Registration No: SV 9682 Chassis No: 181 KF MOT: ExemptKnown ownership history from new and said to have covered just 38,000 milesPreviously exhibited at Pebble Beach and a past prize winner at The Quail etcOriginally bodied as a Four-Light Tilbury Sedan then a Six-Light McNear Sedan and now a Piccadilly RoadsterKept by grand prix and sports car ace Phil Hill for two decades (1967-1985)Matching chassis, engine, gearbox and rear axle numbers The model upon which Rolls-Royce's reputation as makers of 'The Best Car in the World' was founded, the 40/50hp debuted at the November 1906 London Motor Show. A somewhat conventional yet beautifully executed design, the newcomer was based around a massive ladder-frame chassis equipped with all-round leaf-sprung suspension, powerful rear wheel brakes and spiral-bevel final drive. Displacing 7036cc (7428cc from 1910), its superlatively smooth six-cylinder engine featured a seven-bearing crankshaft, full pressure lubrication and twelve spark plugs (fed via a dual magneto / coil ignition system). Allied to four-speed manual transmission (though, a three-speed gearbox was utilised from 1909 to 1913), the sidevalve unit proved both wonderfully torquey and eerily quiet. Possessing a legendary eye for detail, Henry Royce continued to develop the 40/50hp throughout its 18-year production life. Thus, late Silver Ghosts boasted considerably more horsepower (up from 48bhp at 1,250rpm to 80bhp at 2,250rpm) and higher top speeds than their earlier brethren. Rolls-Royce of America Inc was established to bypass the swingeing import duty that had hitherto restricted its parent company's transatlantic sales. Operating from factory premises in Springfield, Massachusetts, the new concern initially built carbon copies of the famous 40/50hp model. However, as time progressed so its product became more attuned to the US market. The beautifully wrought ladder frame chassis and enviably smooth 7428cc straight-six engine were little altered but later cars featured a three-speed, centre gearchange manual transmission and left-hand drive (interestingly just 600 or so of the 1,703 Springfield Silver Ghosts completed were to LHD specification). Designed to woo existing Packard, Cadillac and Pierce Arrow customers who had little truck with the idea of a chassis only purchase, a catalogued range of Rolls-Royce Custom Coachwork was soon made available. The various designs were given British names and subcontracted to the likes of Amesbury, Biddle & Smart, Holbrook, Locke, Merrimac, New Haven, Smith-Springfield and Willoughby. Wonderfully extravagant, Merrimac’s Piccadilly Roadster could host four at a pinch (thanks to its fold-out ‘dickey’ seat) but sat on the same 3658mm wheelbase that other coachbuilders used to accommodate up to seven in comfort. The rakish body was barely taller than the voluptuous wings and the ‘peaked’ soft-top notably well integrated. Less over the top than the Bugatti Royale Edsers Roadster, the Piccadilly was nonetheless pure visual theatre. Sources suggest that some 105 were made in period with most of those being fitted as replacement bodies. Those who specified Piccadilly Roadster coachwork from new included notable playboy turned recluse Howard Hughes. According to its accompanying copy records, chassis 181-KF was originally built as a Four-Light Tilbury Sedan. Supplied new to J.M. Mann, the Silver Ghost then passed through the hands of E.D. Abbott, Roderick J. Watterston, Lawrence Hackett, Mr King, Phil Hill and Theodore E. Reich before being imported to the UK by marque specialist The Real Car Co in 2003. Thought to have been rebodied as a more formal Six-Light Town Car by George W. McNear of Brookline, Massachusetts during Mr Abbot’s tenure, the Phil Hill who owned the 40/50hp from 1967 – 1985 was none other than the ex-F1 World Champion! Having bought the Rolls-Royce six years after winning the title, a copy bill on file shows that he sold it Mr Reich for “$1 and other consideration”. Well versed in the Rolls-Royce and Bentley marques, the latter set about carefully recommissioning chassis 181-KF (which he believed to have covered just 30,000 or so miles at the time) before embarking upon trips to Seattle and Vancouver. Mr Reich also displayed the car at the internationally renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as well as using it to win a regional concours and take a 1st-in-class during what he described as “a difficult Postwar Silver Ghost class at the 1993(?) Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club Annual meet at Quail Lodge, Carmel Valley, CA”. UK road registered by The Real Car Co as ‘SV 9682’ on June 16th 2003, they sold the Silver Ghost to R.A. Kilburn shortly thereafter who had it maintained by RR&B Garages of Bromsgrove. Other ‘known names’ appearing within the history file include D.H. Day, A.J. Glew and Ristes. Bought by David O’Connor through RR&B, the 40/50hp changed keepers once more before entering the current ownership. Custodian to numerous pre- and post-WW1 Silver Ghosts over the years (many of them prize winning), the seller took the 'carbon copy' Piccadilly Roadster body from another car in his collection and had it installed aboard chassis 181-KF. The reason for the swap being that the ex-Phil Hill machine was far lower mileage and more correct in terms of numbers matching mechanical componentry. The result is a highly presentable and capable Vintage Tourer with a great provenance. Starting readily and running well during our visit, the two-seater drove to and from the chosen photography location without missing a beat. The Rolls-Royce also completed a 250-mile run last year without incident and is due to be driven to IWM Duxford for the auction. Long known as a low mileage car and still showing just 37,800 miles to its odometer, this stunning Springfield Silver Ghost is worthy of close inspection. About as glamorous as Vintage Roadsters get, ‘SV 9682’ is offered for sale with V5C Registration Document, period instruction book and history file. For more information, please contact: Damian Jones damian.jones@handh.co.uk 07855 493737
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