1924 ROLLS-ROYCE Silver Ghost 54RM (TC 9414) 'REX'

Picture courtesy of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club, Alpine Compendium, Page 72 (1973).

This is a very special picture to me as it is the very first image of the car that I ever saw.

After seeing the car for the first time at Ristes in Nottingham, all I knew about the car was it general description, age (which was wrong as Steve had originally said it was a 1925 car) and the fact that it had been used extensively at R-REC events by Rex Sevier.

As I have collected copies of every R-REC Bulletin and some other RR material, I started hunting for any reference to Rex Sevier or his car. It did not take long to find an entry and see our first image of the car. This first picture was spotted in the R-REC "Alpine Compendium 1913 & 1973" by Christopher Leefe 1973, (R-REC Alpine Rally 15th - 29th June 1973).

The full accompanying text was:

  ---
  MESSRS. R. A. R. & R. J. R. Sevier
  The car's first owner was Sir Keith Miller of Oldham who had a limousine body built
  by Joseph Cockshoot & Co. of Manchester. At some time in the 1930's the body was converted
  into a hearse by simply removing the back and refitting it some two feet further back with
  an enlarged rear window. It was run as a hearse in Scotland until 1960 and then abandoned
  in an orchard until 1964, when it was purchased by the present joint owners. The chassis
  has now been completely overhauled and the body has been restored to its original form by
  Wilkinsons of Derby. It won first prise in its class at Blenheim in 1972. 
  ---
  Entry referencing the car and one of it's known previous owners (Mr Rex Sevier) spotted in the
  R-REC's "1974 Membership List". The entry was found on page 50 and page 94 under the Chassis Cross
  Reference, 1924 section (further supporting the indication that the car is in fact 1924 and not 1925.)
  The page 50 entry also gave (for the first time) the cars registration as "TC 9414"
  The book lists records as at 31st November 1973.
  Is a trustee of the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation?
  ---

It was by using these details and the index at the back and an old R-REC Members List that I was able to identify most of the car's details including it's chassis number.