1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (40/50) was in production for two decades, renowned for its durability, power, quiet operation, and comfort. It was equally adept at quiet and relaxed low-speed operation for the elegant town car and limousine coachwork as it was for its rugged, high-speed motoring. Excelling in all arenas, along with its factory in Derby, Rolls-Royce set up production facilities in the United States in 1920, selecting Springfield, Massachusetts, for its access to suppliers and for the ample supply of skilled craftsmen trained in the armories and machine tool factories of the Connecticut River valley and New England.

Genesis
Henry Royce acquired a De Dion Quadricycle and, later, a second-hand ten horsepower, two-cylinder French Decauville. Used for transportation from his home to his electrical company, Royce Ltd. in Manchester, Royce was unhappy with the poor workmanship, unreliable electrical system, and vibration of the car. Although this was normal for vehicles of this era, Royce was convinced he could build a better product. Using the basic design of the Decauville, Royce began work in a corner of the Cooke Street works. On April 1st of 1904, Royce left the factory driving the vehicle he had built, and it performed flawlessly, traveling the fifteen-mile test drive without incident.

Charles Stewart Rolls was one of the United Kingdom's first racing drivers, an aviator, patriot, and industrialist, and he operated a car sales and service depot at Lillie Hall, in Fulham, London. Initially, showrooms were located in Brook Street, later moved to Conduit Street. C.S. Rolls and Co. was established in 1902 and was the largest car dealership of the day. Joined in business by his friend, Claude Johnson (then serving as Secretary of the Automobile Club), the early cars they sold were nearly all imported. The lack of a decent British motor car frustrated Mr. Rolls, so he was always on the lookout for emerging local talent.

Mr. Rolls built two more two-cylinder cars, each better than the last, but remaining true to the original design. Partner Ernest Claremont had the second car and the third went to Henry Edmunds, fellow Director of Royce Ltd. Proud of his motorcar, Mr. Edmunds boasted about his car to Claude Johnson, who passed the news to Mr. Rolls. Intrigued, Mr. Rolls traveled to Manchester and, within minutes of seeing the little 10-horsepower Royce car, was convinced he had found what he was seeking. The two men, destined to become titans of the motoring community, met in the dining room of the Midland Hotel, Manchester, and despite their dissimilar backgrounds, decided to enter business together and agreed upon the name, Rolls-Royce Motorcars. Mr. Royce left the meeting saying, 'I have met the greatest engineer in the World.'

The Rolls-Royce Motorcars, wearing the now-famous radiator shape with a badge carrying the first letters from each man's surname, made their international debut in December 1904 at the Paris Salon. The two, three, and four-cylinder cars they displayed were beyond anything else available in regards to quality and craftsmanship. In 1906, the company unveiled a six-cylinder model in a longer chassis, known as the 40/50 horsepower, at the Olympia Motor Show.

The Rolls-Royce 40/50
The Rolls-Royce 40/50 was produced from 1906 to 1926, with 7,874 examples built. The twelfth 40/50 produced went to Claude Johnson, who had all its fittings silver-plated and the coachwork painted silver, earning the nickname, The Silver Ghost. This name was later adopted for all of the 40/50 horsepower cars.

Shortly after the arrival of the 40/50, Rolls-Royce adopted a single model policy, concentrating all its efforts on the engineering and development of the six-cylinder series. During its lengthy lifespan, the model received mechanical refinements and updates, helping it remain at the forefront of luxury marques. Despite the advancements, Silver Ghost sales declined during the early 1920s (like many other luxury marques), prompting Rolls-Royce to introduce the New Phantom in 1925.

Of the nearly 8,000 Silver Ghosts built through 1926, 1,701 were from the American Springfield factory. Most of the Springfield-built cars wore coachwork by Rolls-Royce Custom Coachwork and Brewster. The early American-built cars were assembled from kits of parts brought from England. Later examples used parts from American vendors for accessories and electrical systems and expanded its manufacturing capabilities.

Derby-built Rolls-Royce models were the first to receive updated features and mechanical refinements, so the American product was late to get such improvements as four-wheel brakes. However, many of the American components were better than those available in the U.K., and the Springfield-built Rolls-Royces soon featured American-made Bosch magnetos and coil ignition, Bijur generators and starters, and American-made wire wheels. Unique styling features of the Springfield cars were tubular bumpers and drum-style headlights, and the overall coachwork was frequently less formal, better suited to owner-operation (as opposed to chauffeur-driven), and visually lighter.

Specification
Initially, the Silver Ghost received a side-valve, L-head, inline six-cylinder, 7,036cc engine, growing to 7,428cc in 1910. The engine had its cylinders cast in two units of three cylinders, a seven-bearing crankshaft with full pressure lubrication, and a large center main bearing to help alleviate vibration. Each cylinder had two spark plugs, and from 1921, buyers had a choice of magneto or coil ignition. Early models received a trembler coil. The engine produced 48 horsepower at 1,250, and by the time production ceased, output had increased to 80 bhp at 2,250 RPM. The three-speed transmission was upgraded to a four-speed unit from 1913 onwards.

In 1914, electric lighting became an option and was standardized in 1919 - the same year electric starting was fitted, and electric lights replaced the previous oil or acetylene units.

From 1906 to 1913, the wheelbase measured 135.5 inches, growing to 143.5 inches in 1913 and remaining through 1923. A 144- and 150.5-inch wheelbase was used from 1923 onwards. The sturdy chassis was built from channel-section side members and tubular cross members, with rigid axles suspended by semi-elliptic springs at the front and a 'platform' leaf-spring arrangement at the rear, though the latter soon came in for revision. Early models had rear wheel brakes operated by a hand lever, with a pedal-operated transmission brake acting on the propellor shaft. In 1913, the footbrake system operated drums on the rear axle, and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes became optional in 1923.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2023