Silver Ghost

The car which earned Rolls Royce the subriquet “the best car in the world” was the 40/50hp – more commonly known as the Silver Ghost. For nearly two decades, the Silver Ghost was for many people the ultimate in motoring luxury.
Launched at London´s Olympia motor show in November 1906, the Silver Ghost was lavishly engineered, neatly detailed and exquisitely manufactured. It provided an almost unmatched blend of comfort, smoothness and performance.

The key to the Silver Ghost´s ability was its engine, an in-line six-cylinder unit with the cylinders cast as two blocks of three. Unusually for the time the crankshaft had a full complement of seven bearings, further aiding smoothness and reliability. The bore and stroke were both 4.5in (114mm) resulting in a capacity of 7036cc and an output of 58bhp, with vast reserves of torque available at very low engine speeds.

In 1907 that flexibility was demonstrated by Rolls Royce managing director Claude Johnson driving from Bexhill to Glasgow using only third and fourth gears, in the silver 40/50hp which was the first to be called “Silver Ghost”. The same car proved its quality time and time again in long-distance reliability runs.
More than 6000 40/50hp models were built before Rolls Royce moved on to other models in 1925.

The original Silver Ghost, Johnson´s 40/50hp, was sold by Rolls Royce in 1908 but bought back 40 years later and today it is still owned by the company. It is unlikely ever to be sold again, but must be one of the most valuable cars in the world.

Silver Shadow

Modern Rolls Royce’s started here. Crew´s staple product from 1965 was  a crisply styled four door saloon with a monocoque steel body, while two door saloons were available from coachbuilders James Young and Mulliner Park Ward, the latter with a kink in the rear wings behind the B-post.

Behind the famous radiator grille surmounted as ever by the spirit of Ecstacy mascot (or the rounded Bentley radiator with a winged “B”) sat the established 6230cc V8 with “sufficient” power, probably about 200 bhp. Power steering, automatic transmission, self levelling rear suspension and all round disc brakes were standard.

A two door convertible arrived in 1967, in 1971 joining the two door hardtop under the name Corniche. A 4in longer wheelbase was offered in 1968 to add extra rear legroom, all the long wheelbase cars also getting an Everflex vinyl roof covering.

A bigger, 6750cc engine arrived in 1970. Flared arches accommodating wider tyres were brought in for 1974. In 1975 Rolls Royce introduced the Shadow based Camargue coupe with a controversial Pininfarina styling.

In 1977 numerous revisions were incorporated into the Silver Shadow II and long wheelbase Silver Wraith, including an air dam under the nose, a new fascia, rack and pinion steering and split level air conditioning.

The Shadow and Wraith continued until 1980, when they were replaced by the Silver Spirit and Spur. The Corniches survived much longer, with revised Spirit rear suspension from 1979. Bentley versions adopted the name Continental in 1984, and the cars finally bowed out in 1994.