Llandudno extravaganza 2007

1910 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost

"Titanic Ghost"

Chassis 1278 ordered from the company to rare short chassis specification on 3rd November 1909 by the Rt.Hon. Lord Pirrie KP PC of Whitley Park, Godalming, Surrey, HM's Lieut. For the city of Belfast, 1911 and chairman of messrs Harland and Wolff Ltd and delivered to Pirries coachbuilder - Messrs Morgan and Co Ltd of long acre, London on 18th May 1910 for bodying as a

ceremonial double phaeton. It was Pirrie who persueded Bruce Ismay into the concept pf constructing the largest ships in the world; Titanic, Britannic and Olympic, which were built at the Harland aand Wolff shipyards in Belfast. On Pirries death in 1924, the vehicle was passed to his brother-in-law, the honourable Alexander Montgomery Carlisle, who was chief designer at Harland and Wolff and who represented that company at the board of trade enquiry into the sinking of RMS Titanic on 5th April 1912. Carlisle had the phaeton body removed and a cabriolet substituted.

When Carlisle died in 1926, 1278 was sold for £35.00 and fitted with an ambulance body. In 1932 this body was converted and the vehicle was used as a breakdown truck and subsequently, as a prime mover for a set of gang-mowers on a surrey golf course. It was again for sale for £7.10s. in a breakers yard on the main London - Maidstone road in 1950.

It was then sold to again become a breakdown truck, but in 1955 was purchased by London Rolls-Royce dealer Jack Barclay, who had a period style body built on the chassis. Barclay kept 1278 as a promotional vehicle for thirty years, until being sold to an American owner on 12th June 1985.

Repatriated in 2000 and subject of a four year restoration, including the construction of a replica of the original double phaeton coachwork, made possible by the recent discovery of contemporary photographs.