Silver Ghost. One of the most well-known and respected motor vehicle model names in the world, and not without justification. It is a name synonymous with Rolls-Royce and, more significantly, a car that in 1907 was claimed to be ‘The best car in the world’ by the authoritative UK magazine The Autocar. Such was its superiority that it stayed in production until 1926 before being replaced by the Phantom I, by which time 7 874 Ghosts had haunted the roads.
The car was named Silver Ghost to emphasise its “ghost-like quietness”. Key to this accolade was the exceptionally refined 7036 cc inline six-cylinder, side-valve engine. The block was cast in two units of three cylinders, and its secret for success lay with the crankshaft, which was secured by seven main bearings lubricated by a pressurised oiling system, while the timing drive and ignition were driven by gears rather than chains. The phosphor bronze/nickel steel timing gears were ground and polished by hand, while the crank’s bearing surfaces were ground to a near perfectly smooth finish – highly sophisticated operations for the time. Little wonder that the smoke-free engine ran silently and reliably. It developed 36 kW at 1250 r/min. In 1910, the capacity was increased to 7428 cc and power was increased to 60 kW at 2250. Initially, a three-speed gearbox was used, but this was replaced by a four-speed in 1913.
When WWI began, all available Rolls-Royce chassis were requisitioned by King George V to build armoured vehicles, and each given an ‘AC’ suffix to their chassis number. And this forms the core of the remarkable history behind the car that is now part of the FMM collection, which carries the chassis plate stamped X14AC. By comparing and combining input from a number of sources it appears as though it was ordered by the British Admiralty in White City, London on 13 April 1915 for use by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). A number of modifications were made to the chassis and it was used as a winch for launching and retrieving barrage balloons.
After the war it appears as though the RAF’s Lt Col Sir Pierre van Ryneveld acquired the chassis and had coachbuilder Vickers to design and fit a body. Sir Pierre shipped the car to South Africa where it became family transport for many years at his home at Spitzkop in the Bronkhorstspruit district of the Transvaal. In 1939 a pick-up body was fitted as it was used around the farm until finally abandoned.
Sir Pierre passed away in 1972, and the car was purchased in 1973 from the deceased estate by the Van der Wat family. The Rolls was in a generally good condition and still had the original mudguards, lamps, running boards, radiator and firewall. The car was restored and fitted with a 1914-15 London-Edinburgh Sports Tourer style body.
This 1915 Silver Ghost is now a jewel in FMM’s collection and is currently on view in Hall A.