Rolls-Royce Corniche IV Drophead Coupé by Mulliner Park Ward 1995 - World Of Classic Cars -

Truly great design never grows old. Rolls-Royce’s Corniche Drophead Coupé was introduced in 1970 as a convertible variant of the popular Silver Shadow, and it would remain in production for a remarkable 25 years. Each was built to individual customer order at Rolls-Royce’s H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward coachworks in London, taking over a month to handcraft to magnificent standards. Only the finest Connolly leather was used within, and the top alone was crafted so perfectly that it fit like the roof of a coupé.

Not just long lived, the Corniche Drophead was as desirable at the end of those 25 years as it was at the beginning. It was a magnificent rolling status symbol, signifying its owner’s superb taste and success, which allowed him to enjoy the greater things in life.

The Corniche presented here is the highly sought-after final-generation model, the Series IV, equipped with a more advanced suspension system, air bags, and other desirable modern features. Significantly, this car was the first to be built in the final year of Corniche production, 1995. Its build records record that it was finished in Red Pearl, piped in Magnolia, with a Beige mohair hood, Magnolia leather interior, and special-ordered interior trim modifications of a steering wheel upholstered in St James Red leather, Magnolia sun visors, and red piping on the interior armrests. The original owner also specified the removal of all exterior badges as well as the usual picnic tables on the back of the front seats.

The car was reportedly ordered by a member of the ruling family of Dubai for use during vacations in Marbella, Spain. Indeed, the build sheets document that the car was delivered to the UAE—and that the original owner received a “Special Chairman Discount”—but it was reportedly never actually taken to Marbella, or, in fact, regularly driven.

Rolls-Royce Silver Spur 1982 - World Of Classic Cars -

In the 1970s, Austrian Fritz Feller was chief engineer of styling and future projects at Crewe. He looked to the Pininfarina-designed Camargue for design cues, resulting in the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur of the 1980s. Externally these cars were entirely new but retained most of the chassis platform of the Silver Shadow.

The major exception was the rear end which was modified to accept new rear suspension. This new system had been launched during 1979 on the Rolls-Royce Corniche. Many of the changes behind the development of the new car were down to impending safety legislation.

The Spirit of Ecstasy, for example, was no longer fixed to the grille, but designed to retract into the radiator shell upon impact. Other improvements included better ride comfort and a new suspension system with automatic ride height control.

 The long-wheelbase version was called the Silver Spur. Four inches longer than the Spirit, it is identifiable by its extended rear windows and Everflex roof. A special run of 25 Silver Spur Centenary models was produced in 1985, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the motor car in Great Britain and the production of the 100,000th Rolls-Royce.

Finished in silver with a contrasting black interior, this fine example was supplied new on February 11th 1982. The car was maintained with supplying dealer Jack Barclay for the first ten years, subsequently with specialists and more recently with a local garage.

Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward 1972 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward 1972

The Phantom VI was an ultra-exclusive rolling chassis made from 1968-1990. From 1968 to 1973 it was manufactured by Rolls-Royce Ltd. and 1973-1990 by its successor Rolls-Royce Motors. Most were bodied as limousines, a few landaulettes, and at least one as aconvertible. The Phantom VI was used until 2002 as official state car by the British queen,  Elizabeth II. Based on the Phantom V, the Phantom VI had a re-styled dashboard and was powered by an engine derived from the current Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Most of the coachwork was created by Mulliner Park Ward usually in limousine form though a few landaulettes were made. The Phantom VI was the last Rolls-Royce with separate chassis. It featured coil springs in front, leaf springs in rear, and drum brakes on all four wheels. The car was powered by a twin SU carburettors mated to a 6,230cc, V8 and coupled to a four-speed automatic gearbox.

Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine by Mulliner Park Ward 1972

Famous owners included Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother. Those owned by Elizabeth II were official state cars, adapted for that purposed with a flag staff and illuminated heraldic shield above the windscreen. Having been retired from active service in 2002, both are now on public display: one in the royal motor museum at Sandringham and the other in the special garage aboard HMY Britannia in Leith, Edinburgh. The Governor of Hong Kong used a Rolls-Royce Phantom V for ceremonial occasions. It was removed from Hong Kong by the Royal Navy immediately following the handover to China on 1 July 1997.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

Amongst the most elegant post-war bodies created for Rolls-Royce was the Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé by H.J. Mulliner, design number 7504. The car was known as an “adaptation”, and it was created using a factory Standard Steel Saloon body that had been modified into a convertible by removing the steel top, fitting two doors in place of the usual four, and adding a modified chromed waistline moulding. So extensive were Mulliner’s modifications that the resulting car was, in its every detail, essentially a fully custom body, and indeed, the cars were available with the same range of bespoke options available to any Rolls-Royce client—that is to say, anything the buyer desired.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

This Cloud II is a remarkable example of an H.J. Mulliner coachbuilt convertible, which is generally accepted to be amongst the most elegant of all post-war coachwork. The accepted term for this H.J. Mulliner Design 7504 is “adaptation”, as the cars were adapted from saloon bodies. Rolls-Royce specialists agree that this was the most popular body H.J. Mulliner ever created. The car shown here, chassis number LSAE639, is the last Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé adaptation of 107 built, and it is described in the definitive work on these cars, Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining by Davide Bassoli, as “the last one built…gorgeous lines, perfect proportions”.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

Copies of its original chassis cards indicate that the car was specially ordered by Boyd Calhoun Hipp, of Greenville, South Carolina, a decorated World War II hero who became a leader in the insurance, finance, and television broadcasting industries. Mr Hipp requested a left-hand-drive, U.S.-specification model with a power radio aerial and windows, the newly developed Rolls-Royce air-conditioning system, and special Sundym glass. Mulliner also installed an array of special features that has been supplied by London coachbuilder Harold Radford, including Perspex sun visors, a fitted locker with an ice thermos in the left-hand door pocket, fitted cocktail bars with three spirit flasks and six tumblers in the backs of the front seats, and most amusingly, removable “toadstool” cushions that affix to the rear bumpers, providing seating for elegant “tailgate” dining in the most literal sense.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

Mr Hipp accepted delivery of his Silver Cloud II in England in September 1962, with records indicating that it accompanied him home to New York in the most stylish of fashions, aboard the fabled Cunard liner the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The car was later restored in previous ownership, and it still presents beautifully in Sand with fine red coachlining and an interior luxuriously trimmed in Magnolia Connolly hides, Cumberland Stone Wilton carpeting, and a Fawn West of England headliner under a fresh mohair top. Correct whitewall tyres augment the car’s chic yet sporting stance. Marque specialists in the UK recently completed a freshening of the car’s mechanical components.
Whether in motion or on concours display, historians generally consider the rare Silver Cloud II coachbuilt cars as offering the best of all Rolls-Royce worlds: superior engineering, fine quality, and timeless design.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934

One of the final Phantom II Continental chassis produced, chassis number 120SK was reportedly one of only three bodied by H.J. Mulliner as a sedanca drophead coupe, using a design originally created by London dealer H.R. Owen for Gurney Nutting. This elegant, three-position body featured superb close-coupled design, with the body mounted well ahead of the rear axle, improving rear-seat comfort while creating space for the style’s characteristic rear-mounted trunk, providing abundant space for extended European vacations—for which the Continental had been designed. When the usually side-mounted spare was also relocated to the rear, as on this example, it freed the front fenders to be smooth, flowing, and gorgeous, accentuating the length of the car.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934

The car was commissioned by London dealer Jack Barclay, whose badging still appears on its sills, and was used as Barclay’s demonstrator for several months. It was then delivered to its original owner, Sir Charles John Wilson, the 3rd Baron Nunburnholme, a British peer and frequent Barclay customer in good standing. Particular about his wants, as the landed gentry frequently are, he requested that the headlamp brackets be shortened, bringing them ¼-inch below the “shoulder” of the radiator, and that the floorboards of the car be unpainted! The car was also fitted with very comfortable and sporting adjustable front bucket seats, which remain today.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934

