Classic Promenade is offering a 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in the style of the Barker Roi des Belges at $575,000, and the listing makes a persuasive case for a rare all-brass car that is equally at home on a concours lawn or a long tour. Chassis 2006 retains its original engine, number 7W, and wears Burgundy livery with Maroon accents over a Cordovan leather interior, as described in the Classic Promenade ad.
The history in the Classic Promenade listing reads like a tour of the Silver Ghost world. Chassis 2006 was ordered new as a landaulette by Australian wool entrepreneur James M. Niall of Goldsborough Mort & Co., who kept homes in Melbourne and London, and it reached Melbourne in the summer of 1912. It passed through several Melbourne owners before Maurice R. Markoff acquired it around 1958 and commissioned a new tourer body, with the completed restoration advertised in the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club publication in 1965.
According to the ad, the car sold the following year to James Leake of Muskogee, Oklahoma, who sent it to London for a complete restoration under Harry Ferguson-Wood, longtime service manager for Jack Barclay. Leake displayed it in his personal museum until November 1987. In 1989 a Danish collector commissioned Wilkinson & Sons of England to carry out a comprehensive restoration and to reconfigure the body into its current Barker-style Roi des Belges form, a style favored by the monarchs of Belgium.
The current owner acquired the car in 2022 and recommissioned it for touring, a point the Classic Promenade description emphasizes. Upgrades include electric start, turn signals and an alternator sourced from the SGA, along with a new tan Haartz-cloth convertible top and all-new wooden artillery wheels. Those changes are aimed squarely at making a century-old car confidence-inspiring to use.
Outside, the listing describes beautifully polished brass throughout, including the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot and radiator surround. Lucas Auto Lite headlamps, Lucas King of the Road cowl lamps and tail lamps, and dual cobra horns that hide turn signals in their mouths add period character, while a polished brass fold-down windscreen can be adjusted for different styles of driving. The new top includes storage straps for hats.
Inside, the Classic Promenade ad describes Cordovan leather in overall excellent condition, an aluminum dashboard with beautifully restored instruments, and brown horsehair mats. The electric start button and turn signal switch are tucked out of sight under the driver’s seat, which keeps the cabin looking correct while adding everyday convenience.
Mechanically, the listing points to the original 7.4-liter inline six and three-speed manual, with both magneto and coil ignition. Classic Promenade says it starts on a quarter turn of the crank, shifts easily and has an easy-to-steer, stable front end, and the chassis and engine compartment have been detailed to concours standard.
The sale includes build records, historical articles, brass accessory covers, and spares and tools, according to the Classic Promenade listing. The car is available for inspection at the Phoenix showroom, with FaceTime or WhatsApp video inspections, worldwide shipping coordination and financing options also offered. For collectors who value an all-brass Silver Ghost with documented history and a drive-it-anywhere setup, this Roi des Belges is worth a close look.
This fine motorcar is being represented by long-time Rolls Royce enthusiast Harry Clark and Classic Promenade.
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Kyle Matthews