1919→1926 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost

In 1919 Rolls-Royce purchased a factory in Springfield, Massachusetts for the production of an American Silver Ghost. Initially, the car was produced as a copy of the British design, but eventually the model received more American components over the years.

Many eastern coachbuilers such as Brewster, Willoughby, Merrimac and Hollbrook benefited from the new factory and produced bodies for the American domestic market on Rolls-Royce chassis. Standard bodies included the Pall Mall, Oxford, Picadilly Roadster, Mayfair and Riviera Town Car.

Throughout production the design incorporated specific components such as American Bosch ignition, American wheels. In 1925 the American model used left-hand drive and used a new 3-speed transmission with a central shifter.

 

In Detail

submitted by	Richard Owen
type	Series Production Car
production years	1919 – 1926
built at	Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
production	1700
engine	Inline-6
displacement	7036 cc / 429.4 in³
bore	114.3 mm / 4.5 in
stroke	114.3 mm / 4.5 in
driven wheels	RWD
wheelbase	3429 mm / 135 in
transmission	4-Speed Gearbox

Auction Sales History

1926 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster S335RL – sold for $357,500 Exceptional example of the sporting Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster. One of just 79 examples believed to have been constructed. Ex-works development car, offered with copies of the factory build sheets. Long periods of ownership by several Rolls-Royce experts. 2009 Amelia Island Concours award winner.
Auction Source: The Amelia Island Auction 2015 by Bonhams

1925 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster S77LK – sold for $550,000 One of 79 Piccadilly Roadsters Built on the Springfeld Silver Ghost Chassis. One of 1,701 Springfeld Silver Ghosts Produced. Recently Completed Mechanical and Cosmetic Restoration. Presented in Factory-Delivered Colors.
Auction Source: 2014 Pebble Beach Auctions by Gooding & Company

1926 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Playboy Roadster S400RK – sold for $264,000 One of 28 Brewster Playboy Roadsters. One of 15 Playboys Retrofitted to a Springfield Silver Ghost Chassis. Recent Mechanical Work by Rolls-Royce Specialists Taylor’s of West Sussex, UK.
Auction Source: 2014 Pebble Beach Auctions by Gooding & Company

1928 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster S335RL – did not sell for $363,000 Desirably Specified Piccadilly Roadster Period-Correct in Every Detail. Original Coachwork, Engine, and Gearbox. Rolls-Royce “Trials” Car Fitted with Numerous Factory . Upgrades. Last Silver Ghost Sold New in the US. Freshly Serviced and Complete with Original Owner’s Handbook and Tools.
Auction Source: The Scottsdale Auctions by Gooding & Company

1926 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Brewster Playboy Convertible S400RK – sold for $313,500 Chassis S400RK was delivered March 11, 1926, to a Mr. D. Armstrong, of Greenwich, Connecticut. At that time, it was clothed with a Willoughby-built Mayfair town car body. At some point, it was traded back to Rolls-Royce of America, joining an inventory of “pre-owned” cars that the factory maintained for sale. Many of these were enclosed styles: limousines, town cars, and sedans. When the supplies of these models grew too large, the company would sometimes remove their bodies and substitute sportier coachwork. A good example is the Playboy Convertible Coupe built by Brewster.

Auction Source: 2013 Amelia Island by Rm Auctions

1926 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost 40/50 HP Playboy Brewster Deluxe Roadster S208ML – sold for $544,500 Recent Comprehensive Restoration. Rolls-Royce Foundation Documentation with Early Known History. One of Only 15 Brewster Playboy Silver Ghosts Produced. Eligible for RROC and CCCA Events.
Auction Source: The 2013 Scottsdale Auctions by Gooding & Company

1925 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Pall Mall Tourer S88LK – sold for $203,500 Outstanding Example of the Springfield Ghost. Desirable Pall Mall Coachwork. Beautifully Maintained Older Restoration. Best of Show at the 1976 RROC National Meet. Eligible for RROC and CCCA Events. Part of the Pettit Collection Since the 1960s.
Auction Source: 2012 Pebble Beach Auctions by Gooding & Company

1926 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Pall Mall Tourer S226PL – sold for $319,000 Believed to have been owned new by Howard Hughes, Excellent restoration of an original car. Award-winner at Pebble Beach 2007. . S226PL is a very elegant example, believed to have been owned new by Howard Hughes, one of the richest men in the world and, as a film producer, aviator, philanthropist and industrialist, certainly one of the most colorful.
Auction Source: 2011 Monterey Auction by RM

1926 Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp Silver Ghost Springfield Boat-Tail Speedster Boattail Roadster S337RL – sold for €240,800 Historian John Webb de Campi, the author of Rolls-Royce in America, wrote that S337RL was subsequently rebodied as a Piccadilly roadster. It was later modified, fitted with a sporting and very attractive boat-tail roadster body and a Phantom I overhead-valve engine, as well as front-wheel brakes. The windscreen is of a later, lower type, and the headlamps are those of a Phantom I. Such modifications were not unusual when the cars were nearly n

ew and have continued over the years.

Auction Source: 2010 RM Auctions Sporting Classics of Monaco