The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was the car upon which the company’s outstanding reputation for proven engineering and superb quality was built. In production for 19 years with constant, gentle refinement but few major changes, it was as fine an automobile at its conclusion as at its beginning.

Most American-made Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts produced in Springfield, Massachusetts, carried closed coachwork that was heavy and formal, albeit beautifully constructed and finely detailed. Sporting, open bodies for the Silver Ghost were rare, but they did exist, and perhaps none were more beautiful than Brewster’s cleverly named Playboy Roadster.

Brewster produced only 28 examples of this sporting body style, of which 15 were fashionably retrofitted to preexisting Springfield Silver Ghost chassis as replacements for increasingly out-of-style coachwork. This is precisely the case of S208ML, offered here, which was delivered new to William Pinckney Rutter of Utica, New York on 28 July 1926 wearing Oxford Sedan coachwork executed by Brewster. The car’s current Playboy Roadster coachwork was mounted in April 1932, immediately preceding delivery to its second owner, Elena DeValladares of Larchmont, New York. Importantly, this new body, number 7286, was pulled fresh from Brewster’s inventory stock in Long Island City, New York.

By 1958 this Silver Ghost had passed to John Tyson of Royersford, Pennsylvania, with whom it remained until 1967. In 1981, the car was purchased by Michael Whitaker of Frankfort, Ohio, and under his care S208ML was later sent to the noted Rolls-Royce restorer Rick Hamlin of Wellington, Kansas.

Unfortunately, Hamlin’s restoration work upon S208ML was cut short by Whitaker’s untimely demise, although he retained the partially completed car in his shop for several years before the Whitaker family finally sold it onward to its next custodian in 2011. This previous owner then sent the Playboy Roadster to be completed to concours standards by marque specialists in the United Kingdom, and to this end the final product remains quite impressive despite its completion nearly 11 years ago.

S208ML is presented today in the sublime color combination of Oxford Blue over Oxblood leather upholstery beneath a matching dark blue fabric top edged with Oxblood trim. The car’s full suite of nickel-plated brightwork remains a peerless complement to its dignified, sporting, and finely detailed aura.

Since entering the collection of Terence E. Adderley in early 2013, this remarkable Springfield Silver Ghost Playboy Roadster has been sparingly enjoyed, though always admired. With known ownership history since new, and as confirmed by Rolls-Royce records on file, S208ML still retains its numbers-matching 7.7-liter engine, Playboy coachwork, and chassis.

Any collection of preeminent, American-made automobiles would be incomplete without a fine Springfield Rolls-Royce such as this one offered here.