1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, originally named the 40/50hp, was in production from 1906 through 1926 with 7,874 examples built. Power was initially from a new side-valve, six-cylinder, 7036cc engine that grew to 7,428cc in 1910. The cylinders were cast in two units of three cylinders each as opposed to the more common method of triple two-cylinder units on the earlier six. The engine was mated to a three-speed gearbox until 1913 when a four-speed unit served as a replacement. The suspension was comprised of leaf springs all around and early example had brakes on the rear wheels operated by a hand lever, with a pedal-operated transmission brake acting on the propeller shaft. In 1913, the footbrake system was moved to drums on the rear axle. In 1923, four-wheel servo-assisted brakes became optional.

The 'Silver Ghost' moniker was the nickname of Rolls-Royce managing director Claude Johnson's personal automobile, which had been painted silver with nickel trim. The nickname was later applied to other cars.

Rolls-Royce brought four chassis for display at the 1906 Olympia car show, including one with a four-cylinder 20 horsepower engine, another with a six-cylinder engine with 30 horsepower, and two examples of a new car dubbed the 40/50 HP. The 20 hp and 30 hp cars were existing models while the 40/50 hp was so new that they were not fully finished when put on display at the show. The 40/50 hp would gain popularity and a reputation for its silent and smooth operation, reliability, and flexibility. The car was advertised as 'the six-cylinder Rolls-Royce, not one of the best, but the best car in the world.' This was a rather bold declaration, considering the infancy of the automobile and the rapid developments that were constantly occurring. The Rolls-Royce Company, themselves, was new to the automotive scene, formed on march 15th of 1906. The two individuals who founded Rolls-Royce, however, had experience, talent, resources, and charisma to back up the bold statement.

Henry Royce worked in the electrical and mechanical business in the early 1880s. His first motor vehicle was a De Dion Quadricycle, and later acquired a second-hand 10 horsepower, two-cylinder French Decauville. Mr. Royce used the little car for transportation from his home to his electrical company, Royce Ltd. in Manchester. Although the vehicle worked, its construction and workmanship were far below Mr. Royce's standards, and the electrical system was unreliable, and the engine produced excessive vibration. Using the basic design of the Decauville, Mr. Royce began work on a replacement in the corner of the Cooke Street works. It was given its first test drive on April 1st of 1904, successfully achieving the level of reliability, comfort, and quality Mr. Royce had sought. Two additional two-cylinder cars followed, following the same design as the original but incrementally improved and updated. Partner Ernest Claremont had the second car and his friend and fellow Director of Royce Ltd., Henry Edmunds, the third.

Edmunds was a pioneer in the electrical industry, a motoring enthusiast, and would later become known as the Godfather of Rolls-Royce. Thoroughly satisfied with his car, he boasted to another friend, Claude Johnson, who passed the news to Charles Stewart Rolls that a company in Cooke Street was producing a superb little twin-cylinder car that may be the finest built in England.

Mr. Rolls, also of the United Kingdom, was a motoring pioneer and one of the racing drivers in the U.K. He funding his passion by operating a car sales and service depot at Lillie Hall, in Fulham, London. Showrooms were opened in Brook Street and subsequently moved to Conduit Street. Nearly all of the vehicles were imported, a frustration voiced often by Mr. Rolls due to the lack of a proper British motor car. The problem was soon rectified via a visit to Manchester where Mr. Rolls witnessed the little 10 horsepower Royce car. At the dining room of the Midland Hotel, Manchester, the two individuals discussed a business proposition. What followed was the Rolls-Royce company and a radiator shape that carried a badge entwined with the first letters from each man's surname.

An advertisement in the December 1904 Autocar magazine described 'the first, simple, silent Rolls-Royce.' That same month, the Rolls-Royce motorcars made their international debut at the Paris Salon where two, three, and four-cylinder cars were shown.

The six-cylinder Model 40/50 in a longer chassis soon followed, show at the 1906 Olympia Motor Show. The twelfth 40/50 example produced, for Claude Johnson, began the 'Silver Ghost' nickname, later adopted for all 40/50 horsepower cars.

To ensure each Rolls-Royce automobile lived up to the Creedence of its 'Best Car in the world' decree, each chassis was rigorously tested prior to delivery. Unlike other contemporary manufacturers, Rolls-Royce refused to build its own coachwork, preferring to focus its skill and talents on achieving engineering excellence. The task of coachwork was reserved for the finest and most gifted coachbuilders of the era.

Production at the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby was later complemented by another production facility in the United States in 1920, choosing 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.

Mechanical refinements and new features were first applied to the Derby-built Rolls-Royce motor cars, then added to the Springfield-built cars. Although this ensured proper operation of the new updates, it also meant that the American product was late to get such improvements, including four-wheel brakes. However, many of the American components were better built or better substitutes than those available in the U.K., including the American-made wire wheels, American-made Bosch magnetos and coil ignition, and Bijur generators and starters.

Production of the American Rolls-Royce lasted from 1921 through 1926. Silver Ghost production in the U.K. was from 1906 through 1926.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019