Glenister 1936
1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Wooden coachwork fuel engine
48bhp 7,248 cc side valve six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, front semi-elliptic leaf spring and rear three-quarter elliptic leaf spring, two wheel drum brakes, right hand drive. In December of 1904, an adventurer and an engineer joined their creative forces and developed a high performance automobile that was flawless in its workmanship and marketed with passion and ingenuity. Forty of these 20-horsepower, four-cylinder models were produced in 1905 and 1906, but this was just the start of one of the greatest automotive stories in history. In March 1906, Rolls-Royce Limited was registered as a company and in the same year, the Honorable Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce created the 40/50 six-cylinder Silver Ghost – a model that in the minds of many automotive historians is the most revolutionary automobile ever built.Rolls was an automotive enthusiast, race car driver and aviator, who was also a marketing and promotional master. Royce was a fanatical engineer who would accept nothing short of perfection, and once described the crafting of his cars as “sewing” parts together. This unlikely pair was in fact the perfect union to sell a motorcar that would become the world standard, a fact that Rolls wanted to establish in the minds of the wealthy elite. He accomplished this through sensational publicity garnered from victories in the world’s most important automobile events.The Tourist Trophy Race was one of the most prestigious events of the era, and was won by Rolls and Royce in commanding fashion in 1906, when the pair beat their nearest competition by 27 minutes. This was followed by the famous 15,000-mile reliability run of 1907, where the original Silver Ghost finished the event and required an incredible £22s 7d to restore it to as-new specification (or about $10 at 1907 exchange rates). Of course, the hoods for all competitors were sealed shut for this competition to prevent any in-race maintenance.Rolls also understood the importance of image when marketing and selling the most luxurious and advanced motor car to the upper crust of high society. He accomplished this by “supplying” Silver Ghosts to British royalty, which further established the place of the Silver Ghost in the minds of the influential and wealthy elite. This observation, coupled with the fact that the Silver Ghost was the most comfortable luxury car built and the only one available that was quiet enough to allow for normal conversation at speed, made the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost the obvious choice for those who wanted the ultimate motoring experience.Powered with a 454 cubic inch L-head, six-cylinder, side valve engine, the Silver Ghost was a mechanical marvel with its aluminum alloy crankcase and a timing drive and ignition that was driven by gears, not chains. The timing gears were made of phosphor bronze and nickel steel, which were ground and polished by hand. The crankshaft itself was ground to an accuracy of .025 on its bearing surfaces and then hand polished to remove any minute scratches left by the grinder. The result was an automobile that ran in complete silence without a puff of smoke – a feat that could not be matched at the time and has never been duplicated since.Three specially equipped cars were prepared for an important trial in 1911 – the London to Edinburgh run. The Rolls-Royce entries dominated the field, and following their great success, this enhanced specification became available to client order. Later, three such L to E chassis were upgraded to provide enhanced performance and entered in the Austrian Alpine trials. When Rolls-Royce won the event outright, this improved specification became available, known as the Alpine Eagle specification. Most of these cars were ordered for sporting applications, and 54PB appears to be no exception. Although there is no official record of the original coachwork, the car was fitted with a low rake steering column, indicating that it was intended to receive sporting open coachwork. 54PB was placed on test on April 29th, 1914.
1914 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Wooden coachwork fuel engine
48bhp 7,248 cc side valve six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, front semi-elliptic leaf spring and rear three-quarter elliptic leaf spring, two wheel drum brakes, right hand drive. In December of 1904, an adventurer and an engineer joined their creative forces and developed a high performance automobile that was flawless in its workmanship and marketed with passion and ingenuity. Forty of these 20-horsepower, four-cylinder models were produced in 1905 and 1906, but this was just the start of one of the greatest automotive stories in history. In March 1906, Rolls-Royce Limited was registered as a company and in the same year, the Honorable Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce created the 40/50 six-cylinder Silver Ghost – a model that in the minds of many automotive historians is the most revolutionary automobile ever built.Rolls was an automotive enthusiast, race car driver and aviator, who was also a marketing and promotional master. Royce was a fanatical engineer who would accept nothing short of perfection, and once described the crafting of his cars as “sewing” parts together. This unlikely pair was in fact the perfect union to sell a motorcar that would become the world standard, a fact that Rolls wanted to establish in the minds of the wealthy elite. He accomplished this through sensational publicity garnered from victories in the world’s most important automobile events.The Tourist Trophy Race was one of the most prestigious events of the era, and was won by Rolls and Royce in commanding fashion in 1906, when the pair beat their nearest competition by 27 minutes. This was followed by the famous 15,000-mile reliability run of 1907, where the original Silver Ghost finished the event and required an incredible £22s 7d to restore it to as-new specification (or about $10 at 1907 exchange rates). Of course, the hoods for all competitors were sealed shut for this competition to prevent any in-race maintenance.Rolls also understood the importance of image when marketing and selling the most luxurious and advanced motor car to the upper crust of high society. He accomplished this by “supplying” Silver Ghosts to British royalty, which further established the place of the Silver Ghost in the minds of the influential and wealthy elite. This observation, coupled with the fact that the Silver Ghost was the most comfortable luxury car built and the only one available that was quiet enough to allow for normal conversation at speed, made the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost the obvious choice for those who wanted the ultimate motoring experience.Powered with a 454 cubic inch L-head, six-cylinder, side valve engine, the Silver Ghost was a mechanical marvel with its aluminum alloy crankcase and a timing drive and ignition that was driven by gears, not chains. The timing gears were made of phosphor bronze and nickel steel, which were ground and polished by hand. The crankshaft itself was ground to an accuracy of .025 on its bearing surfaces and then hand polished to remove any minute scratches left by the grinder. The result was an automobile that ran in complete silence without a puff of smoke – a feat that could not be matched at the time and has never been duplicated since.Three specially equipped cars were prepared for an important trial in 1911 – the London to Edinburgh run. The Rolls-Royce entries dominated the field, and following their great success, this enhanced specification became available to client order. Later, three such L to E chassis were upgraded to provide enhanced performance and entered in the Austrian Alpine trials. When Rolls-Royce won the event outright, this improved specification became available, known as the Alpine Eagle specification. Most of these cars were ordered for sporting applications, and 54PB appears to be no exception. Although there is no official record of the original coachwork, the car was fitted with a low rake steering column, indicating that it was intended to receive sporting open coachwork. 54PB was placed on test on April 29th, 1914.