October 29, 2022 Collector Motor Series Auction Buyer's Catalog

1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle Lot 192 | Offered without Reserve | Bank Seized Originally owned by His Grace the Duke of Westminster and armored for combat in the Arabian Desert to fight the Ottoman Turks and their Central Powers allies. T.E. Lawrence, widely known as Lawrence of Arabia, once wrote “More valuable” than rubies in the desert.” The great British warrior, archaeologist, diplomat, and writer was referring to the fleet of armored Rolls-Royces commissioned for fighting in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign by the British Empire and Arab Revolt allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Imperial German allies. Gentlemen officers led daring and successful raids through the desert in these war chariots, terrifying and overwhelming the enemy. One such gentleman was the dashing Hugh Grosvenor, second Duke of Westminster. The Duke raced motorboats in the 1908 Olympics, served with the Royal Horse Guards, the Imperial Yeomanry, and as aide-de-camp to Lord Roberts and Lord Milner in the Second Boer War in South Africa. He volunteered for front-line combat and served with distinction during the First World War. While with the Cheshire Yeomanry, the Duke developed a prototype Rolls-Royce armored car and led a fleet of them into multiple battles. The most fantastic of these assaults was the raid to rescue the crews of the HMT Moorina and HMS Tara who were being held captive in poor conditions at Bir Hakeim. Grosvenor led nine armored Rolls-Royces, three armed but unarmored

cars, and a fleet of twenty-eight further cars and ambulances, on a 120-mile dash across the desert. The enemy forces were overwhelmed, the sailors saved, and the Duke was promoted and received the DSO (Distinguished Service Order). Chassis 34LB was ordered in July 1914 by His Grace the Duke of Westminster and built to full Alpine Eagle Specifications. It was returned to Rolls-Royce in 1916 to be fitted with armor before being shipped to Egypt and Palestine. After service in the War, it was returned to Rolls-Royce in 1920 and rebuilt for civilian use. It has a beautiful, top-level restoration and is fitted with a tri-pod turret and a display-only, non-working Maxim .30 caliber machine gun. This should come in handy when you encounter a difficult to persuade judge at a concours d’elegance event!