A Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost, purchased new by famed billionaire Howard Hughes during The Roaring Twenties, captured Best of Show honors at the fifth anniversary Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance at Pinehurst Resort last Saturday (above, photo courtesy of Pinehurst Concours).
The Pinehurst Concours was just the second time the tan-bodied 1925 Rolls-Royce with black fenders and red-spoke wheels had been shown since owner Guy Lewis purchased it three years ago. Prior to that, the car had been sitting in a Florida barn for more than four decades.
The Rolls-Royce’s restoration was completed three months ago by Lloyds Auto Restoration, a job that included the gilded HH initials on the three pieces of fitted luggage found in the trunk that once belonged to Hughes.
“I found a Rolls-Royce in a barn, it was a Silver Ghost and then I find out it was a Howard Hughes car — so it was like hitting the Trifecta,” said Lewis, 55, of Pinecrest, Florida.
Hughes purchased the car for $13,450 on his honeymoon on Christmas Day in 1924. It took 10 months to build.
The Rolls joins previous Pinehurst Concours Best of Show winners that have included a 1928 Isotta Fraschini 8ASS (2016), a 1919 Pierce-Arrow Model 66 A-4 Tourer (2015), a 1931 Cadillac 452A (2014) and a 1938 Steyr 220 Glaser Roadster (2013). The 2013 and 2016 Best of Show winners, both owned by Peter Boyle of Oil, City, Pennsylvania, were on hand as display cars for patrons to enjoy.
The 2017 Best of Show came from the European Classics Pre-War class — one of 14 classes judged Saturday — and has logged just 16,000 miles. It was the third time Lewis had been to the Pinehurst Concours, previously showing two of his vintage Mercedes.
“I wanted to bring something this time that was just going to blow them away,” Lewis said. “We just finished this car up and I’m so proud, it showed so well.
“I love old cars,” he added. “I’m an eclectic kind of guy. Just growing up everybody loved cars. You were known by your car. I’ve always had that passion.”
Lewis, now an attorney, was a U.S. prosecutor in Miami under Presidents Bush and Clinton, and is noted for prosecuting former Panama General Manuel Noriega.
“I’m like living the dream — 20 years working for the government and now I’m showing Rolls-Royces,” Lewis said.
A 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S from the Japanese Classics class — an example thought to be one of the most original Cosmo Sports in the world — captured the prestigious HVA/FIVA award.
“There were some beautiful cars on the field today, some that were just drop-dead gorgeous,” Lewis said. “It is the nicest field I’ve seen in the three years I’ve been here. But my car showed really well with some of the documents and that luggage. I was just happy to win Best in Class, and never expected to win Best of Show. I am going to show the car a few more times and then I’m going to start driving it.”
A listing of class winners follows, and for complete information please visit www.pinehurstconcours.com
2017 Pinehurst Concours Class Winners
Best of Show
1925 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster – Guy Lewis, Pinecrest, Fla.
Class 1: American Classics Pre-War
1928 Auburn 8-115 – Al and Barbara Mason, Purcellville, Va.
Class 2: Packard
1937 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria – David and Patty Peeler, Weddington, N.C.
Class 3: American Classics Post-War
1955 Studebaker President Speedster – Mark James, Lancaster, Pa.
Class 4: American Sports/Muscle Cars (Pre-1975)
1969 Ford Torino Talladega – Carson Riddle, Carthage, N.C.
Class 5: Corvette
1967 Chevrolet Corvette – Rick Benitez, Miami, Fla.
Class 6: Unique & Limited Production
1951 Hudson Hornet – Thomas and Kristin Zarrella, Gloucester, Mass.
Class 7: Modern Super Cars
2016 McLaren MSO HS – Mark and Tara Rein, Raleigh, N.C.
Class 8: European Classics Pre-War
1925 Rolls-Royce Springfield Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster – Guy Lewis, Pinecrest, Fla.
Class 9: European Classics Post-War
1951 Porsche 356, Chip Perry – Blowing Rock, N.C.
Class 10: European Sports Cars-Open
1954 Jaguar XK-120 M, John Gerhard – Ambler, Pa.
Class 11: European Sports Cars-Closed
1974 DeTomaso Pantera, Rob Duquette – Foxfire Village, N.C.
Class 12: Porsche Carrera (Pre-1975)
1963 Porsche Carrera 2 Coupe, Thomas and Kristin Zarrella – Gloucester, Mass.
Class 13: Japanese Classics
1983 Toyota Celica Supra, Mark Walley – Wake Forest, N.C.
Class 14A: Race Cars
1965 Brawner Hawk, Ray Evernham – Mooresville, N.C.
Class 14B: Race Cars
1981 NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Pontiac – William Rhine, Denver, N.C.
Ross Awards– 1963 Chevrolet Corvette – Mr. and Mrs. Larry Wilson, Palm Beach, Fla.
– 1979 Porsche 911 F6-D – Vern Davenport, Wake Forest, N.C.
Tufts Awards – 1932 Packard 900 Light Eight Shovelnose Roadster – Elaine and Tony Lang, Chepstow, Ontario, Canada
– 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS – Christopher Bannister, Raleigh, N.C.
Mercedes-Benz Award – 1964 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Convertible – Dr. Veasey Cullen, Easton, Md.
Robert H Dedman Award – 1947 Chrysler Town & Country – C. Michael Grasso and R. Stephen Warren, Salisbury, N.C.
FIVA Award/HVA Award – 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport110S – Mazda North America Heritage Collection, Irvine, Calif.
Chairman’s Award – 1983 Toyota Celica Supra – Mark Walley, Wake Forest, N.C.
Soldiers Choice Award – 2014 McLaren P1 – Robert Kauffman, Charlotte, N.C.
Fairway Club Award – Mercedes-Benz – Larry Pappo
