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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 Dan Vaughan

Tourer by Barker
Chassis number: 29LK

The 40/50 Silver Ghost is the Rolls-Royce model which, in 1907, earned the accolade, 'the best car in the world.' At a time when most 'horseless carriages' were noisy and cantankerous, the smooth, powerful, near-silent six-cylinder engine and silky ride of the Silver Ghost represented a revolutionary advance in motoring.

Production of the Silver Ghost lasted from 1907 and 1925, with a hiatus during World War I.

By 1923, an increase in engine displacement from 7 to 7.5L, dual magneto and coil ignition, large rear drum brakes, four-speed transmission and sturdier frame were incorporated to handle the heavier coachwork of the period. The side valve engine with dual ignition produced about 100 horsepower. The cone type clutch was connected to a 4-speed gearbox driving the rear wheels. Bodies were provided by independent coachbuilders to individual customer order.

29LK, a long wheelbase chassis, was sent to Barkers to be fitted with a 'Pullman Limousine' body on May 11, 1923, and was subsequently rebodied with its current straight sided Barker style tourer body by Jim Marland.

29LK has participated in numerous tours, including the 1997 Scottish Tour, the 1999 South African tour, the 2003 Alpine Celebration and the Annapolis to Monterrey Cross Country tour in 2004, and has been driven over 100,000 miles in the past 30 years. Its longest trip was a 12,000 mile round trip in 2010 from North Carolina to Alaska. It participated in the 2013 Centenary Alpine Trial in Europe and was driven to and from tours in New Mexico, Canada, and Michigan.

Dual Cowl Roadster Skiff by Albany
Chassis number: 40 CHX

This Rolls-Royce features a skiff body built by Albany Carriage of London, England - a dual cowl tourer with a folding cloth top. It was specified to be used for 'continental touring' and ordered with a radiator two inches higher than normal.

The completed car was delivered to its original owner in April 1924. It was originally equipped with two-wheel brakes but was returned to the Rolls-Royce factory in late 1924 to be fitted with four-wheel brakes.

During its lifetime the car has had several owners and spent time in Jordan and Palestine, in addition to the United Kingdom. Since coming to the United States in the mid-1960s, it has been used extensively for touring and has completed many long distance tours in the eastern United States. Over the years it has been 'maintained' rather than restored.

Salamanca Town Car

This elegant, stylish vehicle is the product of an innovative partnership between Rolls Royce, an English automobile manufacturer, and an American production facility in Springfield, Massachusetts. The high quality of craftsmanship and design created an air of exclusivity that characterizes the brand to this day.

The Salamanca Town Car has an adaptable body designed to either provide open motoring or protection from the elements. The body was likely crafted by Brewster & Company, a Long Island City manufacturer of customized automobile chassis. This Rolls Royce remained in the Snyder family from 1923 until it was given to the Frick Art & Historical Center in 2002. It is virtually intact with most of its original parts and accessories.

by Frick Car Museum

Tourer by Barker
Chassis number: 22NK

This late Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (22NK) still has its original coachwork. Fitted with a Barker barrel-sided open tourer, this Ghost was delivered to George Milne of Adelaide in January 1924. Mr. Milne was a wine and spirit merchant and an active member of the local motoring club. Prior to World War I, he had acquired another Silver Ghost, a 1930 model with Landaulet coachwork, chassis number 2243E.

Chassis 22NK was delivered new on January 12th of 1924, and given registration SA-27-120. After Mr. Milne's passing in 1934, his motorcars passed to his wife and daughters. It is not known how long 22NK remained with the Milne family, but with the onset of war the Rolls-Royce was taken to Sydney and eventually stored at King's Cross Parking Station for safekeeping.

Peter Campbell acquired the car in the 1940s before selling it to Allan Blomfield and Allan Kearley purchasing the car in 1954 or 1955 for the sum of £180. A short time later, Rex Turner of Neutral Motors, Neutral Bay, acquired the car for £280, who in turn sold the car to John McNamara. Further owners included John Sevenoaks, brothers Laurie O'Neil and Lance O'Neil, Jack A. Jeffrey, Peter McGrath, and John Vawser. Malcolm N. Jones purchased the car in 1985.

