Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Chassis 1404 First Public Outing Since 1939

You know something is special when it turns up to a car show in a fully enclosed truck.



Sunday 1 December 2013 was the Terribly British Day car show at the Patrick White Lawns near the National Library of Australia, in Canberra.



Here it is.

It is 1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Chassis 1404.



It's a historic car, with certainly a lot of significance.

Why is Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Chassis 1404 a little bit historically important?

Well it was originally ordered by John Scott Montagu, Second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, possibly Britain’s most notable motoring family.

That name is familiar and so is the image of his secretary, well personal personal assistance, actually mistress, Eleanor Thornton.

Here is Eleanor Thornton hanging out with the car.

Have you also notice that funny looking statue on the front of the grille of the Rolls-Royce? That lady thing with those wings? Seen that before? Yeah?



Well this is the exact car that inspired the sculptor Charles Sykes to design the statue.

And he happened to use Eleanor Thornton as the flying lady model.

Yep, this is the very first car to ever wear 'The Spirit of Ecstasy' Rolls-Royce mascot.



Kind of a significant car hey. Hence the truck.

Here is the car at Lord Montagu's house.



And here it is in Canberra.



What is also absolutely amazing is the story of the car's survival and restoration.

Let's watch and hear it fire up.



It's owner is a very well know Silver Ghost expert who has written many books on Ghost's and has spent a significant period of his life saving this car and restoring it to its amazing condition.



In fact this is actually the car's very first public outing since 1939. I should actually be probably more reverent.



It's hard to believe, but this was found on an Aussie farm where the chassis was a farm cart, the engine was powering something else and the other parts were all over the shop.

The owner collected all the parts and spent years restoring them all and assembling it together again.



The ongoing restoration is well know amongst the Silver Ghost community, and was very thoughtfully displayed in photographs so the public could appreciate such effort which has gone into this car.



Unfortunately I did not take much note of the details of the restoration, but it has been decades long and I'm waiting for the book to come out so I can read it.

Also Martin Scorsese is going to direct a film about Rolls and Royce and Miss Thornton so I'm keen to see that also.

Oh look, I got to park my Turbo R next to 1404! But it rightly kept it's distance away from the yellow wheels.



The detail is amazing.



I really like the coach work. It is period, thought to be Baker.



The engine did look quite cool.



The car has been named "Elanor" which I do think is very fitting.



It drew such a crowd all the time, and the British High Commissioner awarded the car the top prize of the show.



Here is video of 1404 departing.



It does look great.



And it was special to see such a historic car.



Everyone really appreciated the significant efforts of the owner to bring the car along.



Now it's back on the truck.



Good bye. To next time.



Here is video of me entering the show, and I happen to ever take the truck.



Thanks again to the owner for sharing the car with the public. It was quite special.