1929 Rolls Royce Phantom Cabriolet de Ville rear

Rolls-Royce Limited was formed on 15 March 1906, by which time it was apparent that new premises were required for production of cars. After considering sites in Manchester, Coventry, Bradford and Leicester, it was an offer from Derby's council of cheap electricity that resulted in the decision to acquire a 12.7 acres site on the southern edge of that city. The new factory was largely designed by Royce, and production began in early 1908, with a formal opening on 9 July 1908 by Sir John Montagu. The investment in the new company required further capital to be raised, and on 6 December 1906 GBP 100,000 of new shares were offered to the public. In 1907, Rolls-Royce bought out C.S. Rolls & Co.[1] (The non-motor car interests of Royce Ltd. continued to operate separately.)

During 1906 Royce had been developing an improved six cylinder model with more power than the 30hp. Initially designated the 40/50hp, this was the company's first all-new model. In March 1908 Claude Johnson, Commercial Managing Director and sometimes described as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce[, succeeded in persuading Royce and the other directors that Rolls-Royce should concentrate exclusively on the new model, and all the earlier models were duly discontinued. Later renamed the Silver Ghost, the new car was responsible for the company's early reputation with over 6,000 built. In 1921, the company opened a second factory in Springfield, Massachusetts in the United States (to help meet demand), where a further 1,701 "Springfield Ghosts" were built. This factory operated for 10 years, closing in 1931. Its chassis was used as a basis for the first British armoured car used in both world wars.

After the First World War, Rolls-Royce successfully avoided attempts to encourage the British car manufacturers to merge. Faced with falling sales of the Silver Ghost caused by the deteriorating economic situation, the company introduced the smaller, cheaper Twenty in 1922, effectively ending the one-model policy followed since 1908.

One major improvement over the Silver Ghost was the new pushrod-OHV straight-6 engine. Constructed as three groups of two cylinders with detachable heads (state of the art at the time), the large engine produced excellent power to pull the large heavy car. The engine used a 4¼ in (107.9 mm) bore and long 5½ in (139.7 mm) stroke for a total of 7.7 L (7668 cc/467 in³) of displacement. Aluminum was substituted for cast iron in the cylinder heads in 1928.

Semi-elliptical springs suspended the front, while cantilever springs were used in the rear. 4-wheel servo-assisted brakes were also specified, though some initial US models lacked front brakes.

Differences between the US and UK models included available wheelbases — both were specified with the same 143½ in (3644.9 mm) base length, but the UK long-wheelbase model was longer at 150½ (3822.7 mm) than the 146½ in (3721.1 mm) American version. Other differences included the transmission, with UK models using a 4-speed and US models using a 3-speed manual transmission, both with a single dry-plate clutch.

The motor car that succeeded a legend...and created its own legacy. The only motor car luxurious, powerful and quiet enough to follow the famed Silver Ghost in the Rolls-Royce monarchy.

Only the chassis and mechanical parts were made by Rolls-Royce. The body was made and fitted by a coachbuilder selected by the owner. Some of the most famous coachbuilders who produced bodies for Rolls Royce cars are Park Ward, Thrupp & Maberly, Mulliner and Hooper.

 

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