The most recent owner, a noted Sydney enthusiast, restored the Ghost both mechanically and cosmetically and brought it to the United States in 2011. Subsequently, the Silver Ghost was exhibited at the Greystone Mansion Concours d'Elegance, Kirkland Concours d'Elegance, and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It participated in two Paso Robles Tours.

Salamanca Town Car
Chassis number: 301KG

This Silver Ghost was built in the Springfield, Massachusetts manufacturing plant for Rolls-Royce and completed in February of 1923. The body style is called a Salamanca collapsible or a convertible town car to distinguish it from the similar Salamanca permanent body style. The window frames of the rear door and the division window are all hinged and can be folded inward, and the top can be folded back. The car's first owner was Charles Sabin, followed in 1927 by the infamous Enoch Lewis 'Nucky' Johnson of Atlantic City, who was known as the Lord of Atlantic City during prohibition. He was involved in rum-running, a numbers racket and other illicit enterprises. During Johnson's ownership the car was hit by gunfire while he was escaping a rum-running sale that went bad. The bullet hole can be seen in the trim on the side of the car just below the windshield in front of the left front door.

Oxford 7-Passenger Touring
Chassis number: 107JH
Engine number: 22-182

From 1910 to 1931, Rolls-Royce maintained an American factory at Springfield, Massachusetts, where the Silver Ghost remained in production until 1926. A range of bodies were sold under the name 'Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work.' Many of these were built by Brewster, but some were commissioned by Merrimac, Willoughby, Holbrook, and Biddle & Smart. The names of the body styles were named in honor of British landmarks: Croydon and Henley convertibles, St. Stephen and St. Alban town cars, and the Piccadilly roadster, to name but a few.

The Oxford, of which only 77 examples were produced, was a touring car that was stately and elegant. This particular example was delivered to Chicago resident Albert R. Hansen on April 20th of 1924. The car was later acquired in 1957 by W.E. Schreiber and then again, in 1964, by Dr. John A. Bowers, of Kokomo, Indiana. From 1969 until 1980 it was the property of Harry Resnick, of Channel Master television antenna fame, and it was displayed at his Ellenville Motor Museum in New York.

Warren E. Spieker, of Atherton, California acquired the car in December of 1980. It eventually made its way into the Blackhawk Museum, where it was on display for several years prior to its acquisition by the current owner. A restoration was completed in the early 1990s and refinished in its present livery of two shades of blue, with both a complementary leather interior and top, and trimmed in beautiful walnut. There are collapsible jump seats which allow for seven-passenger occupancy. There is also nick trim on such components as the Bausch & Lomb headlamps.

The engine is a 468 cubic-inch six-cylinder unit mated to a four-speed manual transmission.

Stratford Drophead Coupe

This car was built in Springfield Massachusetts in 1923. It started life as a limousine. In January 1929 it was traded for a new Phantom I. Second hand limousines did not sell well. A second-hand sport body (Stratford Model) that came from a 1926 Phantom I (British) had been sent back to the factory in December 1928. This Stratford sport body replaced the original limousine body.

Convertible Sedan by Brewster
Chassis number: 76ZG

This late P-Series Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was built for a Mr. Bibby of London and was originally fitted with Enclosed Cabriolet Barker coachwork, which was later changed for this commodious convertible sedan coachwork by Brewster after the car arrived in the United States. This particular example is believed to be the only such body in existence. The car was acquired from the Blackhawk Collection by its current owner in 2014, and it has since been completely restored.

Pall Mall Dual Cowl Phaeton by Springfield
Chassis number: 77JH
Engine number: 22-152

This Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost currently wears a dual-cowl Pall Mall bodystyle by Springfield. However, it was delivered to Penn Motors in Philadelphia, PA in June of 1924 with an enclosed town car Pickwick body. The dealership used it for two years as a company demonstrator and 'trials' car. The car's first private owner was Robert M. Stein of Baltimore, who purchased it from Penn Motors in September of 1926.

The car is finished in black lacquer paintwork, soft gray leather upholstery, and a pale beige cloth top. It has a Waltham speedometer odometer, tubular bumpers, and a split front windshield with wind wings. On the right side of the running board is a drum-closed spotlight mounted on a pedestal.

