To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Amelia
Island event, 6 - 7 March 2020.
Estimate:
$75,000 - $100,000
- Offered from the Todd and Peggy Nagler Collection
- "The Ghost of Detroit," originally delivered to prominent
Detroit businessman J. B. Book
- Known ownership history since new; always a resident of the
Detroit area
- Older cosmetic restoration; engine rebuilt by Classic & Exotic
Service
- Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic
THE GHOST OF DETROIT
Silver Ghost chassis no. 124TG was delivered on 27 October 1922 to
J. Burgess Book, developer of Detroit's renowned Book-Cadillac
Hotel and the Book Building, the latter now familiarly known as the
Book Tower for its landmark later addition. After nine years of
mostly having been chauffeur-driven, in 1931 the car was put into
storage under a tarp on the Book Building's 13th floor and remained
tucked away there until 1945. It was sold at that time with only
13,000 actual miles and still wearing its original paint.
John Mathews acquired the car soon thereafter; he subsequently
drove it with his family to Seattle, Washington, and back again to
Detroit, with a slight detour after the car gently turned into a
ditch while visiting Yellowstone. Wonderful 1940s photographs,
included in the file, show the Mathews family proudly displaying
their three Rolls-Royces. However, the most exciting photo
documentation features this car in various stages of its
transcontinental journey, including parked at the famed sign that
leads into Beverly Hills, California!
The car passed in 1950 to a woman in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and
eventually in the 1960s to longtime Detroit enthusiast Roy
Scharfenberg. Mr. Scharfenberg maintained the car for half a
century, during which time it was repainted and partially
reupholstered, leaving much of the rear passenger area original.
During his long-term ownership, the Ghost saw occasional touring
use and participated in RROC regional events.
In the fall of 2002, Todd Nagler, a proud Detroit native and
lifelong area resident, was thrilled to acquire what he dubbed "the
Ghost of Detroit." He meticulously recorded and documented its
history; his handwritten notes are included in the file, along with
an article he wrote on the car, additional ownership documentation
and correspondence, and a maintenance logbook. Also included are
invoices for the considerable mechanical work undertaken during the
Naglers' ownership, including a full rebuild of the engine by Ed
Linn at Classic & Exotic Service and remanufacturing correct
23-inch wheels.
Still retaining its original charm and patina, "the Ghost of
Detroit" is a memorable one, indeed-a fabulous throwback to the
Motor City's glory days, when J. B. Book cruised down Washington
Boulevard, "the Fifth Avenue of the Midwest," in his silent
Rolls.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am20.