1913 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP four-speed London to Edinburgh
Colonial Torpedo Tourer
Chassis No. 2583. Eng. No.95C. Body by Peel’s Ltd. Brisbane
This Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost chassis came off test in August 1913 at the
Derby factory and was subsequently fitted with a Connaught Torpedo Tourer,
delivered on the 30th December 1913 to a Mr. F Lachmann of Mayfair, London.
However, with the outbreak of war pending the car was given to the Military
for home and active service where at one stage it was in Berlin. At the end
of the war it was auctioned, by the Ministry of Munitions at Earls Court on
the 12th.November 1919.
Purchased by a Doctor in Chester it had by 1925 been sold to a Doctor in
Sydney and fitted with a new tourer body by Propert’s Motor Body Works. It
subsequently passed through another two owners before being purchased by The
Towing Services in Redfern for use as a tow truck. By 1936 it had been
purchased by Wood Coffill Ltd. Funeral Directors and fitted with a 1928
Cadillac saloon body for use as a Mourning Car.
Sold in 1946 it passed through several owners before being abandoned in a
back yard in Sydney. Visible from the road it was purchased by an enthusiast
in 1966 and subsequently sold in chassis form a year later to Faris
Palfreyman in Canberra. Palfreyman at one stage owned 26 Silver Ghosts.
Palfreyman fitted the current sporting body from a 1913 six-cylinder 6-
litre sporting Sunbeam built by Peel’s Ltd, the Sunbeam agents, in South
Brisbane. Ironically, the Sunbeam was delivered in August 1913, the same
month the Silver Ghost was off test at the Derby factory.
On Palfreyman’s passing it was left to his grandson who then sold it on in
1994 to a Doctor in Victoria who had also collected 2442, another London to
Edinburgh Silver Ghost but with three speeds.
In 2001 the current owner managed to purchase 2583 and decided to undertake
an extensive body off restoration. The engine was given to Melbourne Silver
Ghost specialist Robert McDermott and fully restored with new aluminium
pistons.
The body was entrusted to Jeff Edwards at Artisan Coachworks where it
received extensive renovation, the body receiving new timber, a new
windscreen, hood bows and timber cappings where necessary while Jamie Downie
at Kustom Garage spent considerable hours on panel restoration and
refurbishment.
Finally, the chassis restoration and detail work were entrusted to
specialist Simon Elliott at the Derby Works where extensive hours were put
in to ensuring its authenticity. The owner undertook two overseas trips to
check details, to the Keller Collection in the Napa Valley to check the very
original L to E Continental 2534. He was also able to track down the L to E
Continental chassis 2354 in Kanpur India, the actual winner of the Spanish
Grand Prix in 1913 and spent several days photographing and noting its
original detail.
The extensive restoration over 15 years culminated in it winning Best of
Show at MotorClassica in Melbourne in 2017, Australia’s leading classic car
show.