According to a former owner, Parisian Rolls-Royce agent Franco-Britannic placed an order for the car in 1938 to local coachbuilder Henri Chapron, to update its styling with the lovely “pontoon”-style fenders fitted today, although it has also been suggested that Henri Binder could have carried out the work. The fenders are certainly French in their style and are certainly a coachbuilt addition “of the period,” having been on the car by the early 1950s, when it was owned by P.M. Gardner of Negeve, France. In addition, they flawlessly blend into the car’s lines, fully updating and modernizing its appearance.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934

The car was subsequently sold into the United States, where, from 1957 until 1980, it was enjoyed by Frank Allen of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It was then acquired by its next long-term caretaker, beloved American RROC member, enthusiastic tourer, and friend to many, the late Bob Barrymore of La Jolla, California. The Phantom II Continental was still owned by Mr. Barrymore at the time of his untimely passing 10 years afterward, and it remained well cared for by his family until 2002.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934

Subsequent to its sale from the Barrymore Estate, chassis number 120SK was cosmetically refinished, with new Masons Black and pewter grey paintwork in an exceptionally attractive color scheme, new leather upholstery, and a new canvas top and headliner, as well as refinished interior woodwork. Seldom driven since that work was completed, it has been mechanically and cosmetically freshened prior to sale. Its interior exhibits only the lightest of wear and stretching; similarly, the body finish is still in very good condition, with only minor chips around shut lines, and the fit throughout is very nice as well.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner 1934

The car is well known and featured in several prominent books, including Raymond Gentile’s The Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental (p. 235), Andre Blaize’s The Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental (p. 978–979), and Lawrence Dalton’s Those Elegant Rolls-Royce (p. 149). Further, it is accompanied by copies of the original build records and information on further ownership history, from the files of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (Hunt House) and Rolls-Royce Foundation.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

Most famous as the longstanding coachbuilder to British royalty and a favorite of Rolls-Royce Ltd., Barker frequently produced coachwork of fine quality and conservative mien. Occasionally they would throw off their razor edges and build something that was really dramatic and spectacular, most prominently for London Motor Show exhibits. The 1930 show introduced a two-passenger Phantom II, chassis number 92 GY, wearing a body that would have looked advanced 10 years in the future. By 1930 standards, it was a tremendous leap ahead and an exceptionally beautiful and interesting one as well.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

Chassis number 179 XJ was subsequently ordered as a Barker two-seater sports “for Continental touring” on behalf of Andre Mertzanoff, a New York resident and chief engineer of the American Radiator Company. This car borrowed the Motor Show’s design, including rear fenders that sweep forward to hide side-mounted spares, deliciously curved pontoon-style front fenders with built-in storage compartments, and a top that disappeared smoothly under a tapered rear deck. The deck itself on the Mertzanoff car would be of plank hardwood, sanded and varnished until it gleamed like the bow of a speedboat. Echoing the body’s nautical intentions, both of the artfully designed door handles incorporated lights, as in the port and starboard markers on a yacht!

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

While Mertzanoff is the name recorded on the Phantom II’s build sheet, indications are that he did not take delivery of the finished project. In a letter written by the car’s second owner, A. Fillingham, and published in the October 1958 issue of Motorsport magazine, Fillingham notes that the car “was first registered 12/5/30, GJ 11…It first belonged to a foreign, titled man, and was taken in part exchange by Messrs. H.R. Owen Ltd. of 17, Berkeley Street, London, W.1.” Persistent rumor indicates that the “foreign titled man” was Gulab Singh, the Maharaja of Rewa, one of the many Indian royals who were devoted Rolls-Royce clients at the time.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

