Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost / Mc Near Coupé

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Mc Near Coupé, chassis number 315LF, engine number 21153.

On the chassis card of Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 315LF is written that the first registered “owner” was E. L. Butler. He was the car dealer and he took delivery on October 23rd 1924. Butler sold the car in December 1st 1924 to D. M. Baker, who became the first private owner.

When new the Silver Ghost had right hand drive steering. The car was finished in two different colours of dark green, and was fitted with a bare aluminium bonnet. The coachbuilder was Boston based GW McNear, who as far as is known, bodied at least 10 Rolls-Royces. In September 1924 the Springfield factory built the first left hand drive car. In 1925, 315LF was converted by the Rolls-Royce factory to left hand drive, still keeping its 4-speed gearbox.

Mr. Baker sold the car to H. H. Helbrush on November 25th 1927. Mr Helbrush kept the car for a very short time and sold it to V. M. Goodwin, who probably was a dealer. Goodwin sold the car on January 31 st 1928 to Doctor D. Rex in Los Angeles, California.

It is said that Stanley Stewart, an employee of the Service Department of Rolls-Royce America, has owned the car for some time as well.

In 1943 the owner was H. Jaster. Mr. Jaster lived in the town of La Centre in Washington state and owned the car between 1943 and 1965. After Mr. Jaster passed away it is believed that the car went to relatives in Oregon.

It is not known who the owners were between 1965 and 1988. In 1988 the car was bought by car dealer C. Howard of CAR Howard Ltd. Unfortunately the car was involved in a transport accident and in August 1988 Mr. Howard sold the car, quite soon after the event. The following owner was Patrick Lapin from Belgium, who had the car for several years. Mr. Lapin advertised the car in the Silver Ghost Register section of the RREC club magazine in June 1996.

In January 1999 the car was purchased by Han de Vaal from Garage de Vaal in the Netherlands. In December 2000 he sold the car to RoWi-VE Classic-Car-Restorations from the Netherlands, who over a period of 10 years restored the car.

After the restoration, in June 2024, Han de Vaal from Garage de Vaal bought it back from RoWi-VE Classic-Car-Restorations.