Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost (1913)

1913 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Rois Des Belges Tourer by Wilkinson.
Chassis number: 2495
Registration number: C3977
Starting life as a Joseph Cockshoot of Manchester Landaulette built for one Mrs Holden of Hale Cheshire. The car then had an adventurous life including a stint though the 1930's 40's & 50's as a school bus in Kenya based on the edge of the Great Rift Valley & used for taking aspiring cricketers to away games. Carrier pigeons were strapped to the roof allowing the scores to be updated via a sort of bush telegraph as the match progressed. In 1957 The car car was raffled off to generate funds for a new chapel at the Pembroke house boarding school in Gilgil, then Kenya.
The car returned to its home land in 1972. by 1979 The car had its current & very elegant Wilkinsons Rois Des Belges body fitted to it. It has been in continuous Family ownership since then as a part of a significant collection.
The car had its engine rebuilt by noted Ghost expert Jonathan Harley & as a reult runs in unruffled silence. At the same time the Radiator was recored, the 7 main bearing remetalled & the cylinders rebored. Hard Chrome tappet barrels & plungers were also machined up at the same time.
The car comes with copious correspondence & pictures from different era's tracking the cars wonderful history. There are pictures of it & letters remeniscing about its time as a school bus in Africa etc along with assorted bills from Jonathan Harley.
The car is resplendent finished as it is in dark & medium green with the various panels chased in cream pin lines. To the interior is lovely stone coloured leather with just the right amount of patination. The usual guages are fitted along with an Elliot double speedometer & Charles A Vanverveld (C.A.V.) switchbox. An additional speedometer is installed to the rear for viewing by passengers. All brightwork on this cas is silver plates giving it a very opulent look when polished to show.
The car sits on Warland Artillery wheels shod with beaded edge tyres making for very light steering. A full quotient of nickel period lamps are also in situ. This is a beautiful car from decades long ownership & embodies in every sense exactly what an edwardian Ghost ought to be.
Attractively priced we expect it to sell quickly. We will of course properly photograph it upon its arrival with us in a few weeks.