What's all this about?
We've got a new, limited edition of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Restricted to just 35 exclusive units, this thing is called the Silver Ghost Collection.
And does it link back to the original Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost?
It does indeed; that's the reason it has been created. Back in 1907, Charles Rolls and a man called Claude Johnson, who was the then-MD of Rolls-Royce, drove the 12th chassis of the 40/50hp, registered as 'AX201', from London to Glasgow and back 27 times. It doesn't even bear thinking about now, given the state of roads in that long-ago era and cars' notorious unreliability at the time, but the 40/50hp - painted in silver - did 14,371 miles without any major issue. It earned the nickname 'Silver Ghost' and affirmed Rolls-Royce as the manufacturer of 'the best cars in the world' in the minds of the automotive press and public of the time. Hence, why Rolls-Royce of today wants to use its Ghost saloon as the basis for an homage to AX201.
What has it done to the Ghost?
Called the Silver Ghost Collection and created by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design team, the 35 cars feature Cassiopeia Silver bodywork, plus a hand-painted coachline that has fine particles of 100 per cent pure silver mixed in with the paint. The Spirit of Ecstasy is solid sterling-silver and she wears three hallmarks stamped by the British Assay office, a signal honour in itself, at her base - one for the Metal Fineness, one bespoke 'RR' logo and then another that reads 'AX201', for obvious reasons. Black-gold-plated copper surrounds the Spirit's base, which again harks back to the 1907 car as that extensively used copper in its engine bay. Inside is Forest Green leather - a nod to the original vehicle's interior finishing - and a silver inlay that sits around a solid silver ingot. The clock looks like a solid silver ingot, too, while a Silver Ghost Hamper and silver-coloured-binding umbrellas with an open-pore Tudor Oak handle complete the Silver Ghost Collection's appearance.
Have we got some words from anyone at Rolls-Royce?
Yes, Torsten Muller-Otvos, the CEO of Rolls-Royce, said: "The extraordinary accomplishments of our marque's founding fathers are honoured by the creation of this elegant 'Silver Ghost Collection'. The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective masterfully weave the rich narrative of the original 'Silver Ghost' into just 35 motor cars, creating a contemporary homage to the original. Today, our craftspeople and master artisans continue this legacy of excellence, creating unique motor cars that define luxury."
Matt Robinson - 28 Feb 2018