FIRST LAUNCHING OF ROLLS-ROYCE “SILVER GHOST” 1906

FIRST LAUNCHING OF ROLLS-ROYCE “SILVER GHOST” 1906

The new Rolls-Royce 40/50hp chassis was launched at London’s Olympia Motor Show in 1906. It was designed by Henry Royce to meet the demand from Edwardian motorists for a car to carry the epitome of luxurious coachwork.

Thought to be the 12th built, the very chassis on display was fitted with elegant silver-painted “Roi-des-Belges” touring coachwork and silver-plated brightwork by coachbuilder Barker & Co.

It was to be used as a “trials car” by the company’s managing director Claude Johnson. Johnson called his new Rolls-Royce “The Silver Ghost.”

It had a six-cylinder engine and an overdrive fourth speed (the “sprinting gear”). This was adventurous when most motorists were still reluctant to change gear.

In May 1907, the Silver Ghost began a series of public tests, culminating in an observed 15,000-mile (24,000-km) run. Over six weeks, Johnson and a team of three drivers, including the Hon Charles Rolls, covered nearly 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) a week, running around the clock, and only halting to change tires.

At the end of the test, the RAC stripped the car to measure wear: the cost of replacement parts amounted to just £2 2s 7d, although tire costs totaled £187 12s 6d.

The trial made such an impression on the motoring public that the name “Silver

Ghost” became indiscriminately used for all Rolls-Royce 40/50s. The company proudly adopted the slogan, first used in The Times newspaper: “The Best Car in the World.”