GHOST, A BRIEF HISTORY

1 September 2020, Goodwood, West Sussex

The Ghost name has been part of Rolls‑Royce since the company’s foundation in 1907. Its very first model began life rather prosaically as the ‘40/50’, but later became known, somewhat more romantically, as the Silver Ghost – a name that would become one of the famous and desirable in automotive history.

In 1913, a Silver Ghost driven by privateer entrant James Radley took first prize in the gruelling Alpine Trial over some of the highest, most technical demanding roads in Europe, helping to establish its reputation as ‘The Best Car in the World’. Exactly a century on, a team of 47 vintage Silver Ghosts recreated this momentous event. Starting in Vienna, they retraced the original 1,800-mile route through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, arriving back in Vienna 15 days later.

In total, more than 7,000 Silver Ghosts were built before production ceased in 1926. And while the cars themselves lived on – as many still do today – it would be more than 80 years before the legendary name was bestowed on a new Rolls‑Royce model.

The moment came in 2009, when Rolls‑Royce announced a new addition to its family alongside Phantom, which had launched production at Goodwood six years previously. Intended as a more measured, realistic companion to Phantom, Ghost quickly won praise from customers, media and enthusiasts for its simple, contemporary design and effortless, dynamic performance.

In 2011, Rolls‑Royce introduced an Extended Wheelbase (EWB) version, offering additional space and comfort for rear-seat passengers while maintaining all the standard car’s driving characteristics.

The success story continued in 2014 with the launch of Ghost Series II. The subtle exterior redesign gave Ghost a more dynamic, purposeful stance; inside, enhanced comfort, technology and connectivity combined to create the perfect environment for young, self-made entrepreneurs on the move. 

Between 2012 and 2019, Rolls‑Royce also produced a number of Ghost Bespoke Collection cars. These included the ‘Alpine Rally’, created in 2013 for the centenary re-enactment, the ‘Home of Rolls‑Royce’, commissioned to celebrate the 10th year of production at Goodwood the same year, and the 2018 homage to the original, ‘Silver Ghost’. The end of Series II production in 2019 was marked with ‘Zenith’, a truly exceptional Bespoke achievement, whose interior incorporates an ingot cast from the 2009 Ghost concept car.

With the new Ghost, launched in 2020, Rolls‑Royce has once again redefined the parameters of luxury motoring, and created a car both fully aligned with its customers’ needs and tastes, and entirely worthy of its famous name.

Ghost lies at the very heart of the Rolls‑Royce brand. It is a vitally important model in terms of sales, volumes and profitability: indeed, it is the most popular and biggest-selling Rolls‑Royce in the history of the marque. Its success since its launch in 2009 has enabled the company to scale up production, invest in its capabilities and become the truly global brand it is today.

ENDS

FURTHER INFORMATION

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EDITORS’ NOTES

Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group and is a completely separate company from Rolls‑Royce plc, the manufacturer of aircraft engines and propulsion systems. Over 2,000 skilled men and women are employed at the Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars’ head office and manufacturing plant at Goodwood, West Sussex, the only place in the world where the company’s super-luxury motor cars are hand-built.