Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
| Rolls Royce | |
|---|---|
 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (1925)
|
|
| 40/50 hp Silver Ghost |
|
| Production period: | 1906-1925 |
| Class : | Upper class |
| Body versions : |
Limousine , Pullman limousine , convertible , touring car , landaulet |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 7.0–7.4 liters (35–55 kW) |
| Length: | 4572-4877 mm |
| Width: | 1715 mm |
| Height: | |
| Wheelbase : | 3404-3658 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1223-1540 kg |
| successor | Rolls-Royce Phantom I. |
The term Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (dt .: Silver Ghost ) originally referred to a single car of the series Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp of the British manufacturer Rolls-Royce , which shipped with special specifications. The name was later transferred to the entire series.
The model range
The automobile developed under the name Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp was produced from 1906 to 1925 and replaced by the Phantom series . In 1913/1914, after winning a corresponding competition, a model with the name Rolls-Royce Alpine Eagle was also produced, whose engine had a slightly larger displacement (121 mm stroke instead of 120 mm), but a lower output (55 bhp (40 kW ) instead of 65 bhp (48 kW)); these vehicles also had significantly longer rear leaf springs.
The Silver Ghosts were equipped with a six-cylinder gasoline engine with seven liters, which initially 48 bhp (35 kW) at 1,200 min -1 were increased and made in the course of development up to 75 bhp (55 kW). The gearshift was initially carried out with a manual three-speed gearshift, which was replaced by a four-speed gearshift from 1913. In addition, electric lighting was introduced as an option from 1914, and it was standard from 1919. The Silver Ghost also served as the basis for the development of the Rolls-Royce Armored Car , an armored vehicle that was used during the First World War . Although completely out of date at the time, the Rolls-Royce Armored Car was also used in the early stages of the Second World War.
Before the First World War, the Silver Ghost was one of the most technically advanced cars in the world, which earned it the reputation of being the best car in the world. During the war there was no further development and the gap to other contemporary designs grew. Finally, in 1925 the replacement was carried out by the Rolls-Royce Phantom I . In 1906, a British automobile journalist attributed the word waftability to this vehicle for the first time . This word creation from back then characterizes the Rolls-Royce vehicles as a unique selling point.
Silver Ghost models have appeared in the following films, among others: City Lights (1931), Rebecca (1940), Citizen Kane (1941), Giants (1956), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The daredevil men in their flying boxes (1965), Frankenstein Junior (1974) and The Woman in Black (2012).
The vehicle
The specific Silver Ghost is the twelfth vehicle from the 40/50 hp series, chassis no. 60551, on the shorter chassis of 135 inches (3441.7 mm). The body in the form of a "Semi-Roi des Belges" (open touring car without front doors and with a slightly raised rear bench) was supplied by Barker & Co. in London, one of the best addresses for luxury bodies. The paint was silver. The lamps and fittings were silver-plated (brass was usually used). For the dashboard, aluminum was used instead of teak wood. The leather seats were green, the rear bench seat could be replaced by a luggage box for longer tours. Outside under the windshield was a badge that read "The Silver Ghost". The name should allude on the one hand to the silver color of this vehicle, on the other hand to the low noise level. AX-201 , as the vehicle is also called because of its registration number, was an impressive appearance not only back then . The vehicle was therefore also suitable as a demonstration object for Rolls-Royce. The company first presented it in 1906 at the Olympia Motor Show in London.
Within a very short time, the Silver Ghost set various records and was able to prove its astonishingly high reliability for the time. After various changes of ownership, it finally came into the possession of Bentley . AX-201 is one of two Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts that were used for the film "The daring men in their flying boxes" (see above). In 1989 the vehicle was extensively restored. With an estimated value of $ 35 million, it is considered one of the most expensive cars in the world today.
literature
- David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975. New edition. Veloce Publishing plc., Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 .
Web links
- Article about the Silver Ghost
- Rolls-Royce and Bentley models (English)
- Rolls-Royce Enthusiast's Club Switzerland; Technical data (German)
- RR 40/50 hp on the website of KJ Roßfeldt
Individual evidence
- ↑ Photo of a Rolls-Royce Alpine Eagle (1914) in Beaulieu ( memento of the original from October 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Rolls-Royce Phantom Product Guide (pdf) Rolls-Royce Phantom Product Guide ( Memento of July 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ). Accessed April 23, 2011