Fillingham indicated to Motorsport that he became the second owner, via H.R. Owen, in 1932, and that at the time of writing in 1958, he still owned the car. “I have touched 87 m.p.h. and had quite a bit in hand,” he remarked, “so that 94 m.p.h. is quite a possibility given suitable circumstances. It is in wonderful condition and has not yet done 50,000 miles. As a ‘Fondling,’ it is a bit on the big side, yet it has always had and still gets lots of ‘cosseting.’”
Presumably the letter to Motorsport attracted the attention of the famous British old car dealer David “Bunty” Scott-Moncrief, who acquired the car in time to drive it on the Veteran & Vintage Rally at Beaulieu in 1958. Two years later, the Phantom II made its way to the United States in the hands of the well-known early U.S. enthusiast and collector of coachbuilt European automobiles Vojta F. Mashek. Importantly, Mashek’s daughter, Lyssa, also remembers the car as having been attributed to the Maharaja.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

In 1962, Mashek brought his prize to the Rolls-Royce Owners Club meet at Dearborn, Michigan. The car was not entered for judging, but it attracted considerable attention, including that of Alex Tremulis. The well-known designer, most famous as the man responsible for the 1948 Tucker and for his work at Auburn Automobile Company, was at the time a Ford Advanced Design employee, creating numerous wild and advanced concepts. The Mashek Phantom II decidedly caught his fancy, to the point that he had Ford staff photograph the car extensively for further study!
Chief judge of the 1962 RROC meet in Dearborn was Dr. Samuel Scher, at the time New York City’s foremost plastic surgeon and probably the most famous East Coast car collector of his time.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

Undoubtedly, the car must have turned Dr. Scher’s head as well, as he purchased it from Mr. Mashek in 1965. It passed in 1969 to Harry Resnick, owner of the Ellenville Motor Museum in upstate New York, known for his superb stable of coachbuilt Rolls-Royces (including at least one of every Phantom built). Mr. Resnick, in turn, sold the car in 1972 to Samuel Schwartz of Long Island.
In 1981, the car was purchased by Michael Wilkinson of Rancho Santa Fe, California, in whose ownership it continued to be exhibited in RROC activities, now refinished in white. It was eventually passed through Russell Jackson to the well-known Michigan collectors Richard and Linda Kughn, who at the time had the largest collection of vintage Rolls-Royces in the world. It speaks highly of the car that, with so many Phantoms at hand, it was this car that the Kughns brought to the Rolls-Royce Experience at Hickory Corners, Michigan, in 1988.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 1930

Acquired for its current owner’s collection in the early 1990s, the car has been restored in a brilliant scarlet, accentuated by the magnificent and authentic plank decking of the rear deck and a tan leather interior. It retains the original “GJ 11” British registration plates and its authentic original features, such as the concealed “dickey seat” that swings up out of the rear deck, the beautifully detailed fender lamps and lighted door handles, and those spectacular flowing fenders.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer in the style of Hooper 1923 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer in the style of Hooper 1923

The fascinating history of Silver Ghost chassis number 23 EM begins with original owner Mathia Astoreca, who maintained homes in London, Paris, and Santiago, Chile. He acquired the Rolls-Royce in November of 1923 with the understanding that it would be updated with four-wheel brakes as soon as they became available, something that was done in 1925. Astoreca’s brother had earlier purchased Rolls-Royce’s 1921 Paris Salon car, chassis number JG6, and it was this car’s Million-Guiet cabriolet body that was relocated to the new chassis by London coachbuilders Barker.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer in the style of Hooper 1923

Astoreca drove chassis number 23 EM extensively in the UK and on the European continent until his passing in January of 1926. Afterward, it was returned by his widow to Santiago and, according to correspondence on file with his descendants, was sold by his widow later in the 1930s.
In 1972, the chassis was discovered being used to haul fruit along the waterfront in Valparaíso! Subsequently, it was acquired by an American collector, Richard Dye of Santa Barbara, California, who in turn sold it to Neil Collins of Double Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Mr. Collins organized the construction of a new body for the car by Australian craftsman Peter Lamb. A Hooper Tourer body was copied from an original car, located by Mr. Collins in England, with an inner frame of New Zealand Beachwood, covered in outer panels of aluminum. Mr. Lamb noted that the whole project took two years to complete, after which the car was sold to a new owner in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer in the style of Hooper 1923

