“Nellie” is a beautifully restored award-winning 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Springfield Oxford Touring bodied by Merrimac.  Nellie presents as being nearly perfect while being a perfect touring car for Silver Ghost tours worldwide.  With a well-documented history since new and her RROC chronology since 1951, this is a true late Springfield Ghost featuring left hand steering, its original engine, and a gorgeous restoration performed by Competition Motors.  The ownership history of this Ghost includes many of the marque’s top collectors.

Ordered new by Mrs. Nellie A Cluett, whose family were the longtime owners of Arrow Shirts but was personally well known for the Grenfell Mission where she helped supply much needed food and supplies to missions along the east coast.  Nellie’s Ghost was delivered new to her home in Troy, NY on May 15, 1926.

While Mrs. Cluett lived until 1959, by 1951 the Ghost was acquired by Alfred J. Meyer, Jr. of Plymouth, MA.  Mr. Meyer and “Nellie” are included in the RROC Directories until 1971.  By November of 1979, Nellie had become part of the esteemed Rick Carroll collection in Jensen Beach, FL.

By December of 1984, Nellie had become part of the incredible collection of Friendly Ice Cream founder Prestley Blake in Somers, CT.  In 1991, Jacques Bambling of Easton, MA acquired her.  Mr. Bambling was a professor at the University of Idaho and had collected many vintage photos of the Ghost.  By September of 1998, S142ML had been acquired by Donald and Ann Hare of Rollinsford, NH.  The Hare’s enjoyed Nellie for about 23 years and sold it in August of 2021.

Over the years Nellie has been restored and repainted many times.  She has been completely and thoroughly restored, including the engine being rebuilt (Frank Cooke circa 2006), new radiator core, rewired, etc.  Don and Anne had Nellie meticulously maintained and serviced until last year by the experts at Competition Motors in Plymouth, MA. Competition Motors extensively restored her for concours showing and touring including beautiful new paint, interior, upholstery, convertible top and extensive mechanical restoration.

The historical file for Nellie is very extensive.  She is documented in Rolls-Royce in America by John DeCampi, in photos from Duke University in the 1950’s, a 1981 postcard from the Henry Austin Clark Museum, and in the Flying Lady from 1993, 2002 and 2004.  She has participated in the RROC’s 2004 Sea to Shining Sea Tour and earned a National Second Place in the Concours Class at Williamsburg RROC Annual Meeting.  Needless to say, Nellie has unquestionable provenance, is a proven tour veteran and is a concours award winner- a wonderful combination!

Her livery is a beautiful deep burgundy with black fenders and a contrasting golden coachstripe.  The wire wheels are also burgundy with the golden coachstripe.  The paint is fantastic and in excellent condition.  The brightwork is all nickel and in excellent polished condition that is ready for the concours field.  The convertible top is perfect and is black on its exterior and tan for the headliner.  Nellie has a trunk rack with a correct black leather trunk with a black canvas cover that is also in as-new condition.  The overall condition of the exterior is nearly perfect in every regard, definitely a very high point restoration.

The drum headlights and cowl lights and tubular front and rear bumpers are all in excellent condition with their nickel finish. The iconic Rolls-Royce radiator grill shell, early-style horizontal grill slats and the Spirit of Ecstasy are all correctly finished in polished nickel.

The nickel-plated windshield is in two pieces, allowing for increased ventilation.  The rear passengers benefit from a rear windshield that is also beautifully nickel plated and in excellent condition.  Nellie looks terrific with the top up or down!!  She comes equipped with a black canvas full interior tonneau cover and a second black canvas tonneau cover for just the rear passengers.  These tonneau covers are great for tours and shows.

The interior features beautiful burgundy leather that is in as-new condition and is very soft and supple showing no wear.  The carpets are a matching burgundy Wilton wool with burgundy leather binding.  Nellie has two folding jump seats, allowing for up to seven passengers.  The original wood grained dashboard is in very nice condition, with full instrumentation that are all in very nice cosmetic condition.  All the instruments are functioning, including her Chelsea 8 Day clock, the Stewart Warner speedometer, US Gauge Co. fuel pressure and oil pressure gauges, Weston Electric Amperes gauge and her The Motometer Co. temperature gauge.

The numbers matching engine and engine compartment are absolutely gorgeous!!  Power is provided by the venerable 7.4-liter L-head inline-six that is said to be rebuilt by Frank Cooke in about 2006 and is mated to a four-speed manual transmission.  The combination of the polished brass, copper, aluminum, and black paint are stunning.  The engine sounds great, and she runs and drives very well with excellent power.  The brakes, suspension and chassis are all in excellent condition and we know of no mechanical issues at all.  Cosmetically the chassis looks very nice and is well finished.  The leather gaiters wrapping the springs all appear to be complete and in excellent condition.

Nellie comes with an Owner’s Manual and the wheel wrench.

For more information, please call, text or email Harry Clark at +1.602.245.7200 or sales@classicpromenade.com.