Following triumphs at the 1907 Scottish Reliability Trials and the 1911 London to Edinburgh Top Gear Trial, Rolls-Royce once again validated its claim as “The Best Car in the World” at the 1913 Austrian Alpine Trials. Four Silver Ghosts equipped with larger radiators, upgraded springs and brakes, a four-speed gearbox, and a higher compression ratio engine completed the eight-day, 1,600-mile trek through the Alps garnering seven prizes. Rolls-Royce capitalized on its “Conquest of the Alps” by offering the same mechanical enhancements on its Alpine Eagle chassis such as this offering, chassis 26CW, equipped with its original lightweight Barker roadster coachwork.

The build sheet notes the chassis as “to be used in Spain,” reflecting the fact that its original owner, Alexander Macleod Symington of London, regularly conducted business on the Iberian Peninsula. Nickel fittings, the low-rake D-type steering column, and a polished bonnet were specified and the completed chassis was delivered to Barker & Company in January 1920, where it was fitted with body no. 1171, a two-seat roadster. Records document routine service at Cricklewood into the early 1930s. Its next owner, Charles Hasse, was also from London. A film editor for the Kuwait Oil Company in the 1950s, Hasse took 26CW to Kuwait before it was purchased by its third owner in 1962 and shipped to New Orleans. In 1965, it passed to RROC and RREC member Joseph Levin of Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to fellow Cincinnati resident Crawford López, who acquired 26CW around 1972 with the intention of restoring it.

The current owner acquired 26CW in 2015, and entrusted Pierce Reid of Vintage Garage of Stowe, Vermont, with its restoration, taking an active interest throughout. Upon completion of the drivetrain and chassis, its owner mounted a temporary body replicating a British WWI Army tender support vehicle. Affectionately named “Rhino” for its military-inspired design, a rhinoceros hood ornament was installed, a feature 26CW still carries today. Appearing in this configuration at the 2019 RROC Annual Meet in Detroit, 26CW garnered a Second in Class and the Bob Jefferson Memorial Award for best prewar personal restoration. Meanwhile, restoration of the original Barker coachwork continued over the next four years, resulting in a pleasing gray finish, complemented by the original polished aluminum hood, with a contrasting dark red roadster top and dark brown leather interior. A period French toolbox was fitted to the right running board with additional tools carried in a leather tool roll. Chassis 26CW was recognized at the 2023 RROC Annual Meet in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a First in Class concours award as well as the Barrymore Award for the Most Silent Silver Ghost.

26CW represents the ideal pairing of the high-speed Alpine Eagle chassis with original lightweight Barker roadster coachwork. This desirable foundation benefits from known ownership history, an authentic restoration, and recent marque-specific judging awards.