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The Silver Ghost was an opulent automobile built by Rolls-Royce largely between 1921 and 1926. And – contrary to what you might think – it was not produced in the U.K. These later examples were assembled in Springfield, Massachusetts – right in the good old USA. This 1924 edition looks to be in good condition and has finally reached its 100th birthday, but it doesn’t run though we’re told the engine turns freely.
Rolls-Royce has long been thought of as building some of the finest cars in the world. And, to many, this began with the Silver Ghost in the 1920s. The automobiles were powered by a 453 cubic-inch inline-6 with a 4-speed manual transmission. The engineering for these vehicles was a cut above what most other automakers were doing at the time, which helped solidify the reputation that R-R was hoping to achieve. Production numbers were small, as you might expect, as one of these class acts sold for nearly $12,000 when new (equal to more than $200,000 today).
We understand that the name of the Silver Ghost was selected to highlight the vehicle’s “ghost-like quietness.” I’ve never had the pleasure of riding in a Rolls, so I assume this is true of these cars whenever they were made in the last century. The seller doesn’t provide much information on this stately example. Except to say that it hasn’t run in many years, has stayed indoors, and is an overall solid piece of machinery.
The seller adds that the dash control plate is missing, but I’m not sure how much of an issue this is. Located in a warehouse in Greenville South Carolina, this statuesque machine is available here on eBay. The current bid is $40,100 though the seller’s reserve is north of that.
