Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub · Article.
ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER GHOST RE-ENACTS TRIUMPHANT LONDON-EDINBURGH RUN 110 YEARS ON
23.09.2021 Press Release
History literally repeated itself recently, as Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 1701 re-enacted its astonishing run in the 1911 London-Edinburgh Trial.
Press Contact.
Andrew Ball
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Tel: +44-1243-384-064
send an e-mail
Author.
Andrew Ball
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
This article in other PressClubs
- 20-Ghost Club re-enacts historic London-Edinburgh Trial of 1911 with the winning Silver Ghost, chassis number 1701
- Starting from the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, the two-day run replicated as much of the original route along the Great North Road as possible
- Trip ends with a celebration at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Edinburgh
- Gearbox locked in top gear for the entire journey to Edinburgh, as
required in the original event
“The Silver Ghost is arguably the most famous Rolls-Royce model of
all time. It was through its success in the early trials of speed,
reliability and endurance that it earned Rolls-Royce its reputation
as 'the best car in the world'. Winning the 1911 London-Edinburgh
Trial was a landmark moment for Silver Ghost 1701: that the same
car, now a priceless collector's item, can repeat the endeavour 110
years later is testament to its remarkable engineering, materials
and build quality. Our sincere congratulations to our friends at the
20‑Ghost Club on this fantastic achievement."
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
History literally repeated itself recently, as
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 1701 re-enacted its astonishing run in the
1911 London-Edinburgh Trial.
The car, designed as an 'Experimental Speed Car', won the
original event locked in top gear for the entire 799-mile return trip
between the two capitals. Given the primitive state of Britain's
Edwardian roads, its average speed of 19.59 mph was highly impressive
– and its then unheard‑of fuel efficiency of over 24 mpg even more so.
To prove that the car had not been modified in any way, it achieved
78.2 mph on a half-mile speed test conducted immediately after the
Trial; it also became the first Rolls-Royce to exceed 100 mph in a
later test at the fabled Brooklands circuit in Surrey.
The re-enactment was as faithful to the 1911 event as possible.
The car, now a priceless collector's item and wearing registration
R-1075, departed from the Pall Mall headquarters of the Royal
Automobile Club (which oversaw the original Trial) at 06.00 on Sunday
5 September 2021, then travelled to Edinburgh on a route that followed
the old Great North Road as closely as practicable – locked in top
gear just as it was 110 years before.
To add to the spectacle and sense of occasion, 1701 was
accompanied by a further nine Rolls‑Royce Silver Ghosts, all of a
similar age and in equally magnificent condition, from the 20-Ghost
Club. And to complete the pageant, the cavalcade was escorted all the
way to Edinburgh by a brand-new Ghost, handbuilt at the Home of
Rolls-Royce at Goodwood and finished in Tempest Grey.
The run concluded with a grand reception at Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars Edinburgh on Monday 6 September 2021.
Andrew Ball said, “Silver Ghost 1701 has a unique and special
place in the marque's history and affections. It's difficult to think
of many machines that can still perform exactly as they did 110 years
ago; this extraordinary car is a remarkable tribute to our
predecessors who designed, engineered and built it. We're proud to
continue their work and uphold their values in today's Rolls-Royce
motor cars – which are still the best in the world."