1l7CcRC

‘Every now and then a restoration comes along that stands outin terms of quality and detail, and the 1912 40/50hp Silver GhostCabriolet, chassis 2145, did exactly that at this year’s 47th AnnualFederal Rally in Canberra.’ – David Berthon writing in ‘Praeclarum’ thejournal of the Rolls-Royce Club of Australia, August 2005.Although the 40/50hp model would in any event have earned its ‘TheBest Car in the World’ sobriquet (actually first used by the Pall MallGazette in November 1911), Rolls-Royce’s decision to drop all othertypes only served to focus attention on what would become known asthe ‘Silver Ghost’. Prior to 1908, when it relocated to a new factory inDerby, the company founded by engineer Frederick Henry Royce andentrepreneur the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls had manufactureda variety of models at its Manchester premises. Cars with two, three,four and six cylinders were made, and even an abortive V8, beforeManaging Director Claude Johnson’s decision to concentrate on therange-topping 40/50hp. The latter had first appeared at the 1906London Motor Show and became known as the ‘Silver Ghost’ thefollowing year when chassis number ‘60551’ was exhibited wearingsilver-painted tourer coachwork by Barker & Co.The heart of the Silver Ghost was its magnificent engine, a 7,036cc(later 7,428cc) sidevalve six equipped with seven-bearing crankshaftand pressure lubrication. A sturdy chassis comprised of channelsectionside members and tubular cross members was suspendedon semi-elliptic springs at the front and a ‘platform’ leaf springarrangement at the rear, though the latter soon came in for revision.The transmission too was soon changed: a three-speed gearbox withdirect-drive top gear replacing the original four-speed/overdrive topunit in 1909. In the course of its 20-year production life there would becountless other improvements to the car, one of the most importantbeing the adoption of servo-assisted four-wheel brakes towards theend of 1923.After a successful 2,000-mile trial under RAC supervision, the factorydemonstrator - chassis ‘60551’, ‘The Silver Ghost’ - was enteredin the 1907 Scottish Reliability Trial, completing the 15,000-mile runwith flying colours to set a new World Record. From then on thecar’s reputation was assured, not the least in North America wherethe wide-open spaces placed a premium on reliability and comfort.Royce’s uncompromising engineering standards demanded onlyexcellence of his staff in Manchester and later Derby, and no chassiswas delivered until it had been rigorously tested.Motor Cars | 217