The Silver Ghost established its early fame, in part, on the racing circuit and in endurance trials. We are reproving the endurance legend with our cross-country trip and had the opportunity to lap the Indianapolis 500 Speedway in our Ghosts before departing on our 200 mile trip to Taylorville, IL.

Silver Ghosts lap the Indianapolis 500 Speedway in the rain.

The day started out rainy, including rain as we drove around the race course. It was exciting to think of the hundreds of thousands of fans in the stands as we drove the Ghosts by the pit area and grandstands. The rain must have kept them away for our celebratory lap since the only sound was the rain drops and the silent Ghosts on their journey.

Indianapolis police officer issuing warning ticket to Ghost for driving 87 mph in a 35 mph zone just after leaving the 500 Speedway.

After leaving Indianapolis, the trip to Taylorville was through long stretches of farmland, mostly planted in corn and soybeans. The corn was flourishing in the wet weather and provided corridors down the country lanes that were higher than the Ghosts. The flatter terrain also translated into improved gas mileage compared with the hills we experienced in West Virginia only a few days earlier.

Later in the day, we took a detour around Rockville, IN to see a number of covered bridges and river crossings. The road patterns were also changing. Many of the roads we took were laid out in an east-west or a north-south direction, unlike the winding roads in West Virginia. It was always gratifying to check the compass and see that we were headed due west. By the day’s end, we were approaching the 1,000 mark on the Ghost tour.

Albert Eberhard of Villa Florencia, Portugal crossing river near Rockville, IN
in 1926 Stratford (S348RL)

Alex Joyce’s Ghost, 1922 tourer (40PG)
traversing river through 1856 era
Crooks Bridge. The three ton weight
limit dictated only one Ghost on the
bridge at a time. Joyce’s car weighs
about 5,600 pounds.

We had our first ‘day off’ in Taylorville, IL. This was a scheduled day for rest and maintenance. We were also the guests of Bill Kennedy who invited us to his plant to run the Ghosts on a modern dynamometer. Bill collected data on over 25 Ghosts and will publish his findings in what promises to be the most comprehensive evaluation of Ghosts in modern history. The tests measured horsepower, torque and speed, among others. The fastest Ghost in the group was clocked at over 80 miles per hour. Many owners have copies of the original dynamometers tests on their cars and it will be interesting to compare the modern data with the original tests.

Bill Kennedy’s 1926 Piccadilly roadster (S385RL) parked in front of his home in Taylorville, IL

Our day in Taylorville ended with a tour of the county courthouse and a climb to the top of the 10 story bell tower to see the clock works. Bill Kennedy is the county’s third keeper of the clock (since 1902) and provided our group with an up-close look at the inner workings.

Silver Ghosts parked at Bill Kennedy’s home. Left to right – Nancy Watts 1924 Pall Mall (394LF), Colin Laybourn’s 1923 tourer (72NK), Scott Isquick’s 1913 sport tourer (2651) and Robson’s 1912 L-E tourer (2079

Neville Jordan’s 1922 tourer (7KG) clocked at over 70 mph on the dynamometer but going nowhere fast. Note chain to rear of car to secure in place.

Continue to July 27-28, 2004

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