silver ghost

Rolls-Royce Collection Goes For $14.3 Milliion

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A prominent Texas lawyer and car collector bought up a chunk of Rolls Royce automobiles as they sat on the auction block at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance auction in California. The seller, 82 year-old Columbus developer Richard J. Solove, put 13 Rolls Royce cars up for bid to raise money for the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, as well as Ohio State University's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The full slate of cars went for $14.3, just under the $15 million Solove expected to fetch for them. Eight of the vehicles, including all of the Silver Ghosts on the block except for one, were bought by billionaire Houston trailawyer John O'Quinn, who came by his success in high-profile cases such as Texas' $17.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry, lawsuits against breast-implant manufacturers, and most famously (or infamously) lately, Virgie Arthur, the mother of Anna Nicole Smith's, as she fought for custody of Smith's daughter.

Along with his 1903 Ford Model A, Batmobile, and cars used by President Franklin Roosevelt and Pope John Paul II, O'Quinn plans to open a car museum in Houston in 2009.

[Source: The Columbus Dispatch]

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Tags: auctions, john o'quinn, JohnO'quinn, rolls royce, RollsRoyce, silver ghost, SilverGhost

Rolls Royce Celebrates its 100th With a Special Edition Phantom

by Erin Mays (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Rolls Royce is celebrating its 100th birthday with the Phantom Silver, a special edition model commemmorating the automaker's best-known vehicle, the Silver Ghost.

The Silver Ghost was first built in 1906 as a concept vehicle promoting the six-cylinder 40/50 model. It hit production in 1907, earning massive kudos for engineering quality and reliability, not to mention its "stealthy" demeanor, hence the "Ghost" moniker.

The new "Silver" puts Rolls' money where its mouth is -- many of the accents are in solid silver, including the retractable hood ornament, key fobs and fountain pen included with the deal.

Only 25 vehicles will be built, making this Silver Ghost nearly as valuable as the first ones to hit the path.

[Source: Wheels 24]

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Tags: bentley, maybach, phantom silver, PhantomSilver, rolls royce, RollsRoyce, silver ghost, SilverGhost

Rolls Royce Silver Ghost turns 100

by Erin Mays (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

UK Rolls Royce enthusiasts -- at least those who were invited -- packed up their insanely valuable vintage cars and headed off to the Rolls Royce and Bentley Heritage dealership P&A Wood in Great Easton, where they celebrated the 100th birthday for the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

The Silver Ghost's centenary was truly rung in with style, with the first-ever Silver Ghost on hand, some Silver Shadows, an Austin 7 and other remarkable vintage cars, as well as flybys from some winged cousins for extra effect, including a Spitfire, Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber.

Introduced in 1907, the Silver Ghost was largely responsible for Rolls Royce becoming lauded as maker of the world's finest cars. Originally outfitted with a six-cylinder, 7036 cc engine mated to a three speed transmission, the Ghost produced 40/50 hp, according to the manufacturer, and its chassis served as the basis for a few armored car models. The "Ghost" designation referred to the vehicle's "ghost-like quietness."

You'll notice that the linked article has things a little backwards -- unless our automotive knowledge is seriously flawed, the Silver Ghost came out in 1907, while the Shadow arrived on the scene in 1965.

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Tags: austin 7, Austin7, bentley, rolls royce, RollsRoyce, silver ghost, silver shadow, SilverGhost, SilverShadow