1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

The reputation of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was founded on its level of engineering, refinement, quality, and reliability. They were powerful, rugged, quiet, and strong and could cruise for long distances in comfort and silence. Early into its existence, the company consentrated its entire efforts on a single model policy, the 40/50 hp six-cylinder series known by the name of its earliest successful example, the Silver Ghost (chassis number 60551, registered AX 201). Built from 1906 to 1926, a total of 7,874 examples were constructed.

At the heart of the Silver Ghost was a new side-valve, six-cylinder, 7,036cc engine with the cylinders cast in two units of three cylinders each. The seven-bearing crankshaft had full pressure lubrication, with the center bearing larger than the others to alleviate vibration. Each cylinder had two spark plugs, and initially, a trembler coil was used to produce the spark. A magneto was an optional extra and soon became standard. From 1921 forward, customers had a choice of magneto or coil ignition. In 1910, displacement grew to 7,428cc. Output was initially 48 bhp at 1,250 and later grew to 80 bhp at 2,250 RPM. A three-speed manual transmission was used through 1913 when it was replaced by a four-speed manual unit.

The 135.5-inch wheelbase chassis grew to 143.5-inches in 1913, and from 1923, buyers had the option of a 144 or 150.5-inch wheelbase platform. There were rigid axles and leaf springs front and rear. Early examples had rear wheel brakes only operated by a hand lever, with a pedal-operated transmission brake acting on the propellor shaft. In 1913, the footbrake system operated the drums on the rear axle, and in 1923, four-wheel servo-assisted brakes became optional. Electric lighting became optional in 1914 and was standardized in 1919, the same year that electric starting was fitted.

The Silver Ghost was built at Royce's Machester works, moving to Derby in July 1908. From 1921 to 1926, the Silver Ghost was also built at Springfield, Massachusetts. The Springfield-built Rolls-Royces soon featured American-made Bosch magnetos and coil ignition, Bijur generators and starters and American-made wire wheels.

The Austrian Alpine Trial
James Radley privately entered a 40/50 in the 1912 Austrian Alpine Trial but its three-speed gearbox proved to be its Achilles Heel and was inadequate for the ascent of the Katschberg Pass. The team returned the following year with four cars equipped with four-speed gearboxes and uprated engines that now developed 75 bhp (up from 60 bhp). The victorious cars earned six awards including the Archduke Leopold Cup. In commemoration of their accomplishments, replica cars were built and sold as Continental models, but they were called Alpine Eagles by chief test driver (and later Rolls-Royce Managing Director) Ernest Hives.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022