Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Classic Cars for Sale

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, also known as the Rolls-Royce 40/50, is a very highly regarded luxury car produced between 1906 and 1926. The name also refers to a unique vehicle, the original Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, which is known as the world’s most valuable vehicle.

History of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost first debuted at the Olympia car show in 1906 as a prototype model, where it served as the first example of a 40/50 horsepower car under the Rolls-Royce name. It only became available for press testing in March of the following year, but it was impressive from the start. It was a powerful six-cylinder car with its cylinders arranged in two groups of three rather than the standard three groups of two, which markedly improved performance. The car also came with options for electric lighting which were revolutionary for the time, and which became standard in the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost after 1919 along with electric starting. When World War I interfered temporarily with the manufacture of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, the engine and chassis continued to be produced for use in armoured cars, a testament to their quality. However, as the novel features and excellent quality that defined the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost became more common in vehicles made by the company’s competitors, sales began to fall. This led to the replacement of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost with the Rolls-Royce New Phantom in 1925.

Special Edition of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost: The AX201

The twelfth car of this model’s production run was a very special single automobile with a revered place in history. The car was commissioned by Managing Director Claude Johnson to serve as a demonstration of what the Rolls-Royce 40/50, and the automaker more broadly, was capable of, and it excelled at doing this. While most cars at the time were prone to breaking down frequently and would often need costly repairs, the AX 201 was intended to demonstrate that Rolls-Royce cars were built to a higher standard, and that consumers could expect them to run reliably and with little wear and tear. This one-of-a-kind model was the first to be given the ‘Silver Ghost’ name, referring to its ability to pass through areas almost entirely unnoticed due to its extremely quiet engine. Because of its immense fame, the name spread to the rest of the 40/50 line in the public consciousness, to the point where the 40/50 is now retroactively known as the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost despite the automaker’s original intentions. After spending some time in the hands of a private owner after 1908, the AX 201 was re-acquired by the company in 1948 for use as a promotional vehicle; it carried the Queen of England on several occasions. In recent years, it has undergone professional restorations to ensure its preservation and has been sold to Bentley Motors. The AX 201 (the premier Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost) is considered to be history’s most valuable car, insured at $35 million USD in 2005, and deserves the price tag: it is the epitome of a luxury vehicle.