The only extant collection of every model of the 40/50 hp. Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce was auctioned by Gooding & Company this past week-end at Pebble Beach.

When it was over, the cars had sold for a total of $14.3 million. The cars covered all models of the Silver Ghost from its inception 1n 1907 to it conclusion in 1915. One vehicle, a 1912 limousine, alone accounted for $3 million of the total.

It all goes to Ohio State University’s cancer research center.

It is the largest single automotive donation in history.

The collection belonged to Richard Solove, who made his fortune in real estate development, but who graduated from Ohio State with a pharmacy degree in 1948 and went on to open several drug stores in Columbus, Ohio, the home of the University. 

He sold them to concentrate on real estate. 

Solove spent much of his lifetime putting together the collection, and decided to auction it and donate the proceeds to Ohio state only a few months after acquiring the final car. Ohio state has been a recipient of Solove’s largess before. The University’s cancer program is at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research institute.