In 1994, the Silver Ghost was acquired by Raymond Lippiatt, an English enthusiast who promptly registered it with the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. A letter on file from Mr. Lippiatt notes that the car underwent about 5,000 GBP of work on the engine and brakes in his ownership, as neither had been rebuilt during the previous restoration. He enjoyed the car for several years before selling it in 1999 to Matthew Sysak of Pennsylvania.
According to the current owner, Mr. Sysak sorted the car, completely rebuilding the engine around 2005 with new pistons, cam followers, valve guides, an exhaust cut-out, and a new gas tank, as well as installing an overdrive unit and new gears for the transmission. The owner further notes that in 2009 the car was used on a Rolls-Royce tour in South Africa! So impressive was the Silver Ghost that it even merited an appearance in the pages of Autoweek in their July 11, 2004, issue, in which it was glowingly reviewed.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer in the style of Hooper 1923

In its current care, the Rolls completed two Silver Ghost Association “Wholly Ghost” tours in New England and Southern California, testament to its well-maintained mechanical order.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Saloon by Hooper 1932 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Saloon by Hooper 1932

Phantom II Continental chassis number 114 MS was bodied by Hooper & Company of London, the famed Royal coachbuilders, as a dramatic Sports Saloon with excellent close-coupled proportions and an integrated luggage compartment. As noted in Andre Blaize’s The Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, the price of this car when new was 2,570 GBP, which would have taken the average British worker 13½ years of salary to pay. It was shipped via the SS Viceroy of India to Bangalore, India, where it was delivered to its original owner, Elizabeth Crawford Wilkin. The car was equipped for the Indian climate with an unusually well-equipped tool set, as well as with a nearly vertical-opening windshield and additional scuttle-mounted air vents (since removed).

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Saloon by Hooper 1932

Mrs. Wilkin was the American-born wife of a British Foreign Service officer, then stationed in Bangalore. She drove her Phantom II Continental regularly during the years that the family lived there, and eventually, it accompanied her home to Melvin Village, New Hampshire. Subsequently, it was sold to Francis A. Poole Jr. in 1949, later passing in 1954 to William Kimberly, in 1963 to Henry Curtis, and in 1966 to Monroe Mann. Mr. Mann, a president of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club, owned, drove, and enjoyed this car for a remarkable 30 years.

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Saloon by Hooper 1932

Following two further short-term ownerships, the Phantom II Continental was acquired by Alan McEwan, the famed longtime CCCA member and director of the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance. It completed the event without a fault. Afterward, it was sold to its present owner, a respected East Coast enthusiast, in whose collection it has been well maintained since.
The car is featured in Mr. Blaize’s aforementioned book, as well as in Raymond Gentile’s earlier work, The Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

Among the most elegant post-war bodies created for Rolls-Royce was the Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner, design number 7504. Known as an “Adaptation,” the car was created using a factory Standard Steel Saloon body, and it was modified into a convertible by removing the steel top, fitting two doors in place of the usual four, and adding a modified chromed waistline molding. So extensive were Mulliner’s modifications that the resulting car was, in its every detail, essentially a fully custom body, and indeed, the cars were available with the same range of bespoke options available to any Rolls-Royce client—that is to say, anything the buyer desired.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

The car shown here, chassis number LSAE639, is the last Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe Adaptation of 107 built, and it is described in the definitive work on these cars, Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining, as “the last one built…gorgeous lines, perfect proportions.” Rolls-Royce specialists agree that this was the most popular body H.J. Mulliner ever created.
Copies of its original chassis cards indicate that the car was specially ordered by its original owner, Boyd Calhoun Hipp of Greenville, South Carolina, a decorated World War II hero who became a leader in the insurance, finance, and television broadcasting industries. Mr. Hipp requested a left-hand-drive, U.S.-specification model with power radio aerial and windows, the newly developed Rolls-Royce air-conditioning system, and special Sundym glass. Mulliner also installed an array of special features supplied by London coachbuilder Harold Radford, including Perspex sun visors, a fitted locker with an ice thermos in the left-hand door pocket, fitted cocktail bars with three spirit flasks and six tumblers in the backs of the front seats, and, most amusingly, removable “toadstool” cushions that affix to the rear bumpers, providing seating for elegant “tailgate” dining in the most literal sense.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner 1962

