Vintage Rolls-Royce from Caramulo Museum Destroyed in Viaduct Collision

Vintage Rolls-Royce from Caramulo Museum Destroyed in Viaduct Collision

Car returning from the Founders' Race - Caramulo Museum

A 1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, valued at up to one million euros, was partially destroyed when it collided with a viaduct while being transported on the upper deck of a car carrier truck. The accident occurred on Tuesday morning in Póvoa de Santa Iria, under the A1 motorway.

According to a source from the Caramulo Museum in Tondela, the vintage car had just participated in the Founders' Race over the weekend, an event celebrating the "golden age of motoring" that started in Figueira da Foz and ended in Lisbon. The vehicle was on its way back to the museum when the collision happened for reasons still under investigation.

Other classic cars on the truck were reportedly not damaged, but images shared online show the upper part of the Rolls-Royce completely shattered, with debris scattered across the road.

By late Tuesday afternoon, museum officials were awaiting the car's arrival to assess the full extent of the damage. They confirmed to JN that the vehicle will be restored, though the costs have not yet been estimated.

Manufactured in England and bodied in Belgium, this green Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was purchased in Lisbon in 1956 by João de Lacerda, the museum's founder. It was later restored with the help of Harry Rugeroni, the brand's importer for Portugal. The model features a traditional six-cylinder engine capable of reaching a top speed of 100 km/h and has an interior lined with walnut wood.