Dr. M. Dow Scholl of Chillicothe, Ohio acquired the car in 1951 from Mr. Stein. The next owner was Jack Scheve of Fairfield, Ohio who purchased it in 1972, followed by Mr. Thomas Lester of Florida in 1983. Matt and Barbara Browning, Ogden, Utah was the next owner, followed by Richard C. Paine Jr. of Seal Cove, Maine. The current owner acquired it in 2008.

by Dan Vaughan

Tourer

The Silver Ghost was produced by Rolls-Royce from 1907 through 1926; a time when luxury car producers sold only the engine and chassis and owners selected the coachbuilder of their choice to fit a body to it.

It is possible that Rolls-Royce is the most well-known brand in the world. That reputation began in 1907 when Autocar magazine said that it was the 'Best car in the world' - a phrase that eventually became the company's advertising tagline.

A total of 7,874 Silver Ghost cars were produced from 1907 to 1926 including 1,701 from the Springfield, Massachusetts factory before being replaced by the Phantom.

This fabulous seven-passenger Ghost 'Tourer' received a frame-off restoration in 2004 at a cost of over $1,000,000. In 2006 it received a notable second-in-class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance before becoming part of the famed Blackhawk Collection, where it resided until 2012. Recently commissioned by world famous Blackhawk Collection, Steve Littin, it is reputed to be one of the best Post-World War I Ghosts currently in use and has covered over 2,500 miles in the 2016.

Piccadilly Roadster by Merrimac
Chassis number: 367XH
Engine number: 21-192

This Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost has a Piccadilly Roadster body built by Massachusetts bodymaker, Merrimac. There were one-hundred and five examples of the Piccadilly body styles produced for the Silver Ghost and relatively few of these were used on new chassis.

This particular example was delivered to its first owner, B.M. Taylor of Boston, on January 17th of 1924. It was later owned by Mrs. Louisa F. Connely, Peter Knoefel, and a Mrs. Wagner. In 1939, it was acquired by Boris Lakusta, of San Rafael, who drove it in the California deserts for over three decades.

Lorin Tryon became its next owner before selling it in 1983 to Bill Dobson. In 1989, it was sold to Dr. James Stickley who had a full restoration performed on the car. Up to that point, the car had remained largely original and intact, aside from smaller wheels and a cut-down windshield, both of which were reversed to the original specifications.

After the restoration, the car was shown at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concorus d'Elegance where it won 3rd in Class. It was purchased right off the 18th green by the current owner.

by Dan Vaughan

Pall Mall Tourer by Merrimac

This Pall Mall body was constructed by Merrimac Body Co.of Merrimac, Mass. in accordance with the design created by Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Works. The odometer on this vehicle reflects 60,601 miles and is believed to be accurate.

The car was delivered new with only rear wheel brakes. It is one of the first Springfield Rolls-Royce factory conversions to add front wheel brakes as they were installed without any mechanical assist such as with a servo driven of the transmission, as was done with later conversions. Adding the front wheel brakes required the Rolls-Royce factory in Springfield, Mass. to change the front axle to one supplied with English Ghosts which had changed so as to allow for the use of Dunlop wheels in place of the original Buffalo wheels. The rear hubs were also changed so as to allow for the use of Dunlop Wheels in the rear so the four wheels would match.

This car is powered a 6-cylinder engine developing 48 horsepower.

Piccadilly Roadster by Merrimac
Chassis number: 318XH
Engine number: 21-143

This Springfield-built Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost, has a lightweight and sporty Piccadilly roadster body built for Rolls-Royce Custom Coachworks (RRCC) by the Merrimac Body Co., a subsidiary of the J.B. Judkins coachworks in Massachusetts. Merrimac built most of the open roadster and touring bodies for the Springfield factory - on both the Silver Ghost as well as the New Phantom chassis. This Piccadilly roadster is one of 79 Ghosts bodied in this style. It was ordered by E.D. Gaither of Cincinnati, Ohio, in July 1923. In the 1950s it was owned by the collector Richard C. Paine Jr. and shown at his Seal Cove Automobile Museum. After several changes of ownership, the current owner purchased it earlier in 2018.

Playboy by Brewster
Chassis number: 355XH

'The Rolls-Royce Car is bought by people who will have the best and nothing but the best.' The company unabashedly claimed 'The best Car in the World' as its mantra. Silver Ghost production in England started in 1911 and continued through 1925, and in America at its Springfield, Massachusetts, facility from 1921-1926. At the time, no car was built better; its excellence achieved by a painstaking dedicated to detail unique in the automotive industry.