Mr. Hipp accepted delivery of his Silver Cloud II in England in September of 1962, with records indicating that it accompanied him home to New York in the most stylish of fashions aboard the fabled Cunard liner HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Later restored in its previous ownership, the car still presents beautifully in Sand, with fine red coach lining, and an interior luxuriously trimmed in Magnolia Connolly hides, Cumberland Stone Wilton carpeting, and Fawn West of England headliner under a fresh mohair top. Correct whitewall tires augment the car’s chic yet sporting stance. Marque specialists in the U.K. recently completed a freshening of the car’s mechanical components.
Historians generally consider the rare Silver Cloud II coachbuilt cars, whether in motion or on concours display, to offer the best of all Rolls-Royce worlds: superior engineering, fine quality, and timeless design.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

The most desirable of the Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghosts are the early “parallel bonnet” models, those produced between the start of production in 1907 and 1915. Named for the distinctive design of their front ends, these cars are unparalleled in their opulence, elegance, and Swiss watch–like craftsmanship. Unfortunately, they also tended to carry several bodies over their long lifetimes, and few survive today in virtually unmolested condition, as they were first built for their original owners.
Fortunately, the history of these “parallel bonnet” Silver Ghosts have been thoroughly traced, tracked, and documented by historians, not least among these the respected John Fasal, who lists all known cars and their histories in his two-volume book, The Edwardian Rolls-Royce. It is easy, therefore, to check and confirm the provenance of virtually any Edwardian Rolls.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

The car here, chassis number 1544, is listed by Mr. Fasal as having been “on test” on February 27, 1911, equipped with engine number 45S; build records, copies of which are on file, further detail the fitment of Rudge-Whitworth detachable wooden rims and nickel trim, both of which are still present today. It was subsequently delivered through dealer A.B. Wardman, the name listed on its build records, to A. Harrison of Frodsham. With no coachbuilder listed on the build records, Mr. Harrison likely commissioned the bodywork from Lawton himself. A handsome low-doored tourer of what was, for the time, very clean and modern design, the car is distinguished by doors for both the front and rear passengers, versus the open front roi des Belges style then enjoying popularity. It was likely intended to be driven, at least part of the time, by the owner, and it was something of a sporty design for the period.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

Subsequent owners of the car are recorded by Mr. Fasal as J. Evans of Southport and then, in 1919, Sir John Wormald, KBE, of Berkshire, an executive at a firm that was a pioneer in the manufacturing of fire sprinklers. Following World War II, it passed into the ownership of S.J. Skinner of Basingstroke, who paid £27.10 for the well-preserved Silver Ghost “because I fell in love with the lamps.” G. Frank of Little Wenlock, Shropshire, followed, and then R.H. Stothart of Myddleton became the next owner in 1959 and owned the car for what appears to be only a brief period of time.

In 1960, the car was purchased, via Jack Humphries of Birmingham, by Dr. Samuel Scher of New York City. Dr. Scher’s name is one that, to the knowledgeable enthusiast, needs no introduction. By vocation the city’s foremost plastic surgeon, he spent his off hours as a gentleman sportsman of some renown, who owned and drove the fastest modern sports cars and collected the finest automobiles of the Brass and Classic Eras. Dr. Scher was one of the first collectors to have his cars authentically restored, and they were frequent award winners in national competition during the early years of “the hobby.” In particular, he was a devotee of Rolls-Royce and owned many fine examples over the years, few finer than chassis 1544.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

