Designed by the visionary Frederick Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls, the Silver Ghost earned its legendary title as “The Best Car in the World” through a level of refinement and durability unmatched in its era. Chassis 2420E is among the most historically significant Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts extant. Commissioned on February 7, 1913, and completed on May 8th, it is a standard production 40/50 HP model fitted with elegant Thrupp & Maberly Limousine coachwork. Finished in striking cobalt blue with black top and wings, the car was delivered new to N. A. Stevens of London, and subsequently passed to Mrs. J. McDonald of New York by 1915.

Following Mrs. McDonald’s widowhood in 1915, the Silver Ghost remained in New York until 1922, when she married the Marquis of Huntly. The car was then shipped to England and modernized by Rolls-Royce Works at Derby, receiving a London-to-Edinburgh–type bonnet, revised instruments and dashboard, and a new universal radiator. For the next 17 years, it served the Marquis and Marchioness faithfully. After the Marquis’s death in 1935 and the Marchioness’ passing in 1939, the car was inherited by her son, Arthur Bradley Campbell, who traded it for a new Rolls-Royce Wraith. This exchange was famously chronicled in The Autocar in June 1939, which estimated that chassis 2420E had covered at least 300,000 miles in service across Europe and the US.

During WWII, the car was owned by H.R. Owen before passing in 1946 to S.A. Tippette. Subsequent custodians included H.R. Wilkins, Oswald Westley, and Robert Taylor, whose long stewardship from 1982 to 2002 saw the car used extensively on tours with the Veteran Car Club and Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. In 1994, it received the prestigious RREC Conservation Class Award, recognizing its exceptional originality and preservation.

Most recently, the car was lovingly cared for by the late Rick Brown, a revered figure within the Silver Ghost community. Celebrated for his passion for driving Rolls-Royce as intended, Brown took Silver Ghosts across nearly 100 countries and over some of the world’s most challenging terrain. Under his stewardship, 2420E benefited from sympathetic conservation and careful preparation, including an engine rebuild by noted specialist Alan Glew, for a successful completion of the Alpine Rally in 2013 and subsequent display at the Amelia Island Concours in 2024.

The Ghost retains its original Thrupp & Maberly coachwork and even the Huntly family crests applied in 1922 remain on the rear doors. With aristocratic provenance, exceptional originality, and stewardship by some of the most dedicated custodians in the Silver Ghost world, chassis 2420E stands as a singularly rare and authentic survivor.