Nicknamed “Dragonfly” for its shimmering iridescent green finish and elegant, skiff-inspired form, this 1915 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is one of the most captivating and storied transformations in early motoring history. Beneath its breathtaking exterior lies Chassis No. 30ED, a mid-production G-Series Silver Ghost renowned for its smooth ride, durability, and precision engineering—qualities that helped forge the Rolls-Royce legend.

Originally commissioned for Gosta Nobel, a member of the Russian Nobel family, the car’s delivery was canceled due to the outbreak of World War I. In 1916, it was instead sold to Alfred Loewenstein, a Belgian financier who would become the world’s third-richest man—and later the subject of one of the century’s most mysterious deaths, when he vanished mid-flight over the English Channel in 1928. Loewenstein initially fitted the Silver Ghost with formal limousine coachwork, and the car spent the 1920s in Britain under several owners.

By the 1930s, it had made its way to Tangiers, Morocco, where it was repurposed into a working breakdown recovery vehicle—a testament to the unbreakable quality of its chassis and engineering. In the decades that followed, 30ED traveled through France and the UK, wearing various bodies, including a torpedo tourer and later a Melhuish & Co. Canopy Brougham.

In 1993, under the ownership of H.J.T. Channing, the car underwent its most dramatic evolution: a full restoration and rebirth in the form of a dual-cockpit, boattail skiff, inspired by the great Parisian coachbuilders like Labourdette. Finished in radiant green with flowing, hand-crafted lines, the car earned its enduring nickname—“Dragonfly.” Following showings at VCC events, it was imported to the U.S. in 2005 by Rolls-Royce collector Don Meyer. Now part of the distinguished Tom Maoli Collection, “Dragonfly” continues to captivate audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. In recent years, it was shown at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, where it received a Specialty Award and placed Second in Show.