Dr. Scher’s appreciation for this car is evident in the degree to which he restored it. No Yankee craftsman was suitable for the treasure; instead, it was crated and shipped back home. There, in the workshops of famed London dealers Jack Barclay, the Silver Ghost was painstakingly disassembled down to its last nut and bolt. Copies of articles from The Flying Lady, which chronicled the progress and completion of the restoration, note that the car as-purchased was “largely complete” and show the level of detail attended to in the work. The only major component of the car replaced during the restoration work were the fenders, which were remade from scratch, the original units being used on chassis number 1298, also being restored at the same time. The original Lawton bodywork was refinished by a former coachbuilder using brushed-on lacquer! Restoration work was supervised by Harry Fergusson Wood, longtime head of the Barclay service depot and a renowned name among Rolls-Royce enthusiasts.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

With the restoration work completed, the spectacular Silver Ghost returned to the United States, where it won an AACA National First Prize, followed by that organization’s national Foo Dog Trophy for Best Rolls-Royce, both in 1963. That same year, it was judged in Rolls-Royce Owners Club competition at the national meet in Williamsburg, Virginia, where it was awarded the Rolls-Royce Trophy for Best of Show. Features of the car are rhapsodized over in The Flying Lady with regard to its level of fit and finish, including the unusual matching pair of Lucas tail lamps and the rare original Rudge-Whitworth wheels.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

Chassis number 1544 remained a centerpiece of the Scher stable until 1969 and was then sold to another well-known collector, Harry Resnick, joining his own fabulous Rolls-Royce collection—the finest in the U.S. at the time—at the Ellenville Motor Museum in New York. Later in the 1970s, it was sold by Mr. Resnick to the Craven Foundation of Oshawa, Ontario, at the time considered the Northern equivalent to Harrah’s Automobile Collection for the quality of its restored automobiles. While owned by the Craven Foundation, the car was exhibited at a Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club rally in Mississauga, Ontario.

Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton 1911

When the Craven Foundation was liquidated in 1986, the car was passed to a well-known California collection; in this care, it was refinished in its present shade of cream, with the polished aluminum bonnet of the Scher restoration retained. It was acquired by the present owner several years later and has resided in his own stable for over two decades.

Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine by Park Ward 1962 - World Of Classic Cars -

Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine by Park Ward 1962

Following the construction of a mere 18 Phantom IV chassis, strictly for ruling heads of state, Rolls-Royce turned back to offering a Phantom for the merely very wealthy for 1959. The Phantom V, as it was logically dubbed, was based upon an all-new chassis design and included a new V-8 engine, as well as a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission and servo-assisted brakes. It remained a tremendously expensive automobile that was produced solely to individual special-order; as with earlier Rolls-Royces, the tradition of bespoke custom coachwork continued, with the world’s few remaining coachbuilders turning out ash forms that were skinned in aluminum and finished in the owner’s choice of paint colors and trim.

Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine by Park Ward 1962

Among the scarcest bodies for the Phantom V were those built by long-lived UK coachbuilder Park Ward, which in 1961 was merged with H.J. Mulliner under Rolls-Royce auspices, becoming Mulliner Park Ward. Thus, only the earliest Phantom Vs were bodied by Park Ward independently, some to their very attractive body design 980, a “notchback” limousine.
The car presented here, body number 19697, is one of those rarities. Its original build paperwork notes that it was fitted with rear compartment air conditioning, a Park Ward–fitted radio aerial, instruments in MPH, and Windtone horns to the order of original owner H. Richard Dietrich of Mt. Pleasant Road, Villanova, Pennsylvania, to whom it was delivered on January 2, 1962. In November 1982, it was subsequently acquired by another long-term owner, Dr. Billy R. Eubanks of Marrero, Louisiana, before joining the collection of its current owner a decade ago.

Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine by Park Ward 1962

Aside from the lower half of the body being refinished in Tudor Grey, it remains largely original and has not been restored. The rear compartment still contains the cut crystal glassware and handsome decanters in the cocktail cabinet, as well as beautiful thick carpeting and plush broadcloth seating surrounded by veritable acres of rich burled walnut. The same trim and finishes are echoed in the driver’s compartment, in which the leather seat faces a beautiful dashboard with its own sliding picnic-and-map table beneath.