1921' Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Tourer

1921 ROLLS-ROYCE 40/50HP SILVER GHOST TOURER

Coachwork by Bradbury of Sydney

Chassis No: 25JG

Engine No: O456L

Estimate: AU$320,000 - $350,000 (£195,000 - £213,000 approx.)

This standard 12ft wheelbase Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, Chassis 25JG, engine O456L, came off test at Goodwood in early October 1921. It was shipped on the SS Karamea on 22nd October 1921 from London to Dalgety of Melbourne where it was fitted with a touring body by the renowned coachbuilders Waring Brothers, for Mr William Raper, of Melbourne.

In 1929, registered as VIC-188-638 it passed from Eric Raper to Mrs E Boyd of ‘Wuurung’ in Camperdown Vic. Around 1934 it had a fabric saloon fitted by another notable Melbourne coachbuilder, Martin & King. At the same time twin carburetors and a column gear-change were fitted. Registration changed several times, VIC-GX-895; VIC or NSW-EY-018; VIC-UC-364 as did its owners and usage: Thorold Gunnerson, Melbourne; as a utility vehicle for W. Campbell of Swan Hill, Vic; in the 1960s as a truck for P.Johnston, Vic; then in the late 1970s/early 1980s re-bodied for Gerald G. McKenna of ‘Annek’, Baynton Vic. as a Bradbury replica of a Smith & Waddington of Sydney tourer, registered VIC-1-058. In the 1990s 25JG was in the hands of Gordon Cooper of Victoria, who sold the car to Peter Crauford c1988/9. Indeed, it was Peter Crauford the President of the Australian chapter of the 20-Ghost Club (the oldest Rolls-Royce club in the world, and dedicated to pre-1940 Rolls-Royce cars) who arranged for the re-bodying of the car on behalf of McKenna by the Sydney coachbuilder Bob Bradbury. Bradbury had built a somewhat similar body for Crauford’s previous Silver Ghost 8CE. Payment for the body was made in the form of McKenna’s 1913 Hotchkiss chassis and a 1913 Sunbeam.

The current owner purchased 25JG from Peter Crauford, in whose possession the car had been for nigh-on 15 years, though he had known about it for far longer. Whilst under Crauford’s ownership much work was carried out in as an authentic manner as possible. It was rewired, repainted, the hood bows and hood sorted out, mudguards corrected and correct scuttle-mounted side lights very similar to its originals fitted, along with authentic and correct instruments and much more. Whilst its current look is very much like its original Waring body, one significant difference is that originally the hand brake was on the outside of the car, whereas now it is positioned inside indicating that its current body is possibly several inches wider than the original “body between”. Since then it has been regularly maintained by the highly reputable Simon Elliott at The Derby Works in Melbourne, where the only modification has been the re-siting of the oil gauge.

The car had some major work carried out on the engine by Robert McDermott of Melbourne whilst it was owned by Gordon Cooper, and high-compression pistons were fitted by Gerald McKenna when he carried out the restoration. Apart from club runs etc it has not done a lot of mileage but it is said to be one of the fastest and best running Ghosts on the road. 25JG has of course its factory build data sheets, whilst a set of authentic wind-screens for the rear seats are a feature of the car. It is recorded in the definitive text, “Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the Sunburnt Country; The First Fifty Years in Australia” by Neely, Brooks and Clarke first published in 1999 by the Sir Henry Royce Foundation.

This vehicle is being offered for sale on the 30th April 2017 at our Melbourne showroom. The auction features many highlights on two wheels and four including:

1959 ISO MILANO SCOOTER
1958 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C1 ROADSTER
1936 MG TA MIDGET
1925 AMILCAR TYPE G SPORTS
1967 LOTUS ELAN PLUS TWO
1932 VELOCETTE KTT 350 Mk IV
1953 AJS 7R
1930/31 AJS R7
1918 INDIAN POWERPLUS 61CI MODEL N
1965 MERCEDES-BENZ 220SE COUPE
1956 JAGUAR D-TYPE RECREATION
1948 HRG BRISTOL PROTOTYPE
1921 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER GHOST TOURER
1967 MERCEDES-BENZ 250SE COUPE
1970 FORD FALCON XW GT SEDAN
1951 FORD DELUXE COUPE UTILITY
1965 VELOCETTE VENOM 500CC CLUBMAN MK1
1955 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN 5T
1967 BSA SPITFIRE MK. III SPECIAL
1959 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO
1997 FERRARI 355 SPIDER
2003 BMW M3 COUPE E46