.

The car's next owner was Faris Palfreyman of Queensland, Australia, who applied for and received a Certificate of Dating from the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain in 1964. George Harris of Sydney, Australia became the car's next owner, acquiring it in 1970. In 1979, Harris and co-driver Jim Redman drove 6TB from Sydney to Perth, Australia, a distance of more than 2,400 miles, in 46 hours and 57 minutes, averaging 55.67 mph.

The Rolls-Royce remained with Mr. Harris for two decades before it was sold to Malcolm Johns in 1990, who in turn sold it to Edward John Milverton of Sydney, Australia, in 1991. During Mr. Milverton's 27-year association with 6TB, it would be given a new body with a design close to the original Barker torpedo coachwork. The body construction was entrusted to the Vintage Motor Garage of Gosford, Australia. Upon its completion, 6TB was awarded the Bert Ward Trophy as the overall winner at the RROC of Australia, New South Wales branch concours d'Elegance, where it also received the Age and Authenticity Trophy.

6TB participated in the 1993 Motorola Alpine Trial, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the 1913 Austrian Alpine Trial, a 3,000-kilometer route reenactment from Vienna, through Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Croatia, and back to Vienna. After the Alpine Trial, 6TB received mechanical work including the installation of a Sine-Wave radiator with additional cooling vanes and a taller 17:52 rear axle ratio for long-legged touring. The no-expense-spared engine overhaul was performed by Edec Industries of Sydney, Australia.

The Silver Ghost's next outing was the RREC's 1997 Scottish Reliability Tour celebrating the 90th anniversary of the original reliability trials. After traveling from London to Edinburgh, 6TB received a Second in Class award at the RREC Annual Rally Concours. In 1998, it was named the overall winner at the RROC of Australia's Federal Rally.

Additional outings included the Alpine Trial in 2003 and 2013, and earning a First Place award for prewar cars at the 2010 British Classic Car Meeting in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Additional mechanical work was performed in 2018, costing in excess of £48,000. At the end of that year, the car was acquired by its current caretaker.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022