Chassis number 355XH was originally fitted with a Pall Mall tourer body and sold to 'Tack' Hardwick, star quarterback of the 1912 Harvard football team. During the 1930s it was displayed in the dealership owned by actor and movie star Tom Mix. Sometime in the 1970s, it was rebodied with the current Playboy body in the style of Brewster. The Playboy was typically a flashy re-body job when sales outlets found themselves burdened with unwanted and conservative limousine bodies.

Tourer by Hooper
Chassis number: 23 EM

The original owner of this Silver Ghost was Mathia Astoreca, who maintained homes in London, Paris, and Santiago, Chile. The vehicle was purchased in November of 1923, and Mr. Astoreca requested four-wheel brakes, but since they were not yet available, he was told they would be installed when they became available. Four-wheel brakes were installed around 1925. Mathia's brother owned chassis number JG6, the 1921 Paris Salon car, and it was this car's Million-Guiet cabriolet body that was relocated to the new chassis by London coachbuilders Barker.

Chassis number 23 EM with the Million-Guiet cabriolet coachwork was driven by Astoreca exenextensively in the UK and on the European continent until his passing in January of 1926. It remained with his widow until later in the 1930s.

The Rolls-Royce was discovered in 1972 being used to haul fruit along the waterfront in Valparaíso. Mr. Richard Dye of Santa Barbara, California acquired the vehicle and sold it to Neil Collins of Double Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Australian craftsman Peter Lamb built a new body for the vehicle, using design specifications from an original car. The inner frame was built of New Zealand Beachwood, covered in outer panels of aluminum. The recreation of the Hooper Tourer body took two years to complete, and after the work was done, the car was sold to a new owner in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Raymond Lippiatt acquired the vehicle in 1994 and immediately had the vehicle service, including work on the engine and brakes. It was sold in 1999 to Matthew Sysak of Pennsylvania. The engine was completely rebuilt around 2005 with new cam followers, valve guides, pistons, an exhaust cut-out, and a new gas tank, as well as installing an overdrive unit and new gears for the transmission.

In 2009, the vehicle was driven on a Rolls-Royce tour in South Africa.

The car entered new ownership, and in 2016, was brought to RM Sotheby's Arizona auction, and sold to new owners.

by Dan Vaughan

Tourer by Hooper
Chassis number: 23 EM

It was the 40/50 horsepower model of 1907-25 that established Rolls-Royce as 'the best car made in the world.' Factory manager Claude Johnson built one with sterling silver trim, ordered a Barker touring body painted silver, and drove that car 15,000 trouble-free miles. To a very impressed public, all 40/50's became 'Silver Ghosts.'

The pioneering inline-six grew from 7.0 to 7.4 liters in 1909. The suspension and transmission were revised and electric starting was standardized after WWI. Four-wheel brakes arrived in mid-1924 (in Britain, but not America), along with a gearbox-driven friction servo.

In November 1923, Mathias Astoreca, purchased No. 23 EM. His brother owned a cabriolet with coachwork by Million-Guiet. Mathias had the Barker coachworks swap that body onto his new chassis and drove it extensively until his passing in 1926. His widow then shipped the car to Santiago, Chile where its history is unclear until 1972. It was found as a stripped and rusted hulk that had been used to haul fruit on the Valparaiso waterfront.

Pall Mall Tourer by Merrimac
Chassis number: 395 XH

The open coachwork of the Pall Mall tourer body style was provided by the Massachusetts firm Merrimac under the 'Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work' label. The American coachwork designs were often distinguishable from their British counterparts, being visually lighter, less formal, and more suited to use by owner-operators. Arguably, the American components were often better than those available in the U.K. Case-in-point, the Springfield-built Rolls-Royces soon featured American-made wire wheels, American-made Bosch magnetos and coil ignition, as well as Bijur generators and starters.

Styling features of the Pall Mall tourer included a sharp and angular front, a more rounded cabin with seating slightly elevated. The all-weather canopy collapses in a conventional 'accordion' style upon the rear bulkhead.

