In Episode Three of The Journey, Jack and Travis discuss their challenging, award-winning restoration of a 1923 Springfield Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall
In Episode Three of the popular new series The Journey, owner Jack Boyd Smith Jr. and restoration partner Travis LaVine, of Nappanee, Indiana’s LaVine Restorations, Inc., discuss their intricate preservation of The JBS Collection’s rare, multiple award-winning 1923 Springfield Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall.
The American-made Silver Ghost, chassis No. 77JH, is one of approximately 1,700 Silver Ghosts manufactured between 1921 and 1926 in the British luxury automaker’s Springfield, Massachusetts plant.
The Silver Ghost was restored by Smith Jr. and LaVine in prelude to the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it enjoyed a multiple award-winning debut. One of only two known in the world featuring Pall Mall coachwork with both the dual-cowl and dual-windshield options, the Silver Ghost received a special award at Pebble Beach—the Ansel Adams Award—and was honored with Second in Class in the Class H: Rolls-Royce Prewar category.
In the newest episode of The Journey, Smith Jr. and LaVine—partners and good friends—share exciting details and automotive insight from the award-winning restoration of this 100-year-old, American-made, British luxury automobile.
“Folks are fascinated to know that Rolls-Royce even made a car in America—I was surprised when I learned that myself,” said Smith Jr., whose collection is ranked No. 85 in the world by The Classic Car Trust’s publication, The Key. “Vehicles like this represent so much history and excite and inspire me as a collector. Preserving and sharing them with the world is more than just a joy for me—it feels like a calling. It’s been an honor over the years that so many people have followed and enjoyed our collection, and The Journey is a way to share even more about some of the projects Travis and I have completed. My hope is for people to enjoy the series, and learn from it.”
Produced by The JBS Collection in association with LaVine Restorations and Goshen, Indiana’s Eyedart Creative Studio, The Journey premiered in October 2024 with an in-depth look into the restoration of a 1934 Packard Twelve 1108 Custom Convertible Sedan By Dietrich, a vehicle once owned by female arctic explorer Louise Arner Boyd. The Journey features behind the scenes insight and highlights the unique working relationship between a collection owner and restoration specialist.
Travis LaVine, a Packard panelist and moderator at the 2024 Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum, is the son of Vivian and Eric LaVine—who founded LaVine Restorations over 50 years ago—and also sees The Journey as an opportunity to extol the virtues of a career in the restoration industry.
“Many shops have hung up their keys over the years, and there are only so many outfits around the world that can do what we do,” said LaVine. “I think young people who are excited by this kind of work can have rewarding careers in restoration, and it’s a personal mission of mine to relay that. This car is a great example of what makes restoration work so fulfilling—it’s the ultimate challenge. We designed over 100 original components, and there were times during this restoration that I wished I’d never seen this Rolls-Royce in my life. But after all the hours, hard work, and dirty fingernails—when the dust settles and a car like this Silver Ghost emerges slowly from the garage—it’s a magical feeling beyond words for both Jack and me, and for everyone involved.”
The 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 only place outside England where Rolls-Royce vehicles have ever been built. The Springfield plant manufactured nearly 3,000 vehicles before ceasing production in 1931.
The Silver Ghost line was named so due to its reputation for quiet driving. The American-made Springfields were thought by many Rolls-Royce experts to have improved chassis and superior bodies, compared to their British siblings, and also featured distinct, signature elements such as magnificent drum-shaped pedestal lights.
In March of 2024, The JBS Collection’s Silver Ghost was awarded Best-in-Class honors (Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Class) at The Amelia Concours d’Elegance, and in 2024 the vehicle was one of only 51 vehicles—among more than 500 submitted—selected for presentation at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy. Most recently, in August of 2024, the Silver Ghost was honored with the Chairman’s Award in The JBS Collection’s first-ever trip to the heralded Salon Privé Concours at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
“I say this all the time, but I can’t repeat it enough,” said Smith Jr. “I have so much enthusiasm for these automobiles, and that’s the energy that drives our entire collection. Collections are normally built over twenty, thirty, or forty years, and I’m a little over thirteen years in. I’m still new to this, and I’m always learning, and that creates extra excitement when I come upon something fantastic like this American-made Silver Ghost. As you’ll learn in the episode, this restoration was another great challenge, but it is a pure joy to work with Travis and his team to bring cars like this Silver Ghost back to life. I think The Journey conveys that.”