From late 1906 onwards Rolls-Royce Ltd began production of their 40/50 hp which later became known as the Silver Ghost. The London Motor Show at Olympia in November of 1906 heralded its introduction to the motoring world and by the spring of 1907 the first batch of deliveries were met, described at the time as "The Best Car in the World" by Autocar magazine. What made the car so special? The reality is that many cars on the road when the first Silver Ghost was launched were noisy, unreliable and assembled with varying degrees of build quality. The Silver Ghost was totally different, engineered from the onset to set new standards of excellence that all others then strived to equal.
The 40/50 hp became known as The Silver Ghost following the legendary exploits of the company demonstrator, Chassis No 60551, better known as AX201 which was and still is the cars registration number. It was the 12th chassis made and undertook the 1907 Scottish reliability trials and immediately afterwards a remarkable near 15,000-mile test which included driving from London to Glasgow twenty-seven times. With great fanfare the reputation for the model and the Rolls-Royce name was firmly established, and deservedly so.
The Silver Ghost became an almost instant success thanks to the soundness of its design and the pain staking lengths the Rolls-Royce engineers and workmen went to during construction. The car was beautifully engineered with the combination of pressurised lubrication, dual ignition and advanced fuelling resulting in a reliable, smooth and flexible powerplant.
The Silver Ghost was originally fitted with a six-cylinder engine of 7,036cc which was enlarged to 7,428 cc in 1910. The three-speed gearbox introduced in 1909 was replaced with a four-speed variant in 1913. Engine power was estimated at around 48 hp on launch and continual development resulted in an estimated 80 hp at the end of production. Chassis lengths ranged from 135.5 inches from 1906 to 1913, 143.5 inches from 1913 to 1923 and 144 inches and 150.5 inches from 1923 until the end of production in 1925. The ultimate performance of each car was dependent on engine, coachwork and gearing, with later cars having more powerful engines, albeit with generally heavier coachwork with lower final drive ratios to suit. Braking on rear wheels only on early cars comes via a drum on the transmission, with post 1914 models having braking via application of drums on the wheels. It was not until 1924 that servo assisted brakes on the front wheels were also fitted.
Its already exemplary reputation was enhanced further in 1911 following the trial cars successful London to Edinburgh round trip using only top gear, demonstrating the power and flexibility of the engine, whilst easing any lingering doubts of potential customers who were previously more at home with a set of reins than a steering wheel.
The Alpine Eagle derivatives were named after the refinements applied to the model after an exploratory attempt on the 1912 Austrian Alpine trial, which highlighted the shortcomings of the three-speed gearbox on some steep ascents. For the 1913 event, four models were entered with four speed gearboxes and engines with power output increased from an estimated 60 hp to 75 hp. These modifications resulted in six awards on the event and the car set a new benchmark in performance as a fast-touring road car. The Alpine Eagle models are highly sought after today and perform superbly.
The Pre-War Ghost also formed the basis of the Rolls-Royce armoured car, famously used by Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab revolt. In fact, when asked by a journalist what he would most value, Lawrence replied, "I should like my own Rolls-Royce car with enough tyres and petrol to last all my life.
The leading coachmakers of the time were familiar with being provided with the under carriage from the manufacturers and constructing a body to suit their customers’ requests. Rolls-Royce continued with this tried and tested method, providing chassis and engine to the coachbuilder of the customer’s choice who constructed the bodywork, painted, trimmed and furnished the car to order. Almost overnight long-established coach makers who had been in business for generations had to adapt their way of thinking away from horse drawn carriage to the new horseless vehicle.
Following the end of hostilities in 1918 there was a shift away from the previous Edwardian style of body construction. However, the tried and tested policy of supplying chassis only allowed Rolls-Royce customers almost unlimited choice and freedom when choosing the style of their new motor car. Fashions and tastes inevitably changed but Rolls-Royce customers moved with the times ensuring the continued success of this now legendary motor car. By 1925 the exceptionally successful eighteen-year production run of the Silver Ghost had firmly put Rolls-Royce at the forefront of motor car production. It is fair to say that the Ghost’s efficiency, reliability, and superb performance were unmatched at the time and its reputation laid the foundations for the continued success of the company.
The vast majority of pre-war Rolls-Royce motor cars were built-in right-hand drive; however construction also took place concurrently for approximately ten years in America, where both right hand and left hand drive Silver Ghosts were produced. Claude Johnson, the business genius at Rolls-Royce was somewhat of a visionary and saw the future potential of the American car market long before production began of Rolls-Royce motor cars in the United States. The American market was at the time the largest and most important car market in the world, with more cars sold in America per annum than the rest of the world combined. Cars brought into the US were also subject to substantial importation taxes, so the natural and logical move in order to satisfy the huge demand at a more cost-effective price was to join the American market on their own soil. By November of 1919 Johnson had convinced the hierarchy at the company of the merits of production in the United States and had formed Rolls-Royce of America Inc, but it wasn’t until well into 1921 that the first American built chassis were ready to be sold.
Over fifty staff from the Rolls-Royce works in England relocated with their families to Springfield in Massachusetts and began by replicating the Derby built chassis. But before the 200th chassis had been completed a number of changes were implemented, with American parts being introduced. One off bodies were still available to American buyers in typical English coach building fashion, but the majority of cars were built to standard designs by “Rolls-Royce Custom Coachworks.” These bodies were constructed by a number of companies, largely built in batches of twenty or more. Production quality of the coachwork however was first class, finished with aluminium bodies and steel fenders in most cases, quite different from the British style of construction.
In total over its near twenty-year production, 7,874 Silver Ghost were made, of which 1,701 were made in the United States. Many of these early cars still exist today and the exploits and commercial success of the Silver Ghost are the cornerstone of the Rolls-Royce name today.
Thoughts from Frank Dale
After nearly eighty years in business, we have been fortunate enough to restore and sell several of the legendary Silver Ghosts built for customers all over the world. The sheer quality of the engineering of this model, some of which are now over 115 years old, is reflected by the large number of cars that still survive today. We think it is terrific to see so many of these wonderful cars still in active use.
Driving a Silver Ghost is reasonably straightforward for a vintage car, partly down to the cars ability to go from 10mph to 60mph in top gear and keep up with modern traffic. Gear changes require double de-clutching, but this is quickly mastered and is part of the engaging nature of the driving experience. The pedal layout is as conventional as any modern manual car and there are controls on the steering wheel for mixture, ignition control and a supplementary hand throttle.
I remember my first experience driving a pre–WWI Silver Ghost which was a 1910 Roi des Belges, I was nervous to say the least, especially as I had to leave a quiet road in west London and head straight onto the three lane A4, one of the busiest main roads in west London. But I needn’t have worried, the gearbox was smooth, and the car performed beautifully. Since then, my love and appreciation for Silver Ghosts has grown and grown. They are simply superbly built motor cars, arguably the ultimate vintage touring car.