Between 1921 to 1926, a total of 179 examples of the Springfield-built Silver Ghosts with Pall Mall touring coachwork were built. This particular example was originally delivered to Mrs. J.B. Miller of Houston, Texas. It wore the Pall Mall Tourer coachwork by Merrimac and was equipped with a 7.5-liter, straight six-cylinder engine delivering 80 horsepower.

By the 1980s, the car resided in Michigan and subsequently passed to re-war Rolls-Royce collector S. Prestley Blake of Somers, Connecticut, who later commissioned a complete restoration. The work was completed around 2004. The car was later sold to Cornelis and Mary Frances Wentges of Naples, Florida. With Cornelis' passing in June 2006, Mary Frances subsequently sold this Pall Mall Tourer to another local enthusiast in March 2007. The car remained in their care through June 2021.

This car wears a polychrome blue exterior with matching wire wheels with a pleated black leather interior and a fabric top. It has been updated with a professionally installed Gear Vendors overdrive unit. This Rolls-Royce has been driven approximately 870 miles since the restoration was completed approximately fifteen years ago.

by Dan Vaughan

Pall Mall Dual Cowl Phaeton by Springfield
Chassis number: 77JH
Engine number: 22-152

The partnership between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce began in 1904, with production based in Derby, England, but by the early 1920s, they were also building cars in America. In 1921, the first 'Springfield' Silver Ghosts were assembled from kits shipped from England to Springfield, Massachusetts. They had several unique attributes, including tubular bumpers and Bausch & Lomb headlights. Springfield chassis were bodied with American-built coachwork, distinguishable as aesthetically lighter and more suited to the owner-driver than British-built models.

This Springfield Silver Ghost was initially delivered with a formal Pickwick closed body to be used as a demonstrator by the Penn Motors dealership. Robert M. Stein of Baltimore, the car's first private owner, purchased it in 1926 and returned it to the Springfield factory to have a sporting Pall Mall Tourer body fitted from an existing 1921 Silver Ghost - the body it wears today.

In 1906 a new model, the 40/50 horsepower, was developed with a longer chassis and a six-cylinder engine. The popularity of the new Rolls-Royce grew quickly as it developed a reputation for smoothness, silence, flexibility and, above all, reliability. In 1907 a writer from the 'Autocar' described riding in the Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp as '....the feeling of being wafted through the countryside.' Engineers at Rolls-Royce coined the word 'waftability' to encapsulate that sensation. Today it is a word that cannot be found in any direction but it is a key design and engineering criterion.

The twelfth 40/50 produced had all its fittings silver-plated and the coachwork painted in aluminum paint. This car became known as the Silver Ghost and is probably the most famous car in the world. The name was later adopted for all the 40/50 hp car and had an immediate international impact, enhanced by the coachbuilders of the day, who could produce bodies of breathtaking beauty. The Silver Ghost was, quite simply, in a class of its own.

The motor car's versatility is legendary. It overwhelmingly won every reliability trial and distance record, dominated the great Alpine Trial of 1913 and won the Spanish Grand Prix of that year.

In May 1907, Claude Johnson drove the car to Scotland and back. This run was a precursor to the Scottish Reliability Trial for which the motor car was later awarded a gold model by the RAC.

The original idea was to drive 10,000 miles without stopping the engine, but the Silver Ghost proved so reliable that the target was raised to 15,000 miles. Despite a stall at 629 miles, when rough roads shook the petrol switch to the off position, the Silver Ghost ran faultlessly for 40 days and nights.

A further challenge was designed by Napier for Rolls-Royce to compete against them in a run from London to Edinburgh followed by high-speed runs at Brooklands. But the challenge was to complete the distance without changing gear, as opposed to how far you could travel. The car, driven by Ernest Hives, averaged 24.3 mpg between London and Edinburgh and attained a speed of 78.2 mph at Brooklands.

As an armored car in the First World War The Silver Ghost delivered exemplary service to the extent that Colonel T.E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) is quoted as saying, 'A Rolls in the desert is above rubies'.

In more elegant guise the Silver Ghost was the choice of the rich and famous across the globe. Kings, queens, maharajas, tsars and emperors owned them. The demand for the Silver Ghost was so high that manufacture was started in the United States in 1921 and continued in production with worldwide success until 1925.

by Rolls-Rocye Motor Cars Limited

by Rolls-Royce

The Rolls-Royce vehicles have always been the pinnacle of design, technology, and ambiance. The loudest noise that could be heard by occupants of their vehicles was said to be the clock. In 1904 engineer Frederick Henry Royce joined with the entrepreneur and businessman, the Honorable Charles Stewart Rolls. This union became known as the Rolls-Royce Company.

