ELKHART, IN — The JBS Collection, owned by Jack Boyd Smith Jr., takes one of its automotive crown jewels—a rare, American-made 1923 Springfield Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall—to the Salon Privé Concours at Blenheim Palace, August 28-31, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. The event marks Smith Jr.’s inaugural participation in Salon Privé, one of the premier Concours events in the UK.
Presented by Aviva, the 2024 Salon Privé Concours at Blenheim Palace features 13 distinct car classes, including Pre-War Open, Post-War Open, Post-War Closed British, Sports Racer, and Ferrari Classiche. Legendary Liveries, Porsche ‘Rennsport’, Inspiring Greatness – 120 Years of Rolls-Royce, and Supercar Icons pre-2004 are some of the additional categories presented this year.
Blenheim Palace, one of Britain’s greatest estates, is over 300 years old and is an awe-inspiring masterpiece of Baroque architecture. Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The magnificent estate offers an inspiring backdrop for an automotive event of the caliber of Salon Privé—the only UK Concours overseen by the International Chief Judge Advisory Group (ICJAG).
The ICJAG represents the gold standard for the competitive judging of classic cars.
“The Salon Privé Concours at Blenheim Palace is one of the greatest automotive events in the UK, and we’re excited to be at this legendary event for the first time,” said Jack Boyd Smith Jr. “Our Silver Ghost is a rare and remarkable vehicle—it’s one of a small number of similar Rolls-Royce models manufactured in the United States. It’s pretty special to bring an American-made British luxury car back to England, 100 years after it was produced, for presentation and judging in the place it was conceived. It’s certainly going to be a very competitive showfield, and our Silver Ghost will fit in splendidly.”
The Salon Privé Concours fields a group of roughly 30 ICJAG judges—led by Chairman Nigel Matthews—to inspect 75 curated automobiles over the course of two days. Former Best of Show winners at the event, thought to be the most authoritatively-judged concours in the UK, include a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S by Corsica (2023), a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Berlinetta by Zagato (2022), and a 1948 Talbot Lago T26 GS Fastback Coupé (2019).
The JBS Collection’s 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall is one of only two in the world with Pall Mall coachwork featuring both the dual-cowl and dual-windshield options.
Chassis No. 77JH, the Silver Ghost was restored for Smith Jr. by LaVine Restorations, Inc., of Nappanee, Indiana, in preparation for the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. At Pebble Beach, the American-made, automotive paragon was honored with the Ansel Adams Award for the Most Desirable Touring Car in its Era. The Silver Ghost also emerged from a loaded showfield at Pebble Beach with a Second in Class Award (Class H: Rolls-Royce Prewar).
More recently, in March of 2024, the Silver Ghost received coveted Best-in-Class honors (Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Class) at The Amelia Concours d’Elegance. At May’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este—in Cernobbio, Italy—the Silver Ghost was one of only 51 vehicles, out of 520 submitted, to be selected by the event committee for presentation.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost line was originally manufactured in Manchester, England, with production moving to Derby in 1908. In 1921, the first American-made Silver Ghost rolled off the line at the company’s expansion plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Springfield plant, the only place outside of England where Rolls-Royce vehicles have ever been built, manufactured nearly 3,000 vehicles before ceasing production in 1931.
About The JBS Collection – The automobiles in The JBS Collection represent the ultimate in early automotive design, craftsmanship, and innovation. Educating future generations about the merits and importance of each piece guides every addition to the collection. The select autos in The JBS Collection are more than just vehicles; they demonstrate what can be achieved with forward thinking and effort. The collection seeks to advance the cause of preserving and promoting invaluable vessels of art, design, engineering, luxury, and heritage.
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