Beschreibung:

FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTIONS OF JACK FROST AND RICK CARROLL 1922 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER GHOST PALL MALL TOURER COACHWORK BY ROLLS-ROYCE CUSTOM COACH WORKS Chassis No. 77AG Engine No. O 137 Silver with black leather interior Engine: six-cylinder, 7,428cc, side valves, 65bhp at 1,250rpm; Gearbox: four-speed manual; Suspension: front, semi-elliptic leaf springs, rear, cantilever; Brakes: two wheel drum. Right hand drive. The 40/50hp model was introduced to the world at the 1906 London Motor Show at Olympia and swiftly established itself as the ultimate in luxury motoring, soon credited with the title The Best Car in the World . The automotive world was impressed with the car's mechanical integrity, the degree of which had never been seen before. Henry Royce, the designer, compounded the triumph with superb electrics, an unusually fine carburetor, and roller cam followers on little arms which have delighted Rolls-Royce enthusiasts ever since. Early tests and trials established the car's total reliability, silence and flexibility. The success of the new car, called the Silver Ghost because of the dramatic paint and plating of the thirteenth chassis (still in possession of the company), caused Rolls-Royce to standardize one model in March 1908. It remained in production from 1907-1926. The Silver Ghost had quickly become regarded as the ultimate car of its era; not only did Rolls-Royce achieve a quality of engineering far higher than had previously been attained, but the chassis was also perfectly suited for a very diverse range of coachwork. Consequently, the coachbuilders had many more opportunities to express themselves and designed everything from specialized golfers' coupes to the sporting open touring cars like the one offered here. Chassis No. 77AG has a most remarkable history and is extremely well known within the Rolls-Royce Owners Club. Many knowledgeable members can recite its unique history from memory when told the chassis number! This chassis was ordered by a Mrs. Bonham Christie of Frome, Somerset in the West Country of England in late 1920. It appears that her plan was to take delivery of the chassis in July 1921 and to fit a seven passenger limousine coachwork. For reasons unknown, the chassis was not dispatched until October 1922 and it would appear that no coachwork was ever fitted. The next time 77AG was heard of was in early 1957 when Mr. R.R.C. Walker (of the Johnny Walker Scotch Whiskey family and the famous Rob Walker Racing team) of Pippbrook Garage acquired the unused chassis on the southcoast opposite Brownsea Island in Poole harbour. This discovery was reported in The Flying Lady , April 1957 edition, where the story was recounted that just 300 miles were recorded and that it had been stored in a heated garage from new. The owner had apparently moved to Brownsea shortly after taking delivery of the car. When the family chauffer left her employ, Mrs. Bonham wanted no one else to drive the cars and had them laid up. Rob Walker advertised the car for some 1,500 pounds. The chassis was taken to the Rolls-Royce service center at Hythe Road, London where the photograph below was taken by John Utz, the then associate editor of The Flying Lady. Since the car was still, for all intents and purposes, brand new, and in 1957 Rolls-Royce Ltd. agreed to re-instate the original guarantee! It was around this time that the well known American Rolls-Royce enthusiast, Jack Frost, acquired the vehicle. Rather than constructing a new body, an original period Pall Mall touring body (M481) became available and was fully restored and fitted to 77AG by the London firm of T.F. Ford & Son. It is interesting to note that the Pall Mall body has its own 'history'. It was discoverd in a well preserved state lying in a Tel Aviv breakers yard by a British Army officer in June 1947. It was mounted on chassis No. 414 HH and the car was made roadworthy and driven in an epic journey from Tel Aviv to Cairo over virtually non-existent road