The Silver Ghost became available in 1906 and brought with it quality and technology to a level that had never been seen before on a motor vehicle. Most engines of the time had long and flexible crankshafts that were prone to vibration and noise. The Rolls-Royce engines had large bearings and pressurized oiling systems, secured by seven main bearings. This was then enclosed in a strong aluminum alloy crankcase eliminating much noise and creating a pleasurable driving experience for the occupants of the vehicle. The crankshaft had an accuracy of .00025 on its bearing surface. They were hand polished to remove any surface cracks left by the grinder. Instead of using noisy chains to drive the ignition, Royce used gears. Phosphor bronze and nickel steel were used in the construction of the timing gears which were then ground and polished by hand. The engine was further shortened by casting in triplets. Cooling problems and leaks were eliminated by the removable cylinder blocks and fixed heads. A Royce designed twin jet carburetor gave the engine all the breathing it required.

The Rolls Royce vehicles could accelerate from zero to top speed without shifting. Shifting during the early 1900's was a chore, with the lower gears never being smooth. It was not until top gear was achieved that the automobiles would operate properly. The Rolls-Royce Ghosts would accelerate as though they were being pulled. This feature, coupled with the vehicle's silent operation amplified the vehicle's prestige and was the ultimate driving experience of its day.

When first introduced, the Ghosts were given a four-speed gearbox with a direct drive third and an overdrive fourth. As time passed, the overdrive was dropped. The chassis was mostly conventional. Royce had fine-tuned the chassis to standards much higher than most marque's of the day. The body was held in place by a live rear axle carried in three-quarter elliptical springs. In the front, there was a solid axle supported by semi-elliptic leaf springs. Braking was by a foot pedal connected to a transmission brake. A hand brake operated twin rear drums.

Where Royce excelled in engineering, Rolls excelled in promoting and marketing. In 1906 a Ghost was entered in the Tourist Trophy Race, one of the most prestigious races of the time. The Ghost emerged victorious - well, much more than that. It had beaten the next nearest competitor by 27 minutes. Next, Rolls and Royce entered a Ghost in a 15,000-mile reliability run in 1907 which it did without incident. Upon its return to the Rolls-Royce shop, it took a small amount of money, about two-pounds or roughly ten-dollars by today's exchange rates, to restore the vehicle back to new condition.

The Silver Ghosts were entered in the Austrian Alpine Trials where the hoods were sealed shut to prevent any maintenance. The Silver Ghosts again dominated the competition and traversed the Alpine passes which were impassable for many motor cars.

This marketing worked and soon the Rolls-Royce vehicles became legendary and renowned for their durability, reliability, and style. To improve upon the prestige even further, Rolls supplied the Silver Ghosts to British royalty, a move that made sure the vehicles were seen in the right places by the right people.

The first Rolls-Royce distributor in the United States was Walter Martin of New York City, who was also a Cadillac distributor. As Cadillac continued to improve the ambiance of their vehicles, Martin naturally gave them more attention as the logistics of company location was in their favor. Rolls-Royce, on the other hand, was an ocean apart.

Over the early years of Rolls-Royce production, Brewster would become more effective in bringing Rolls-Royce chassis to America than Martin. Brewster imported several dozen chassis to supply its coachwork clients.

In 1913, the business manager for Rolls-Royce, Claude Johnson, formed a factory depot in New York and rented space from Brewster. Baker's US agent, Robert W. Schuette was appointed as Rolls-Royce distributor. At the time, Schuette also represented Fleetwood, Holbrook, Brewster, and Quinby. Around 100 Rolls-Royce's were imported over the next two years by Schuette, with around half of them bodied by Brewster.

As the First World War began to escalate, the production of Rolls-Royce automobiles slowed considerably. The factory's attention was turned to cars for military clients. Engines were produced for aircraft. By 1916, there were no more new Rolls-Royces available. Schuette and Brewster were still able to satisfy US demand for Rolls-Royce's by buying up existing chassis, renovating, and then fitting them with new coachwork.

by Dan Vaughan