A.R. Wagstaff, Victoria Park, Australia (acquired from the above in 1927)
Archibald Hoare, Australia (acquired from the above in 1928)
W.B. and Elsie Parker, Victoria, Australia (acquired by 1945)
Albert Lennon Shepperton, Dookie, Australia (acquired in 1949)
Helsham Wheeler, Euroa, Australia (acquired in 1950)
C. Wright, South Australia (acquired in 1959)
Fred Robinson, Melbourne, Australia (acquired in 1960)
Dick Heher, Kenthurst, Australia (acquired from the above circa 1961)
George W. Green, Castlecrag, Australia (acquired from the above in 1961)
Sandra Roberts, Sydney, Australia (inherited from the above in 1982)
Keith Wherry, Hunters Hill, Australia (acquired in 1988)
S. Prestley Blake, Longmeadow, Massachusetts (acquired from the above in 1995)
Current Owner (acquired from the above in 2008)
Coachwork by In the Style of Barker
Chassis: 1606
Engine: 3M
Known Throughout Silver Ghost Circles as “The Melbourne Ghost”
Formerly the Property of Noted Collectors George Green, Keith Wherry, and S. Prestley Blake
Beautifully Detailed Coachwork by Peter Lamb with Restoration by R.A. McDermott of Melbourne, Australia
Veteran of Three Alpine Rallies as Well as Multiple London-to-Edinburgh Top-Gear Tours
Truly a Spectacular Parallel-Bonnet Silver Ghost with over a Century of Fascinating History
7,428 CC Inline L-Head 6-Cylinder Engine
Single Rolls-Royce Updraft Carburetor
50 HP at 1,500 RPM
3-Speed Manual Gearbox
Rear-Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
Front Solid Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Rear Live Axle with Three-Quarter Elliptical Leaf Springs
*
UK V5
See UK Registration/Import Status Guide in catalogue.
The now legendary Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP chassis made its debut at the 1906 Olympia Motor Show. Commonly known for over 110 years as the Silver Ghost, it deservedly remains the bedrock of the Rolls-Royce mystique. Immediately acclaimed by the press and buyers alike, the 40/50 HP model’s amazing capabilities were demonstrated by a series of record-setting, long-distance tours, rallies, and publicity events organized by Rolls-Royce managing director Claude Johnson. In all, 6,173 Silver Ghosts were created, and each was appreciated for its reliability, silent operation, and driving ease.
According to its accompanying factory record, this Silver Ghost Tourer, chassis 1606, was delivered to exporters Tozer, Kemsley & Fisher on June 7, 1911. Though the factory document references Cockshoot coachwork, 1606’s expanded entry in the hardbound publication Silver Ghosts of Australia and New Zealand, in which it appears on the cover, the Australian coachbuilder Kellow Motor Co. of Melbourne is credited with its bespoke eight-passenger open-touring coachwork. The Australian Motorist magazine issue of September 1, 1911 noted on visiting the Kellow Motor Company “Amongst a few cars in various stages of completion a magnificent specimen of a latest 1911 model, 6-cylinder, 40-50 HP Rolls-Royce chassis for Mr. Samuel Gibson fitted with a Torpedo Touring body of unique design”.
The Gibson family, principal partners in a successful mercantile company, Foy & Gibson, toured not only southern Australia in 1606, but also shipped the car back to the UK in 1913 for the purposes of a Grand Tour. The car was returned to the factory for maintenance in March and was issued the registration number CH-722, a number frequently carried on Rolls-Royce trials cars. A Gibson family photo album survives showing the car in Hampton Court, Cambridge, Oxford, the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands; the Gibsons also visited Colombo, Aden, Genoa and Gibraltar. Fortunately, the car was shipped back to Melbourne before the outbreak of WWI and was used by Samuel Gibson until his death in 1917, his widow Mary kept the car until 1927, when it was acquired by A.R.Wagstaff and by Archibald Hoare the following year.
It is believed that the car remained in the Melbourne area until 1945 when it was acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Parker of Dookie, near Shepparton, Victoria who owned the car from 1945-1949. It was sold to Albert Lenon and then to the enthusiast Helsham Wheeler from 1950-1959. Up until this time, 1606 is thought to have still retained its original coachwork. In 1961, having been sold between short-term owners, 1606 was purchased as a chassis by the respected Silver Ghost enthusiast George Green, an RROCA member who was the benefactor of Green’s Motorcade Museum near Sydney.In 1969, Mr. Green fitted 1606 with a brougham landaulette body by Holmes with an open driver’s compartment, earning it the affectionate nickname “The Munster.” In 1970, following a substantial mechanical recommissioning, 1606 was driven nearly 1,100 miles round-trip to successfully complete the FIVA International Rally from Sydney to Melbourne – without the protection of a windscreen.
In 1988, the Rolls-Royce was sold to well-known Silver Ghost collector and historian Keith Wherry who, shortly thereafter, commissioned a full restoration by R.A. McDermott of Melbourne and retained talented Australian coachbuilder Peter Lamb to construct coachwork for 1606 in its original touring configuration. The results of the years of effort are simply spectacular: Mr. Lamb took cues from period Marlborough Torpédo bodies by Barker in building the body for 1606, including its masterfully formed cowl, sculpted front seats, and the delicate curvature of the rear coachline above the fuel tank. The wings, much as they were originally drawn, add a sporting lightness to the design, as does the brass-framed, articulating windscreen.
Once completed, 1606 was airfreighted to the UK, where it took part in numerous rallies, including the re-enactment of the 1913 Austrian Alpine Trial.Later traversing England, Scotland, Ireland, and mainland Europe in other events, it successfully completed more than 13,000 tour miles with Mr. Wherry, all in 1993, before returning to Australia, where it was lavished with concours awards for its restoration and authenticity. The Silver Ghost was striking enough to attract the attention of pioneering collector S. Prestley Blake, who added 1606 to his formidable collection in 1995, high praise indeed. Mr. Blake was a particular fan of the Silver Ghost, having owned numerous examples during his many decades of collecting.
In 2008, 1606 was purchased by the consignor, who has thoroughly enjoyed having it as part of his family. Under his ownership, 1606 was exhibited by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Villa d’Este in 2011, and has won various concours awards and participated in numerous long-distance tours. Earlier in 2023, it participated in the 20-Ghost Club’s 1913 Alpenfahrt Anniversary Tour, as well as competing in two London to Edinburgh trials just using top gear, to re-enact the famous 1911 RAC observed Top-Gear Trial. Significantly, 1606 is currently registered in the UK on the plates CH-722, the same number loaned to the Gibson family by the Rolls-Royce factory during their visit 110 years ago.
As presented, 1606’s gleaming brass brightwork, and polished aluminum bonnet and firewall provide the perfect complement to its lively green on green color combination, it may well be the ideal choice for open-air touring. It has been faithfully maintained by its owner and, though it has endured an impressive number of miles, the restoration remains truly outstanding. The fascinating history of this remarkable Rolls-Royce, surviving against improbable odds over the past 112 years, and its association with some of the most notable figures within the Silver Ghost community around the world for the past 60 years, make “The Melbourne Ghost” a time- and distance-honored representative of its model and the engineering that made it such a deservedly fabled machine.
