- Known history since new; single ownership since 1989
- Exhibited at the 1911 Olympia Motor Show
- Formerly owned by "Fighting Joe" Martin and John P.
Wallerich
- Sporting drophead coupe coachwork by Barker, fitted in
1920
- Well-preserved older restoration; retains its numbers-matching
engine
- An unusually sporting Silver Ghost
It is not uncommon for Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts to be found with
replacement coachwork, as the practice of fitting new bodies to the
chassis began in the era when they were still "used cars." Each
successive owner would customize the car to suit his own style and
needs. What is rare is to find a Silver Ghost surviving with one of
these period bodies�and one that is so sporting and innovative in
character as this car, among the earliest surviving Rolls-Royces
with true convertible bodywork. Chassis 1713 has remained
continuously in its current form since 1920. Significantly, it also
retains its original numbers-matching engine.
Build records for this Silver Ghost indicate the car was intended
for the Thrupp & Maberly exhibit at the 1911 Olympia Motor Show,
for which it was mounted by that famed coachbuilder with landaulet
bodywork. The car was then sold to Joseph Martin, aka "Fighting
Joe," a Canadian politician whose distinguished career had included
service as the 13th premier of British Columbia. After losing his
seat in the B.C. legislature, Mr. Martin relocated to the United
Kingdom, where he served as a Liberal Member of Parliament for St.
Pancras East until 1918. Indeed, the Rolls-Royce build documents
for this Silver Ghost record its delivery to him at his office in
Westminster.
Mr. Martin eventually returned to British Columbia and likely took
the car with him, as, in 1920, it is noted as having passed to R.V.
Winch of Vancouver. At this time the Silver Ghost was mounted with
its present body, a drophead coupe by Barker, as noted in the
factory build records. An unusually early example of a convertible
body style, the body combines traditional formal lines with the
sportiness of a close-coupled two-door design. Sliding
carriage-style windows and removable door posts enable the top to
be folded for open-air motoring, while additional ventilation is
provided by the shallowly vee'd, opening windshield. A photograph
taken of the car in the 1920s, published in John Faisal's
invaluable The Edwardian Silver Ghost (p. 431), shows the body
fitted with the dramatic polished bonnet still fitted today.
The car next passed in 1933 to Colonel Victor Spencer of the
Vancouver department store family, then in 1949 to Robert Wilton of
Washington State. Ten years later it was acquired from Wilton by
John P. Wallerich of Tacoma, one of the Pacific Northwest's most
active early enthusiasts, whose collection included several other
notable Brass and Nickel Era automobiles. Wallerich owned and
maintained the Silver Ghost for three decades, after which it was
acquired by the current owners in January 1989.
Today the Rolls-Royce's cream white paint and interior remain
overall highly presentable, with a charming patina to be found on
the pair of staggered, overstuffed red leather seats. Accessories
include large nickel headlamps with Macbeth lenses, a single
side-mounted spare, and dual running lights, while the wooden
artillery wheels are painted and striped to match the
coachwork.
This would be a wonderful Silver Ghost for touring and rally
events, for which these durable, dependable and near-silent
automobiles are incredibly desired by enthusiasts. The Barker body
offers the best of both worlds for long-distance travel�comfortable
enclosed transportation, or open-air fun, depending upon Mother
Nature and the owner's whims. More significantly, as an
exceptionally early example of convertible coachwork on the
Rolls-Royce chassis, it is the ancestor of the famed Corniche and
its brethren�a landmark in the history of the marque.To view this
car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit
the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf19.